The price of the Xbox Series X has been leaked, the cost of the Xbox Series S is confirmed. For our editor Patrick Freese, these are not arguments for the console. He would rather buy Nvidia’s RTX 3080. But why?
What’s new with the Xbox Series? On the evening of September 7, 2020, new leaks about the Xbox Series X spread. They concern leaked prices and the release date of the Series X and Series S.
As it turns out, the leak regarding the Series S was accurate, as it has now been confirmed by Xbox with an image and a price of 299 euros.
Update from September 9: The price of the Xbox Series X at 499 € has now been officially confirmed with a release date.
However, the leaks and new information have not provided me with any arguments to actually buy the next-gen console. Nvidia’s RTX 3080 is still at the top of my list. And there are reasons for that.
That’s why I prefer to buy the RTX 3080 instead of an Xbox Series X, Series S, or PS5
What are the downsides of the Xbox Series X? For me, buying an Xbox Series X is currently out of the question. Especially because there are still many uncertainties. What about launch titles that actually speak for such a purchase? With the delay of Halo: Infinite to 2021, a major title is already out. Clear point deduction.
In 2018, I specifically bought an Xbox One X to play Red Dead Redemption 2 right at the start. I simply could not wait for the PC port – the title was worth it to me at that time to buy the console. And if I’m honest, it is now just a damn expensive Blu-ray player in my living room. I now play RDR 2 on the PC.
Additionally, with the game selection, you can easily access a variety of games with Game Pass. But not only on the console, but also on the PC. So I don’t have to answer an “either-or” question.
While the 499 euros mentioned in the leak for an Xbox Series X are not particularly expensive, they are also no surprise. Many calculate in this price range. For 200 euros more, you can already get the new RTX 3080 from Nvidia, which upgrades my gaming PC significantly. And I already know more about what to expect.
What are the advantages of the RTX 3080? Currently, my computer is running a GTX 1080 from Nvidia, which has been serving well for more than three years. However, in new, beautiful games, the card is slowly reaching its limits. I really enjoy playing the new Flight Simulator from Microsoft and would like to enhance the graphics even more. A new RTX 3000 graphics card with so much more power comes just in time.
And if I do feel like playing Xbox games, I can simply grab my Game Pass and play the games that have just been released.
Moreover, with a new graphics card, I know what to expect on PC. Namely, a solid 4K resolution at 60 FPS and beautiful games with ray tracing. I can even play World of Warcraft with ray tracing. Early tests of the new graphics cards (via DigitalFoundry on YouTube) show a performance increase of 80 to 90% between the RTX 3080 compared to the last generation, the RTX 2080. Compared to my old 1080, this is an even bigger jump.
Similar arguments for the GeForce are also provided by Christian Fritz Schneider of the GameStar editorial team in his video. For now, the next-gen consoles simply have no chance against Nvidia’s new graphics cards.
Conclusion: I simply know what to expect when purchasing the new RTX 3080. I do have to dig a little deeper into my pockets, but I also get a lot of power, ray tracing, anti-aliasing, and more. While there are still many uncertainties surrounding the Xbox Series X. The absence of strong, exclusive launch titles for the console that appeal to me is also a reason to invest in my PC instead.
Do you feel the same?
When and where you can pre-order the new RTX 3070, 3080, and RTX 3090 including custom models.
