While the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S arrived in late 2020, the Xbox One is still available—at least as a second-hand console. But is buying an Xbox One a good idea in 2023?

Let's take a look at what the Xbox One offers and if you should still buy it with the next generation of consoles available.

How Much Do Xbox Consoles Cost?

Before we discuss specifics, it's important to consider the price of each Xbox console. While there are other factors that go into deciding if an Xbox One is right for you, the value for money is one of the most practical.

The Xbox One S retails for $300, while the more powerful Xbox One X has a standard price of $500. There's also the All-Digital Xbox One S for $250, which lacks a disc drive. Since the original Xbox One is much older, it's not worth considering now.

However, you're unlikely to find an Xbox One device at these prices now. In January 2022, Microsoft stopped manufacturing all Xbox One consoles, including the Xbox One X and Xbox One S. This means that used markets, where prices can vary wildly, are now the primary ways to buy this console.

The sticker prices of the Xbox One line match the new Xbox Series X and Series S exactly: the Series X is $500, while the Series S is $300. As a result, it doesn't make sense to pay full price for an Xbox One when a newer, better console is available at the same price.

Xbox One Provides Access to Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass is the biggest draw of owning an Xbox console. If you're not familiar, Game Pass is a monthly subscription that provides unlimited access to hundreds of titles.

You can download and play included games on your Xbox for as long as you stay subscribed, and it's full of high-quality games. Plus, all titles published by Xbox Game Studios come to Game Pass on their day of release.

Game Pass is $10/month for console access only. There's also Game Pass Ultimate, which is $15/month and includes access to Game Pass on PC, as well as Xbox Live Gold and other perks. For more info, see our full guide to Xbox Game Pass.

At the time of writing, there are only a handful of Game Pass titles that are exclusive to the Xbox Series X|S, so you can enjoy almost the entire catalog on an Xbox One. The Xbox Series X|S will run the games better and faster, thanks to those consoles packing SSDs and more powerful internals.

That means if you want to check out lots of the titles on Game Pass, an Xbox One is a decent way to do so. However, many of the same games are on Game Pass for PC, so if you have access to a decent gaming computer, an Xbox One is largely redundant. A lot of PC Game Pass titles include controller support.

How Long Will the Xbox One Last?

Since the Xbox One is an aging console, eventually it won't receive new games anymore. We've already mentioned above that Microsoft has ceased production of Xbox One consoles, meaning that the system won't be around for much longer. But how long should you expect the Xbox One to receive support?

To get an idea, let's consider the last generation. The Xbox 360 launched in 2005 and was discontinued in 2016. After the Xbox One launched in 2013, the Xbox 360 continued to receive some cross-generation games, even if it missed out on the best Xbox One exclusives.

2014's Forza Horizon 2 was the last Xbox 360 entry in the Xbox-exclusive series, while 2015's Rise of the Tomb Raider came to both Xbox 360 and Xbox One. For yearly third-party titles, 2016's Madden NFL 17 was the last Madden released on Xbox 360.

The Xbox One S and One X both launched mid-generation in 2016, which is a distinction from past console release patterns. However, since Microsoft discontinued all Xbox One models together, it's doubtful that we'll see any games come to the Xbox One X but not the original Xbox One.

Some of the biggest Xbox exclusives to launch in 2021 did so on both Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, such as Forza Horizon 5 and Halo Infinite. This has been mixed since; the full release of 2022's Grounded is available for both console generations, but 2023's Hi-Fi Rush was only available on Xbox One via streaming.

Most of the big Xbox Game Studios titles that have been announced without a release date, such as the next Forza Motorsport and Fable games, are only coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC. Thus, the end of Xbox One-compatible releases is likely near. 2023 might be the last year the Xbox One receives entries for yearly titles like FIFA and Call of Duty.

Xbox as a Platform

If you're considering an Xbox One, you should understand Microsoft's philosophy on its current consoles. Backward compatibility is a big factor: the Xbox One can play many Xbox 360 and original Xbox titles, while the Series X|S can play all those older Xbox games, plus most Xbox One titles.

Xbox Smart Delivery is another part of Microsoft's "commitment to compatibility across generations." It delivers the "best version" of participating games you own, no matter which Xbox you're playing on. Smart Delivery also makes sure your progress is synced to all platforms.

For example, if you initially bought Gears 5 on Xbox One and later upgrade to an Xbox Series X, you'll be able to play the Series X-optimized version of the game on your new console. This comes at no extra cost, and you don't need to worry about picking the right version from the store.

Similarly, say you bought a game like Cyberpunk 2077 on Xbox One that didn't have a Series X|S optimized version at launch. When you upgrade to a Series X, you can play the backward-compatible Xbox One version on your Series X, then upgrade to the optimized version at no cost when it becomes available.

These features, combined with Game Pass providing basically the same experience on both generations, mean that you can take everything with you from Xbox One to the Series X|S.

You should be aware that Microsoft treats Windows as part of this gaming platform, too. All recent Xbox exclusives are also available on PC, meaning that a gaming PC is a fine alternative to an Xbox.

Should You Buy an Xbox One in 2023?

With everything considered, is the Xbox One worth it right now? In almost all cases, we would say no. With the retail price of the Xbox One X and Xbox One S matching the price of an Xbox Series X or Series S, there's no good reason to buy an older console. The newer generation gets you faster performance and is a more future-proof purchase, compared to investing in outdated hardware.

While you can access most of what makes Xbox great on Xbox One now, that won't last much longer. Before long, Xbox-exclusive titles won't release on Xbox One anymore, and Game Pass might begin offering more exclusives for Xbox Series X|S.

While it can be difficult to find the Xbox Series X or Series S, that shouldn't tempt you into buying an older console. Wait until the new consoles are readily available, and your money will be much better spent.

If there are a couple of Xbox titles that you can't wait for, and you have a decent computer, see if they're on Game Pass for PC. That can hold you over until the Series X|S is back in stock.

In short, we'd only recommend buying an Xbox One in 2023 if you can find it used for a huge discount and don't plan to upgrade for years. Otherwise, the matching prices and enhanced power of the Series X|S make the newer systems a much better choice. And if you already have a solid PC, go for that instead. The Xbox One has exhausted almost all of its life by now.

Xbox Across Generations

Now you're better equipped to decide if an Xbox One is right for you. Whatever you choose, Game Pass is an excellent service that has tons of solid titles to keep you busy. And Microsoft's commitment to providing the best experience on every Xbox system is commendable.