Xbox Series S Expected To Outsell Series X, According To Xbox's Phil Spencer

Microsoft is just a few weeks away from launching its two next-generation consoles, the Xbox Series X and Series S. The two consoles differ significantly in terms of raw graphical power and price, but Xbox boss Phil Spencer expects the least powerful of the two to sell better.

In an interview with Kotaku, Spencer is asked about his thoughts on console sales during the upcoming holiday season. With stock limited and the appetite for new hardware outstripping potential supply, Spencer expects the Xbox Series X to take an early lead. He does not, however, expect that to be the case over the course of the generation.

"I think, over the generation, our expectation would be that price really matters and that you would see the Series S sell more," Spencer stated.

Spencer also believes that at the outset, market share is going to be determined solely by the ability to supply enough consoles for the market. Referring to both Xbox and its main competitor this year, the PlayStation 5, Spencer says that early adopters will likely empty shelves faster than both Microsoft and Sony can stock them.

It wouldn't be strange for the Xbox Series X to outsell the Series S early on, however. Core players will likely be drawn to the more powerful system, and they're the ones who were prepared to purchase consoles as soon as they were put on sale.

With regards to the performance disparity between the Xbox Series X and Series S, Spencer says he understands some comments from developers worried about its reduced RAM, but notes that the PC market is evidence of how games can scale well across a range of configurations. He also mentions how the Series S can sometimes load games faster, thanks to the reduced size and resolution of the assets it uses for games.

The Xbox Series X and Series S launch on November 10, for $500 and $300 respectively. A list of launch titles has also been released, with special mentions for titles making use of Microsoft's Smart Delivery cross-generation program.