Best Reasons Not To Buy an Xbox Series X

Is the Xbox Series X worth buying now?

People have been scrambling to get their hands on them, placing the Xbox Series X console in seriously high demand. But I’m here to give you my best reasons not to buy an Xbox Series X in 2023. That is, unless you are wealthy and need new ways to throw money out the window. By all means go ahead if that is the case. The rest of us have to live within a budget.

At a price hovering around $500 and some effort to even find one, I recommend that most people wait. Eventually supply will catch up with demand and once that happens we will see more enticing prices. Early game console adopters always pay extra for the privilege of getting their console before the rest of us. Let’s dive into the reasons you should consider waiting…

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Firstly: Confusing Names

Before we look at reasons not to buy an Xbox Series X let’s talk about these new names. Microsoft didn’t use much imagination when coming up with the names of the newest Xbox One consoles. They basically recycled the names of the last consoles they created as upgrades from the original Xbox One. In the process they made for a pretty confusing list of consoles. I won’t blame you if you’re totally lost when you hear these names. Let’s clear this up now. Xbox One is the name for the original third generation console that came after Xbox 360. It was succeeded by the Xbox One S and Xbox one X. The newest consoles are the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X which are considered the fourth generation of Xbox.

The Xbox Series S is Not The Answer

The Xbox Series S has inferior hardware performance to the Xbox Series X. There’s no doubt about that. But that’s not even my biggest reason to avoid it. The specs are still a huge upgrade from most prior models. See chart below to compare hardware specs.

The main reason not to buy an Xbox Series S is the lack of a disc drive. This is simply unforgivable. That means you will never be able to buy a second hand game for cheap, borrow a game from a friend, or sell your game disc when you are bored of it. You won’t even be able to play Xbox disc-based games that you already own now. The economics of owning digital copies of games are horrible for the consumer. For these reasons I only buy disc based games.

Xbox Series S/Series X Exclusives

There are not yet too many released games that are exclusive to the Xbox Series S and Series X. That’s a good thing in my opinion. Although if you must have a game on the exclusive list you will have no other choice. I’m talking to you, Microsoft Flight Simulator fans. Over time we will likely continue to see more games that alienate the prior Xbox console generation.

The Xbox Series S/X Specs Are Insane

Yes they are! The Xbox Series X specs are actually insane. But is this performance upgrade something you can’t live without right now? Probably not. Usually it takes years for games to take full advantage of a new generation of hardware. Over time we will eventually see it fully utilized. To what degree do those enhanced specs affect your game play? Better graphic quality and faster game load times are nice. But at what retail cost do those improvements become worth it to you?

Comparing Xbox Hardware Specs

A Great Reason Not To Buy an Xbox Series X

Referencing the chart above, the Xbox One X looks to be a great compromise between performance and cost at the moment. You can often find them used in great condition for a great price.

As of January 2023 I’m seeing them used in good condition on Amazon for as low as $180, refurbished for $300. Check Xbox One X prices on Amazon. Be sure to click the “used and new offers” link to see all options. This is considerably less expensive than the Xbox Series X and will give you the most bang for your buck.

The performance of The Xbox One X is in a sweet spot that the average gamer would not be disappointed with. Offering beefy hardware, 4k, HDR, and One X enhanced games, this is not a minor upgrade over the original Xbox One. The Xbox One X is a significant improvement to the prior models at a fantastic used price. It will get you by until the prices comes down on the Series X. This is a great reason not to buy an Xbox Series X right now even if you’ve got a bad case of upgrade fever at the moment.

Reasons To Buy The Xbox Series X

There are most certainly valid reasons to make the purchase. Most obviously the Xbox Series X has amazing hardware specs. As time goes by we will see more games that are exclusive to the Xbox Series S/X and you will be out of luck if you have a prior model. Eventually a particular exclusive game will likely be your biggest reason to upgrade. Quick resume and FPS boost are nice features also. The SSD drive combined with the rest of the hardware offers very fast game load times.

My Xbox Console Recommendations Right Now

The budget option

If you have any Xbox One model and are fairly happy with it I would say to hang tight until the Xbox Series X price comes down. The most popular reasons not to buy an Xbox Series X right now are the cost and difficulty of finding one. It’s been a while since the series S and X were released. Early adopters always pay more. Eventually this model will become more affordable. Most of us will find that the Series X doesn’t offer anything we can’t live without right now. But that won’t stop people from wanting it.

The compromise

One of the most compelling reasons not to buy an Xbox Series X right now is that there is a cheaper Xbox model that already has nice specs. Let’s say you are just itching to upgrade from the original Xbox One and you are seeking faster game load times or 4k video output. You would be well served by the Xbox One X until the Xbox Series X can better fit your budget. The hardware specs of this model are a major improvement. This will buy you plenty of time. Only buy the Xbox One X if you can get it at a great price, check Amazon. I highly recommend to click on the used and new links to explore used and refurbished consoles.

I’m impatient and I have cash

This section is for those of you with money to throw around. Despite a number of good reasons not to buy an Xbox Series X you decided you must own it now. It’s fun to have the latest and greatest game console and you are not concerned about the price. If this is you, go ahead and buy the Xbox Series X now. We will be jealous of your fast game load times and access to exclusive Series S and X games.

Conclusion

There are several valid reasons not to buy an Xbox Series X right this moment. The Xbox One X will remain a formidable contender in the Xbox console ecosystem for some time. The Xbox One S design went in the wrong direction when a disc drive was not included. Disc based games are better economically because you can borrow, trade, and sell the games. But most importantly remember that the Series X will become more affordable if you are patient enough to wait. A much cheaper used Xbox One X adds 4k, faster load times, and just might be the right upgrade while you wait for prices to come down.

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