New hardware dominates the conversation, but older consoles aren’t done yet. From gaming PCs to Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo systems, and the Steam Deck, last-generation favorites like the Xbox One S/X, PlayStation 4 Pro, and original Switch continue to offer compelling reasons to play—even alongside the Xbox Series S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2.
A week away from Christmas of 2025, I’m seeing a
pronounced appetite for used, lightly used, and like-new gaming devices. The
trend mirrors the early pandemic period, when perceived supply constraints
fueled a similar rush toward secondary markets.
Table 1 sets the tone for a closely examined,
detail-oriented discussion starting with the Xbox.
Table
1. Xbox One Vs One S Vs Series S
|
Category |
Xbox
One (Old) |
One S (with Blu-ray drive) |
One
X |
Series
S (Nov
2020) |
|
Starting Price |
Old - much
cheaper |
$267 (New prices remained same 3yrs) |
$449 initially (Good only if bought used) |
$300 (512GB) Prices went up $380. (1TB $350 to $430).
Need separate SSD or external HDD |
|
Starting Storage
size |
500 GB HDD |
1TB HDD |
1TB HDD |
512GB SSD (NVMe SSD high-speed PCIe 4.0 drive), but
only 364GB usable – Some Games still struggle as they are much larger! (eg. Wild
Hearts) |
|
CPU |
Custom Jaguar
CPU @ 1.75GHz, 8 cores |
Custom Jaguar CPU @ 1.75GHz, 8 cores |
Custom CPU @ 2.3 GHz,
8 cores |
>> |
|
GPU |
Custom GPU @ 853
MHz, 12 CUs, 1.3 TFLOPS |
Custom GPU @ 914 MHz,
12 CUs, 1.4 TFLOPS |
Custom GPU @ 1.172
GHz, 40 CUs, Polaris features, 6.0 TFLOPS |
4 TFLOPS |
|
Memory |
8 GB DDR3 @ 68
GB/s, 32 MB ESRAM @ 204 GB/s |
8 GB DDR3 @ 68 GB/s,
32 MB ESRAM @ 218 GB/s |
12 GB GDDR5 @ 326
GB/s |
|
|
RAM flash |
8GB |
8GB |
8GB |
|
|
Size console |
34.3cm x 26.3cm 8cm |
40% smaller (29.5cm x 23cm x 6.5cm) |
Similar: 0.5cm
wider, 1 deeper, 0.5 thinner |
Much bigger! |
|
PSU (power consumption) |
220W, External
(External brick) |
120W, Internal |
245W, Internal |
|
|
Heating |
|
|
Most tightly packed console |
Very powerful processor, silent cooling, |
|
Power brick |
|
No power brick |
No power brick |
|
|
Weight |
7.8lbs |
6.4lbs, Lighter |
2 lbs heavier than Xbox One S |
4.25 lbs (1.9kg) |
|
Display &
Blue Ray Drive |
1040p (30fps) Blue Ray Drive |
1080p (30fps Gaming) 4K HDR (Video) Blue Ray Drive |
4k (60fps Gaming) 4K HDR (Video) Blue Ray Drive |
1080p (60fps
Gaming) 4K (Video) NO |
|
Game / Blue Ray
Drive |
Yes - Blue Ray
Drive |
Yes - Blue Ray Drive |
Yes - Blue Ray Drive |
NO |
|
Kinect virtual |
Yes - port |
Yes - External adapter |
Yes - External adapter |
NO |
|
Heating up |
|
Less heating than PS4 |
|
Heats up |
|
Racing controls
Accessory |
|
Racing steering Racing pedals |
|
Price is higher |
|
Virtual controls
Accessories |
|
Kinect sensor bar & adaptor |
|
NO (Alexa / Google Assistant integrate for basic
controls- from Kinect era. |
|
Games – Old
games vs game-pass subscription costs |
|
Most games are available. DVD drive! |
Most games are available.
|
Restricted to playing with game pass– Subscription
costs (Old One X instead?) |
|
Performance for
the games |
|
Games from Xbox 365, Xbox One, and Xbox One S
perform great. |
|
Less power than Series X (16GB) leads to compatibility
issues and an inability to match Series X's capabilities - as developers
maintain parity., |
|
Miscellaneous
and OS related |
|
"all-in-one" entertainment hub – with HDMI
pass-through for cable boxes, SPDIF optical audio output, |
|
Heavy advertising and games shared with Series X result
in significant space and load. Quick Resume has been blamed recently for saving
issues in games. |
Let me confess that I bought the Microsoft Xbox One S when
rumors of the Series S/X launch were circulating. Now I had a feeling they
would pull the plug on the One S with the new launch. There could be a shortage
of One S units. So, after having my eyes on eBay for a few months, I decided to
take the plunge and bought my One S at Walmart in early 2019. That was a little
over a year before Series S was available. Looking back, some of my intuitions
were true, some not so much!
Yes, Microsoft did pull the plug on the Xbox One S
They kept the Xbox One S Digital edition, which is diskless. While most Xbox
One video games are region-free, an Xbox One S console in the US should play
Xbox One games released in other countries.
While the Xbox One games are region-free, the physical
disk drive isn't, which makes a difference when playing DVDs and Blu-rays. An
American Xbox One can only play Region 1 DVDs and Zone A Blu-rays.
It plays all Xbox One-branded video games, as well as
a growing number of backward-compatible titles for Xbox 360 and the
original Xbox. All Xbox One-branded controllers work with the Xbox One S and
Xbox One X.
The Kinect sensor, the special camera used for
games and voice commands on the Xbox One, also works with both consoles.
However, a Kinect Adapter (sold separately) is required to connect it properly.
Only the original Xbox One console (not the Xbox One S or X) can connect to the
Kinect without additional cables.
The Xbox One X came from an era when Microsoft was
still interested in incorporating cable TV and smart assistants into its
console, complete with SPDIF optical audio for home audio systems and an IR
blaster for controlling television sets and external devices. The modern Xbox
Series X|S consoles omitted these features as part of cost-cutting measures.
Some questions I needed answers for when I originally
bought my One S which are equally relevant today:
Q1. Can we play Xbox One and Xbox 360
games on the Xbox One S/X?
This is a very common question, given that Xbox 360
and Xbox One have many games that still have a loyal following. This is true
across almost all genres of games, and especially for Kinect games.
Yes, Xbox One games are compatible with the Xbox One
S/X! I think this is the unique selling proposition for the Xbox One S/X. The Xbox
One was the era where we had the best assortment of games. As I mentioned
earlier, the Xbox One S/X beats the newer generation as the new generation
consoles do not have many new games or games specifically release for those
consoles.
Xbox 360 games do not
work on the Xbox One S/X. Although there were great Xbox 360 games compatible
with Xbox One consoles, they are not compatible with Xbox One S/X consoles. I
have seen online videos that speak of workarounds and hacks, but do not think
they work well.
Q2. Will Xbox One S
consoles work in other countries/regions?
It
is possible to change the region on an Xbox One S/X console to play discs from
other regions and countries. However, there is a limit on how many times we can
change region on a particular Xbox One device – the limit, I think, is 4 times.
There are videos online on how to do this, so I will not get into it.
Q3. Are Xbox One
physical game discs region-free?
Almost all Xbox One video games are region-free,
and an Xbox One S console in the US should play Xbox One games released in
other countries. However, check for any mention of region lock on the back cover
of the game disc before buying it. The Xbox One S console’s physical
disk drive is region-locked and might not allow you to play DVDs and Blu-rays
that are region-locked. But I guess you did not buy the Xbox to watch movies.
All game discs that I
bought in the USA mentioned they are region-free. Game discs that I bought on eBay,
which were shipped to the USA by sellers from other countries, also worked
fine. Online game subscriptions might be region-locked if you want to reinstall
from your profile.
What is the equivalent of the Microsoft
Xbox Console in the Sony PlayStation (PS) world?
This
discussion is not over unless I make a quick comparison of the Sony PlayStation
versus the Microsoft Xbox console. I love a few PlayStation games, and those
games are not available on Xbox, but then I love some of the Xbox games as
well. They both have loyal fans who have strong opinions, and so I will not
wade into that. However, find below the Sony PlayStation equivalent line-up against
the Microsoft Xbox line-up across the last three generations.
Table
2. Sony PlayStation versus Microsoft Xbox lineup across generations
|
Microsoft Xbox Console |
Sony PlayStation (PS)
Equivalent |
Generation - variant |
|
Xbox 360 (2005) |
PlayStation PS 3 (2006) |
7th generation |
|
Xbox One (2013) |
PlayStation PS 4 (2013) |
Base 8th-gen consoles |
|
Xbox One S (2016) |
PlayStation 4 Slim (2016) |
Improved hardware and slimmer versions |
|
Xbox One S Digital (2019) |
Cheaper disc-less version |
|
|
Xbox One X (2017) |
PlayStation 4 Pro (2016) |
Mid-generation performance upgrades |
|
Xbox Series S (2020) |
PlayStation 5 Digital (2020) |
Base 9th-gen consoles, disc-less |
|
Xbox Series X (2020) |
PlayStation 5 (2020) |
Flagship 9th-gen consoles |
What about the 9th generation?
Xbox
Series S (Nov 2020) and PS 5 - (sales decline for both, and not much PS5
vs Xbox unlike earlier generation PS4 was superior)
· PlayStation
not much new Vs Xbox bought a lot of existing developers (Game Pass)
· Most games can be played on the previous generations. Not many new games or exclusives.
Nintendo Switch or a PC Handheld like the Steam
Deck
Handheld gaming consoles provide flexibility. Handheld
consoles are easy to play anywhere and can fit into a busy adult lifestyle. Nintendo
Switch consoles provide a more out-of-the-box playing experience, while the
Steam Deck is more for dedicated gamers.
Nintendo Switch
appeals to adults and kids with family-friendly hits
like Mario and Zelda, while also offering mature, intense titles. The
balance tilts in favor of the Nintendo Switch if you have a kid.
In 2025, with the Nintendo Switch 2 available, the
Nintendo Switch V1 is for users seeking an unpatched model for hardware
hacking/modding, while the Nintendo Switch V2 or newer OLED offers better
battery life and plenty of slightly used, like-new pieces on the market. The elephant in the room is the price increase on older models and the $500 price tag of the new Switch 2.
Table
3. Nintendo Switch OLED vs Switch V2 vs Switch V1
|
Consoles |
Nintendo Switch OLED |
Nintendo Switch V2 |
Nintendo Switch V1 |
|
Premium Switch OLED |
Revised LCD Switch |
Original |
|
|
Cost 2025 (cost at launch) |
$400 ($350) |
$340 ($300) |
$300 |
|
Launch year |
11/8/2021 |
8/1/2019 |
3/3/2017 |
|
Model Number |
HEG-001 |
HAC-001(-01) |
HAC-001 |
|
Serial Number (If Visible) |
|
Starts
with XKW or XKJ |
Starts
with XAW. |
|
Battery life |
~4.5 - 9 hours |
4.5 to 9 hours (significantly
increased battery life) |
2.5 to 6.5 hours |
|
Screen Size |
7-inch OLED |
6.2-inch LCD |
6.2-inch LCD |
|
TV mode |
Handheld and TV
modes |
Handheld and TV
modes |
Handheld and TV
modes |
|
Screen Resolution |
1080p (TV), 720p (handheld) |
Same as V1 |
1080p (TV), 720p (handheld) |
|
Console Dimensions |
4.02 x 9.53 x 0.55
inches |
Same as V1 |
4.02 x 9.41 x 0.55
inches |
|
Width- |
Approx. 9.53 in (Wider than v2) |
Same as V1 |
Approx. 9.41 in |
|
Weight (with Joy-Cons) |
Heavier (approx.
0.93 lbs) |
Same as V1 |
Approx. 0.88 lbs |
|
Flash Storage |
64GB |
32GB |
32GB |
|
Processor |
Custom Nvidia Tegra
X1 (Similar to V2) |
Updated Nvidia Tegra X1 chip (more energy-efficient &
patch update) |
Original Nvidia Tegra X1 chip
(unpatched hardware) |
|
RAM |
4GB |
4GB |
4GB |
|
Manufacturing Process |
|
Newer, more efficient process (16nm vs 20nm) |
Older process |
|
Performance |
|
Same as V1 (same internal chipset) |
Same as V2 |
|
Modding |
|
Requires a modchip for homebrew/modding |
Easier to mod (no modchip needed) |
|
Screen |
7.0-inch OLED: Perfect blacks but lower peak
brightness than LCDs |
Same as V1 |
6.2-inch LCD: High brightness (great for bright rooms or
outdoors), |
|
Typical Lifespan (Hours) |
LED has lower lifespan than LCD |
Same as V1 |
LCD has longer theoretical lifespan |
|
Degradation |
Organic pixels degrade over time,
particularly blue ones, which can lead to color imbalance. |
Same as V1 |
Backlight failure or color degradation over a long period. |
|
Burn-in Risk |
Static images can cause permanent burn-in.
Low likelihood with normal use |
Same as V1 |
Negligible, as individual pixels don't self-illuminate. |
|
Packaging/ Box Art |
Red box |
Red box |
White/gray box |
|
Colors (dock & Joy-Cons) |
Black dock and red
& blue Joy-Cons, White dock with white Joy-Cons & Splatoon edition |
|
Neon blue and red
Joy-Cons, Mario red and blue edition, - Animal Crossing edition |
I consciously overlooked the Nintendo Switch Lite, as I feel
it's not a great value proposition, and is intended as a hand-held only model,
and the screen size is much smaller. I like having the option to connect to a
TV, just in case, and I like the screen size to at least match my phone. However,
if you want a dedicated Handheld-only, here is a quick comparison of the Nintendo
Switch Lite.
Table
4. Nintendo Switch Lite vs Switch V1
|
Consoles |
Nintendo Switch V1 |
Switch Lite |
|
Original |
Handheld-only |
|
|
Cost 2025 (cost at launch) |
$340 ($300) |
230 ($200) |
|
Launch year |
3/3/2017 |
9/20/2019 |
|
Model Number |
HAC-001 |
HDH-001 |
|
Serial Number |
Starts with XAW |
|
|
Battery life |
2.5 to 6.5 hours |
3-7 hours |
|
Screen Size |
6.2-inch LCD |
5.5-inch LCD
screen |
|
TV mode |
Handheld & TV
modes |
Handheld-only |
Which Xbox One S/X games do I own and
play?
Two years back on the Microsoft-Xbox sale in June, I
loaded up with a trove of online games when they had throw away prices on games
for Xbox One S/X.
Word of Advice: A few of the games are slowly being
pulled off the online stores, and will only be available if you have already
downloaded it and have it on your Xbox profile (you have the option to
reinstall games from your profile)
Table
5. Xbox One S/X games I own and play
|
Game |
Genre |
Kinect |
|
Call
of Duty - infinite |
1st
per shooting |
|
|
Call
of Duty - Ghosts |
1st
per shooting |
|
|
Call
of Duty -WWII |
1st
per shooting |
|
|
Call
of Duty -Black ops 3 |
1st
per shooting |
|
|
Call
of Duty -Black ops 4 |
1st
per shooting |
|
|
Call
of Duty -Black ops 4 - copy |
1st
per shooting |
|
|
Fallout
4 |
Shooting
story |
|
|
Halo
5 |
Shooting
story |
|
|
Destiny
|
Shooting
story |
|
|
Destiny
2 |
Shooting
story |
|
|
Titanfall |
Shooting
story |
|
|
Titanfall
2 |
Shooting
story |
|
|
Battlefield
1 |
Shooting
story |
|
|
Assassins
creed - Online Key |
Theme-
story |
|
|
Witcher
3 |
Theme-
story |
|
|
Fortnite
Deep Freeze Bundle 2017 |
Theme-
story |
|
|
Player
Unknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) |
|
|
|
Skyrim |
|
|
|
Dead
Raising |
|
|
|
Grand
Theft auto - SanAndreas |
|
|
|
Grand
Theft auto 5 |
Theme-
story |
|
|
Elder
scrolls - Morrow wind |
|
|
|
Star
wars Battlefront |
|
|
|
FIFA
2014 - Messi |
Football
|
|
|
FIFA
2015 - Messi other |
Football
|
|
|
|
Football
|
|
|
UFC |
Martial
arts |
|
|
UFC 3 |
Martial
arts |
|
|
PGA
tour - Golf |
Sports |
|
|
Madden
NFL Football |
Sports |
|
|
NBA
2K21 |
Basketball
|
|
|
Shape
up |
Fitness
|
Kinect |
|
Zumba
dance party |
Fitness
|
Kinect |
|
Just
Dance 2017 |
Fitness
|
Kinect |
|
Kinect
sports rivals |
Fitness
|
Kinect |
|
Overwatch
origins |
Kids |
|
|
Minecraft |
Kids |
|
|
Nickelodeon
Kart Racers Racing New |
Kids |
|
|
Sonic |
Kids |
|
|
Rush:
A DisneyPixar Adventure |
Kids |
|
|
Rare
replay - 30 game collection |
Kids |
|
|
Destroy
humans game |
Kids |
|
|
Trollhunters
Defenders of Arcadia |
Kids |
|
|
9
Monkeys of Shaolin (Digital key) |
Kids |
|
|
Ash
of Gods (Digital key) |
Kids |
|
|
Redeemer
(Digital key) |
Kids |
|
|
Crossout
(Network only) |
Kids |
|
|
Cars
3: Driven to Win |
Racing |
|
|
Horizon
Chase 2 |
Racing |
|
|
Burnout™
Paradise Remastered |
Racing |
|
|
NFS
Rivals |
Racing |
|
|
Need
for speed |
Racing |
|
|
NFS
Payback |
Racing |
|
|
NFS
Heat 2018 |
Racing |
|
|
NFS
Hot Pursuit Remastered |
|
|
|
|
Racing |
|
|
Dirt |
Racing |
|
|
Forza
motorsport 5 |
Racing |
|
|
Forza
motorsport 6 |
Racing |
|
|
Forza
Horizon 2 - France & Italy |
Racing |
|
|
Forza
Horizon 3 - Australia |
Racing |
|
|
Forza
Horizon 4 - UK (Xbox preinstalled) |
Racing |
|
|
The
Crew 2 |
Racing |
|
|
Assetto
Corsa racing |
Racing |
|
|
Project
Cars 2 - Simulation |
Racing |
|
|
Project
Cars 3 - Arcade |
Racing |
|
|
Sid
Meier's Civilization VI (digital) |
Strategy |
|
|
Forza
motorsport 7 |
Racing |
|
|
The
Crew Motorfest |
Racing |
|
|
F1
racing |
Racing |
|
|
Nascar
Heat 3 or 4 |
Racing |
|
|
Gears
of war |
Shooting
story |
|
|
Dance
Central |
|
Kinect |
|
|
|
Kinect |
|
Motionsports |
|
Kinect |
|
Kinect
joy ride |
|
Kinect |
|
Sonic
free riders |
|
Kinect |
|
The
biggest loser - workout |
|
Kinect |
|
Your
shape - fitness evolved |
|
Kinect |
Some additional information comparing the Xbox One S/X with the legacy console, the Xbox One
Table
6. Xbox One S/X vs legacy Xbox One - Additional information
|
Specifications |
Xbox One (Old) |
Xbox One S |
Xbox One X |
|
Internal Storage |
500GB, 1TB HDD |
500GB, 1TB, 2TB HDD |
1TB HDD |
|
HDR10 Support |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Content Protection |
HDCP 1.4 |
HDCP 2.2 |
HDCP 2.2 |
|
HDMI Out |
1.4b |
2.0a |
2.0b |
|
HDMI In |
1.4b |
1.4b |
1.4b |
|
S/PDIF |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
IR Receiver/IR Blaster Port |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
IR Blaster |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Kinect Port |
Yes |
External USB Adapter |
External USB Adapter |
|
Ethernet |
IEEE 802.3 10/100/1000 |
IEEE 802.3 10/100/1000 |
IEEE 802.3 10/100/1000 |
|
Wireless |
Dual band 2.4GHz and 5GHz spectrums,
compatible with IEEE 802.11/a/b/g/n networks |
IEEE 802.11ac dual band (5GHz & 2.4GHz),
2x2 wireless Wi-Fi with Wi-Fi Direct for home networks |
|
|
USB Port |
3x USB 3.0 |
||
|
Video CODECs |
HEVC/H.265, AVC/H.264, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 Part 2,
VC1/WMV9 |
||
|
HDMI audio, encoded |
Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, PCM 2.0, 5.1,
& 7.1; Dolby TrueHD w/Atmos (from games) |
||
|
HDMI audio, passthru |
Dolby TrueHD (opt. Atmos), DD+ (opt. Atmos),
DTS-HR/MA (opt. DTS:X) |
||
|
S/PDIF audio, encoded |
Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, PCM 2.0 |
||
|
CODECs decoded |
AAC, MP3, MPEG1, WMV |
||
|
Accessories Radio |
Dedicated dual band Xbox Wireless radio |
||
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