Is It Worth Buying An Xbox One In 2026?

I’m personally still rocking an original Xbox One console from 2013 that sometimes gets a bit of use (the Series X is my main system), and it’s certainly still functional and plays plenty of great games. It’s old and dusty, the disc drive is temperamental and it was starting to feel slow even back in 2020, but I still have plenty of fondness for it.

It’s also a system that aligns with current-gen consoles in terms of its store and user interface, which should help its lifespan when it comes to shutting the servers down. July 2024 saw the closure of the old Xbox 360 marketplace, but the Xbox One shares the same marketplace as the Series X and Series S, so it’s quite a different situation. It took 19 years for the 360 marketplace to shut down anyway, and the Xbox One is only 12 years old!

So, which is the best model to pick up? The one you can get a good deal on — and ideally the One X!

So, Is It Worth Buying An Xbox One In 2026?

When we asked this question four years ago, we mentioned that you wouldn’t be missing out on much exclusive Xbox Series X|S content by buying an Xbox One (which is no longer true), but that the Xbox Series S was only a bit more expensive at £249.99 / $299.99 (which is also no longer true).

We still think the Xbox Series S is your best bet if you’re considering an Xbox One, as it’s a current-gen console that will play all the latest games without needing to stream them, but it obviously depends on how much you’re willing to pay. The Series S now retails for a whopping £299.99 / $399.99, over five years since it first released.

If you come across an Xbox One for $199 or lower (maybe even $99 or lower), who are we to say you shouldn’t buy it? You’ll still get plenty of fun out of the XB1, and maybe you can save up for whenever the next Xbox console comes out — we’re expecting it to be expensive when it does!

The Verdict:

1. Xbox One (2013): Still works fine in 2026, but slow and lacking support for most major new releases
2. Xbox One S: Same as the 2013 model, just a slightly more updated version
3. Xbox One X: The best of its kind, but only supports the same games as the base Xbox One
4. Xbox Series S: A great system with support for all current-gen Xbox games (but just keep in mind there’s no disc drive). Try and find a great deal on this, as it’s getting more expensive these days.
5. Xbox Series X: The best of the best right now! Amazing console, but very expensive.
6. ROG Xbox Ally: A new PC handheld that’s also very expensive but can play games from the Xbox PC app, Steam, Epic Games Store, etc. Worth considering if you want something different from a console.
7. Next Xbox Console: Rumours suggest it could arrive in 2027 or 2028 and be something of a console/PC hybrid with support for Steam and other storefronts. Not enough is really known about it just yet.

What do you think? Is it worth buying an Xbox One in 2026? Let us know down in the comments below.

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