Microsoft officially kicked off the new console generation on November 10 with the Xbox Series X and S, leading to the “largest launch in Xbox history.” While those who secured a preorder are experiencing the exceptional power and speed boosts of Microsoft’s new consoles, many others are stuck hoping for new stock before the holiday.
As we wait for orders to re-open, we’ve dreamt up our ideal Xbox Series setup and calculated how much it’d cost to “max out” our next-gen Xbox experience. To do this, we’ve compiled a list of all Microsoft’s official Xbox Series-compatible hardware and accessories (no software or subscriptions) and noted the cost for the U.S., U.K., and Australian markets.
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Xbox Series X – $500 USD / £450 / AU$750
Xbox Series X is Microsoft’s premier next-gen machine, delivering a 4K/60fps experience for most games, compared to 1440p on Series S. As we’re attempting to “max out” our next-gen experience here, we’re opting for the Series X.
Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – $180 USD / £160 / AU$250
The Elite Controller Series 2 is arguably the best controller of the last generation, and thanks to Microsoft’s commitment to cross-gen compatibility, it’ll work just as well on Series X. We’re adding one of these to our dream build for Player One. As for everyone else….
Xbox Wireless Controller (x2) – $120 USD / £110 / AU$180
We’ve already secured two controllers —the Elite Series 2 and the standard Xbox controller that comes with the Series X — so we’ll need two more to support four-player local co-op. Microsoft’s next-gen controller doesn’t elicit the same excitement as Sony’s DualSense, but its incremental improvements make the already excellent Xbox gamepad even better.
Read more in our Xbox Series X controller review.
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Xbox Rechargeable Battery (x3) – $75 USD / £60 / AU$90
Rather than calculate the cost of AA batteries for three controllers (the Elite Series 2 has its own rechargeable battery) over the course of the Series X’s lifetime, we’ll simplify by adding three rechargeable battery packs.
Seagate 1TB Storage Expansion Card – $220 USD / £220 / AU$360
Microsoft collaborated with Seagate to develop a storage expansion card for Series X that matches the speed and performance of its internal SSD. The price is steep, but it’s currently the only product of its kind on the market. And given the Series X’s 802 GB of usable storage (and the ballooning file sizes of games like Call of Duty), additional storage may quickly become a necessity.
Grand Total: $1,095 / £1,000 / AU$1,630
Our “maxed out” next-gen build includes an Xbox Series X, Elite Series 2 controller, two additional controllers, three rechargeable battery packs, and a 1TB storage expansion card, bringing our grand total to $1,095 USD / £1,000 / AU$1,630, which isn’t too far off from the average cost of just a Series X on the resale market.
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Were you able to secure an Xbox Series X or S on launch day? If so, which accessories did you opt for? Let us know in the comments!
For those hoping to grab a new console this holiday season, keep an eye on our Xbox Series X buying guide, where we’ll continue to update you on availability. In the meantime, check out IGN’s Xbox Series X review and our Xbox Series S review for our analyses of Microsoft’s next-gen consoles.
You can also see how much it will cost to max out your PS5.
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Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN.
Source: IGN Video Games All
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