One of the features that sets the Xbox Series X apart from the PS5 is Smart Delivery. This means that when you purchase a game on Xbox One, you also get a copy for Xbox Series X. Ultimately, however, Smart Delivery is more than just a free upgrade; it is also a means of maintaining save data across multiple versions of a game, as well as for backward compatible titles.

Information from Xbox Wire blog post titled: "Xbox Series X: Buy a Game Once and Play the Best Version Across Generations with Smart Delivery" The information comes from an Xbox Wire blog post titled "Xbox Series X: Buy a Game Once and Play the Best Version Across Generations with Smart Delivery. The blog describes three possibilities for Smart Delivery. The blog describes three scenarios for Smart Delivery, each of which tells a story of how this feature might work in practice.

In the first scenario, the player is in the middle of playing Gears 5 on their Xbox One. They purchase an Xbox Series X later this year; as soon as they set up the Xbox Series X, they can download an optimized version of Gears 5 for their new console and immediately resume where they left off. This is pretty much the same description of Smart Delivery that Microsoft has been describing, but apparently this is not the only way the system works.

The second scenario is potentially more interesting, especially if one does not intend to get rid of the Xbox One as soon as the Xbox Series X is released. In this case, the player would purchase "Halo Infinite" for the Xbox Series X. The Xbox Series X would occupy a place of honor in the living room and download an optimized version of "Halo Infinite". However, the player can continue to play the game of "Halo Infinite" on the Xbox One and will probably be relegated to the bedroom, "knowing" that they will download an optimized version of the title for the Xbox One.

In the last scenario, the player purchases a third-party game such as "Cyberpunk 2077" prior to the launch of the Xbox Series X. When the Xbox Series X is released, an optimized version of the game may not be available. However, the Xbox Series X is backward compatible with all Xbox One games, so players can simply download the Xbox One version onto the Series X and continue playing.When an Xbox Series X version becomes available, an automatic upgrade to the be performed.

There is no additional charge for these features and save data is always carried over. Microsoft has also provided a list of titles that have been confirmed to have Smart Delivery capabilities:

Microsoft's clarity on Smart Delivery has consistently been a potential advantage of the Xbox Series X over the PS5. Sony's next console may offer some free upgrades for cross-generational games, but the two could be separated. It is also not known if save data will be cross-compatible. Now that Microsoft has revealed the details of its smart delivery, expect Sony to follow suit with its own plans.