Building a PC Similar to the Xbox Series S Would Cost About $740 - Big Tech and the digital economy

A theoretical 2026 build designed to outperform the Xbox Series S at 1080p would cost roughly $740 before taxes, although component prices remain volatile.

The Xbox Series S remains positioned as an affordable entry point for console gaming, but building a comparable PC would require a considerably larger budget. A parts list designed to outperform Microsoft's console at 1080p comes to approximately $740 before taxes, based on the lowest prices available when the build was assembled.

The comparison is not a direct hardware match. The Series S uses custom AMD hardware, including a Zen 2-based eight-core CPU and an RDNA 2 GPU with 12 compute units. Its system memory is also shared between the CPU and GPU, with 10GB of GDDR6 RAM. This console-focused design allows the Series S to deliver more gaming performance than its specifications might suggest.

For the PC, the proposed configuration uses AMD components but opts for the older AM4 platform to keep motherboard and memory costs down. The suggested processor is the Ryzen 5 5600, priced at around $160, while the Ryzen 5 5600X3D is presented as an alternative that can offer better gaming performance and often sells for about $175. The motherboard choice is ASRock's B550M Phantom Gaming 4, estimated at $80 to $90.

The build uses 8GB of DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, supplied by two 4GB modules running at 3,200MT/s. The selected kit costs around $40. Although this gives the system less total memory than the console's unified pool, the dual-channel arrangement benefits the Ryzen processor.

Graphics are the largest part of the budget. Rather than using older options such as the GTX 1060 or a 6GB RTX 3050, the proposed system includes an ASRock Challenger Radeon RX 7600 with 8GB of VRAM. It costs about $330 and is expected to deliver substantially higher performance than the Series S on paper. The RTX 5050 and Intel Arc B570 are also identified as possible alternatives, but the build favors AMD to match the console's platform and avoid potential driver or support concerns associated with the Intel option.

The remaining components include a Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE cooler for around $35, a 512GB SSD costing approximately $100, and a 600W Thermaltake Toughpower GX2 power supply. The parts can be housed in a Zalman Cubix-G micro-ATX case priced between $35 and $45, although an inexpensive adapter may be needed for the case's front USB-C connection.

At roughly $740, the proposed PC costs significantly more than the Xbox Series S and more than twice the console's launch price. In return, it is intended to provide stronger performance and the broader functionality of a general-purpose computer. The estimate is only a snapshot of the market, however, since PC component prices can change substantially.

Sources: Engadget.