One of the factors you may want to consider when picking between the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S is the energy consumption of each hardware. You can check out this comparison guide to see how much these two Microsoft gaming consoles will consume.
Quick Summary
As expected, the Xbox Series S is more power efficient than the Xbox Series X when it comes to the energy saving mode, sleep mode, video streaming and game playing.
If you are planning to use your console as mainly a streaming box and/or connect it to a 1080p TV, then the Series S is the better choice in terms of power consumption.
With that said, the extra energy being used by the Xbox Series X should result in better looking games that run at higher resolutions and frame rates. So, if you are looking for the best graphics, then you should pick up the Series X instead.
Xbox Series X vs. Xbox Series S energy consumption chart
You can take a look at our comparison table for the power consumption between the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
| Xbox Series X | Xbox Series S | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Saving Power Off Mode | 0.5 W | 0.4 W |
| Sleep Power Off Mode | 13 W | 10 W |
| Menu Navigation | 48 W | 28 W |
| DVD Disc Playback | 48 W | N/A |
| Blu-Ray Disc Playback | 50 W | N/A |
| Streaming HD Videos | 47 W | 28 W |
| Streaming 4K Videos | 48 W | 31 W |
| Playing Games | 153 W | 74 W |
Energy Saving Power Off Mode
The energy saving mode is when you fully shut down your Xbox Series console without unplugging its power cord from the power outlet.
According to internal testing done by Microsoft using methods from the Game Console Voluntary Agreement, the Xbox Series X consumes 0.5 W, which is 0.1 W (or 25%) more than the Xbox Series S.
Sleep Mode
If you decided to put your console into Sleep Mode, then the lower power state will consume 13 W on the Series X, which is 0.3 W (or 30%) more than the Series S.
Menu Navigation
If you have your system fully powered on but are only in the system menu, then the Xbox Series X will consume 48 W, which is 20W (or 71.4%) more than the Xbox Series S.
DVD Disc Playback
When it comes to DVD playback, the X version of the gaming hardware takes up 48 W of energy consumption. Since the S version does not come with a disc drive, then it is not able to play DVDs.
Blu-Ray Disc Playback
For Blu-Ray disc playback, the Xbox Series X utilizes 50 W of power. As we stated above, the Xbox Series S has no disc drive, which means that it is not able to play Blu-Ray.
Streaming HD Videos
When using your game console to stream HD videos, the Series X will consume 47 W, which is 19 W (or 67.9%) more than the Series S.
Streaming 4K Videos
For 4K video streaming, the Xbox Series X uses 48 W, which is 17 W (or 54.8%) more than the Xbox Series S.
Playing Games
When it comes to actually playing games, the Series X can take up as much as 153 W, which is 79 W (or 106.8%) more than the Series S.
Of course, the X version of the hardware uses the extra power to provide high resolution, better frame rates and other visual enhancements when compared to the S version.
To see how you can directly compare the aforementioned energy saving and sleep modes on your Xbox Series system, you can check out this prior tutorial.
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