Xbox Series X size is almost double the volume of Xbox One X

By Matt Brown
last updated

Packing high-performance hardware and cooling solutions, Microsoft's beastly Xbox Series X results in a larger footprint.

Xbox Series X Controller
Xbox Series X Controller (Image credit: Microsoft)

Xbox Series X Reveal

Source: Microsoft (Image credit: Source: Microsoft)

Microsoft's Xbox Series X marks the pinnacle of its next-generation vision, hitting the market with a 4K 60 FPS baseline, and supporting up to 8K resolution or 120 Hz refresh rates. The upcoming flagship delivers notable performance gains across the board, currently set for a late 2020 debut.

The Xbox Series X saw an unexpected unveiling at The Game Awards, providing a final name for the flagship system, accompanied by a cinematic glimpse at the streamlined industrial design. Following reports provided a deeper dive into planned system improvements, clarifying technical specifications, and the new creative approach.

More: Xbox Series X vs. PlayStation 4 Pro vs. Xbox One X 3D size comparison

The Xbox Series X design is a significant departure from the current Xbox One family, embracing a broad, cuboid shape with added "chonk" over preceding consoles. While each Xbox One saw an elongated housing mimicking the set-top box, the Xbox Series X better resembles a PC tower silhouette. That includes a larger overall footprint, although with volume better distributed closer to an equilateral shape.

Xbox Series X size and dimensions

Xbox Series X Dimensions

Source: Microsoft | Windows Central Approximate dimensions for the Xbox Series X, from our crack team of uber mathematicians. (Image credit: Source: Microsoft | Windows Central)

Microsoft has changed up more than the console with Xbox Series X, including a revised gamepad. While bringing forward the foundations of the Xbox One controller, a GameSpot interview with Xbox leadership reports a design "ever-so-slightly smaller in subtle ways," following internal research. That makes the standardized USB Type-A port the best point of reference when attempting to gauge the dimensions of Xbox Series X, using formal specification.

Using stills from the Xbox Series X announcement trailer, the console is an estimated 31cm tall, with 16cm width and depth, give or take a couple of millimeters for margin of error. That compares to the 30cm x 24cm x 6cm dimensions of Xbox One X, Microsoft's currently most powerful and smallest console on the market. Those dimensions provide an estimated volume of 7936 cubic centimeters for Xbox Series X, almost double of the Xbox One X's 4320.

Xbox Series X Vent

Source: Microsoft (Image credit: Source: Microsoft)

That's a sizeable increase between console cycles, although impressive given the hardware Xbox Series X promises to deliver. Microsoft targets a CPU with four times the capabilities of the Xbox One X, GPU delivering twice the graphical prowess, alongside other hardware improvements. That also requires a new cooling system, using just a single fan and upward-facing vent to reduce noise. That's serious power compacted into a fine-tuned setup, proving promising for the coming generation.

Those new dimensions should still be manageable for most Xbox One owners looking to upgrade for the forthcoming console generation. Microsoft has already confirmed the Xbox Series X supports both vertical and horizontal positioning, providing the added flexibility of the sideways-bound original Xbox One console. This was never meant to be a compact product either, focused on bleeding-edge power for the masses. And with Xbox Series X currently scheduled for late 2020, you have almost one year to clear out your entertainment center anyway.

Xbox Series X/S

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Matt Brown
Matt Brown

Matt Brown was formerly a Windows Central's Senior Editor, Xbox & PC, at Future. Following over seven years of professional consumer technology and gaming coverage, he’s focused on the world of Microsoft's gaming efforts. You can follow him on Twitter @mattjbrown.

20 Comments
  • The devkit board was a solid indication .. Yeah it was never going to fit in something Like the Xbox one X 😅
  • I definitely wish they had kept the more traditional shape and made it horizontal, shorter, and deeper. This is going to waste a lot of space in my entertainment center laid on its side... taking up a huge amount of vertical space and leaving a ton of unused space behind it doing nothing. I do love the styling... and I was pretty certain they would want to do something to make it look different than the X. But who has space for this thing in its vertical positioning? And why not use the extra depth that will still be available in most setups, rather than making it fatter? It's still way better than something like the PS5 dev kit. At least they didn't make it incredibly ugly.
  • The laws of thermal Dynamics mean it has to have a way to get rid of all that heat. Consoles are much closer to parity with desktops with high end GPUs now. Plus as they stated keeping it cool with less noise means it needs to be larger
  • @Monte Constable1 Not to mention PCI-E 4.0 NVMEs run incredibly hot as well.
  • I could deal with the size of it. I just don't plan to upgrade my Xbox One X anytime soon. Maybe, if I decide to gift it to my son or daughter... Maybe.
  • Birthday/christmas comes up, hey kids I got your an Xbox One! What's that in the bag? ... Nothing?
  • Wish they'd have made it more interesting. Plain black box is a bit boring. At least have some faceplates or something like the of 360 did. Maybe even some rgb.
  • Why would you even want to SEE the device?
  • How does that compare to the size of the Original Xbox One?
  • This is what I want to know. People seem to forget that it took quite a few years before the Xbox1 was able to slim down to the S and X. I have an original Xbox1 in the bedroom and flipped on it's side the series X looks like it would take up less space.
  • Shape makes sense. The Xbox One was launched as an entertainment device, so it's dimensions were such that it should fit in a TV cabinet. This Xbox is a gaming-first rig, meaning that it will likely find itself on many desks, where pro-gamers tend to do their gaming and where desk space is a premium.
  • I'd like to see stats on that. Somehow, I doubt that the predominant location of gaming consoles is anything other than livingrooms or similar.
  • To be fair, for what it is, the Xbox One X is actually crazy tiny.
  • That is true, it packs a crazy amount of compute power and not to mention the integrated PSU + power brick as well.
  • Will see how this links to Duo
  • The Xbox One was roughly 7216 cubic centimeters. The width and depth of the Xbox Series X is relative to the controller width. The PS3 Fat was 9236.5 cubic centimeters. So not seeing the Xbox Series X at an estimated 7936 cubic centimeters with the power it has as a real issue. Likely the PS5 will come in someplace as close to the Xbox Series X if they plan on keep the cooling better than the aircraft noise that emanated from PS4.
  • So the top grill is a chimney after all - not that is a bad thing it has to vent out the heat out somehow lol. I'm curious how it takes in air or does the fan simply just suck out hot air from the components (similiar principles to a fridge)?
  • From purely a physical design aspect, this is a huge fail. Most will have no place to put this thing. Our current Xbox One disappears nicely in the dark recesses of our home entertain center, the only hint at its presence being that glowing "X" button. If I wanted a tower PC in my livingroom I'd have PUT a tower PC in my livingroom. In fact, a tower PC would give me WAY more capability than any console when it comes to home entertainment. This design choice makes very little sense.
  • Pretty sure it fits in most entertainment center I know it will in mine horizontally with no issues... It ain't bigger than on OG Xbox or even the first Xbox one SKU it's like two on top of each other with half the depth... An entertainment center that can't fit that can't fit an regular AVR which makes it a pretty shi**y non standard entertainment center
  • People will always look for something to compain about. Everyone says PC's are better bacause of power, now series X is revealed and now its too big. If it's the size of a Bluetooth speaker, I'll make it work without issue. The proposed PS5 is ugly and looks like a ramp but I prefer the series X.... Who knows maybe they'll make some cosmetic changes before release.