It’s been three years since Microsoft launched the Xbox Series X, but with stock shortages seriously restricting availability, for a long time afterwards the idea of getting one for much less than full price was nothing but a pipe dream – until now.
In the Amazon Black Friday sale, the Xbox Series X is currently at an all-time low price of just £359 thanks to a 25 per cent discount on the usual asking price. Considering Microsoft raised the RRP to £480 earlier this year, that’s even more of a bargain than it first appears.
And if you were looking for a Series S deal instead, don't feel left out – the cheaper console is also on sale, now just £189 at Amazon.
So what do you get for your money? The Xbox Series X is officially the most powerful games console ever made, just edging out Sony’s PS5 when it comes to raw specs, with an 8-core 3.8GHz CPU and 12-teraflop GPU. That translates to 4K graphics at up to 120fps that’ll really get the most of your new TV, especially if it supports VRR and ALLM, and particularly now developers have worked out how to squeeze more performance out of the hardware.
The Series X will also play your Ultra HD Blu-rays, but Dolby Vision is only supported if you’re using compatible streaming apps. The disc drive is also a bit on the noisy side, so worth bearing in mind if physical media is your only option.
That’s not a decision you have to make if you opt for the digital-only Xbox Series S, which is also heavily discounted this Black Friday. This much more compact console is the less powerful sibling, so resolution maxes out at 1440p, but it does mean you’ll currently only pay £189 for one – a 24% saving on its usual £250 RRP.
It plays all the same games as the Series X, though, and for those not fussed about truly next-gen gaming experiences it does so with stable motion and plenty of detail. The same is true of its streaming apps, which include Netflix, Sky Go, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Disney+, but if you have a newish TV or streaming device that’ll probably be a moot point anyway.
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