XBOX SERIES X 1TB DISC: STILL A MONSTER, NOW WITH A MONSTER PRICE
7 of 10 bananas. Microsoft's most powerful console jumped from number 73 to number 20 in Amazon's video game best sellers in one day this week. It is still a superb 4K machine with a disc drive, but 798 dollars is 300 more than it cost in 2020, and most of its big games now also land on PC and PS5.
By the Alpha. Gear review. Updated Oct 30 2026.
Honest note: This is not a hands-on test for this review. I built this verdict from the Amazon listing and my own captures of Amazon's best seller chart, Microsoft's product and store pages, and price coverage from Windows Central, Pogwire, and a public price tracker. I have not measured noise, heat, or load times myself. If I run one on stream, I will update the score and say so.
Store check, Oct 30 2026: new units on offer, sold and shipped by Amazon.com. The button goes to the 1TB model with a disc drive in Carbon Black, not the Digital Edition. Prices and sellers change, so look before you pay.
Sit with me a moment. In 2020 this black tower was the strongest box under any TV, and it cost 499 dollars. Six years later it is still strong. What changed is the tag. So when it suddenly shot up Amazon's chart this week, the silverback had to ask the troop one question: is it worth this much now?
What It Is
The Xbox Series X is Microsoft's top console, launched in November 2020. This listing is the 1TB model with a 4K Blu-ray disc drive and one wireless controller in the box. Microsoft lists 12 teraflops of graphics power, a custom 1TB SSD, games in 4K at up to 120 frames per second on supported TVs and games, Quick Resume to jump between several games, and backward compatibility with thousands of Xbox One, Xbox 360, and original Xbox games. Those are maker claims; I have not measured them.
Why It Is Moving
In my daily captures of Amazon Best Sellers in Video Games, the Series X sat at number 73 on Oct 28, jumped to number 20 on Oct 29, and held at number 22 on Oct 30. That is a 53 place jump in one day for a console that costs almost 800 dollars. A public price tracker recorded a short dip to 754.94 dollars on Amazon on Oct 28, which lines up with the spike, and the price was back at 798 dollars by my Oct 30 check. The listing also showed Amazon's Choice, 4K plus bought in the past month, and 4.7 stars from 31,390 ratings. Behind it all is the price story: Microsoft raised US console prices on August 1 2026, taking this model from 649.99 to 799.99 dollars, so any dip draws a crowd.
Who It Is For
Players who live in Game Pass, own a 4K TV, and still buy or rent discs. It also suits anyone with a shelf of older Xbox games, since backward compatibility is one of the best in the business.
What To Watch Out For
The price, first. Microsoft's own store lists this model at 799.99, the Digital Edition at 749.99, and the Series S from 499.99, and it also sells certified refurbished Series X consoles for less. Pogwire reports a numbered Series X25 Limited Edition arriving November 13 at 899.99, if collectors matter to you. Next, the exclusives: Microsoft now brings many of its big games to PC and PS5 too, like Forza Horizon 5 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, so you may already own a machine that plays them. And at one of my Oct 30 checks Amazon showed only 4 left, so if it sells out, do not pay a marketplace markup.
STRENGTHS
- Strong 4K performance, up to 120 fps where supported
- 4K Blu-ray disc drive
- Quick Resume and fast 1TB SSD
- Huge backward compatible library
HONEST COSTS
- 798 dollars at my check, 300 more than at launch
- Many big Xbox games also on PC and PS5
- Only 1TB of storage for big modern installs
- Showed only 4 left at one check
Affiliate note: this Amazon link supports the troop at no extra cost to you. At my check the new offer was sold and shipped by Amazon.com.