Some Xbox Exclusives Have Much Smaller File Sizes On Xbox Series S Than Series X

In the lead-up to the launch of the Xbox Series X and the smaller, digital-only Series S, Microsoft has promised that the less-powerful console would feature file sizes up to 30% smaller for games. Now, GameSpot has confirmed that three major Xbox console exclusives are indeed significantly smaller on the Xbox Series S than on Series X.

The slightly lowered visual fidelity of the Series S means that some huge games are able to shrink down compared to the 4K-compatible titles on the more powerful next-gen Xbox. This is good news, as the Series S only has a 500GB SSD compared to the 1TB drive in the Series X, of which 364GB is usable.

GameSpot has checked the file sizes on three big Xbox exclusives--Gears 5, Forza Horizon 4, and Sea of Thieves--and found that the file sizes do, indeed, differ dramatically. Sea of Thieves, in particular, shows a huge difference--the Series S file is less than half the size of the Series X file.

Here are our findings:

Gears 5

• Series X: 71.9GB
• Series S: 55.1GB

Forza Horizon 4

• Series X: 84.6GB
• Series S: 71.4GB

Sea of Thieves

• Series X: 46.6GB
• Series S: 17.02GB

This should make it a little easier to cram the Series S drive full of Game Pass titles--which is how a lot of people will likely use the system, since it doesn't come with a disc drive.

GameSpot's complete review of the Series S is coming soon. Check out more of our next-gen Xbox launch coverage below:

• Xbox Series X Review: Playing The Future
• Xbox Series X/S Order Guide: Where To Buy An Xbox At Launch
• Xbox Series X: Price, Release Date, Games, Backwards Compatibility, And Everything Else