The Xbox Series S became an amazing entry point into new generation gaming for those who do not have any problems with purchasing games digitally or using Xbox Game Pass, but it is not without its own drawbacks. Read this Xbox Series S review to see whether you want to invest in this console.
Although it might seem like telling the difference between Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X, Microsoft’s flagship console, is challenging at the beginning, it gets clearer when you look closer. And, it is clear as to why the S is less expensive than the X. Although the former is designed in a way to add features such as ray tracing, hosting super-fast load times, as well as showcasing higher frame rates, it keeps the lower price. However, there might be some compromises as well. The digital-only build of the Xbox Series S is highly praised. The storage, on the other hand, is quite less than the Xbox Series X. This console also targets a resolution of 1440p rather than 4K. However, when connected to an Ultra HD display, it can be upscaled.
However, keep in mind that the console is made in a way that it runs at lower resolution. Now, let’s dive into the Xbox Series S review.
Xbox Series S Review
This console is a cheaper and less powerful version of the Xbox Series X, with both being released on the same day. While Xbox Series S costs $300, Xbox Series X’s price is $500. Although it is not as powerful as the latter, the Xbox Series S is still a powerful console that has many things to offer. In addition to that, you can stream easily using this device. And, it does not need much space in your place. Let’s read more to see whether Xbox Series S is worth your money.
Xbox Series S Review: Price and availability
You can buy Xbox Series S at $299, £349 in the U.K. And, you can have the new generation console gaming in a more affordable way. Moreover, it is easier to get it in stock than to look for an Xbox Series X restock. The Series S came out on November 10, 2020, which was the same day as the Xbox Series X was launched. Remember that the Series S does not have a disc drive and trading games with others are buying used games will not be doable with this console. You have to rely on Xbox Store for purchasing games; therefore, you might not get the best deals. However, you can fix this problem if you subscribe to the Xbox Game Pass.
Read more: Xbox One X Review
Xbox Series S Review: Design
When taking a look at the Xbox Series S, the size will definitely surprise you. The measurements of the console are 10.8 x 5.9 x 2.6 inches, which means it is quite smaller compared with the PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X and Xbox One. The console is white and the vent on top is black. This is a great contrast with the remainder of the frame. One of the horizontal surfaces as well as one of the vertical ones have rubber foot. Moreover, there is a lot of ventilation. Although it being small might to be a selling point, its size made a lot of difference as some might be tight in space and appreciate it.
Read more: Xbox One S Review
Xbox Series S Review: Ports
Similar to the Xbox Series X, this console’s ports are also simple. You can see a USB-A port in the front of the Xbox Series S as well as a power button and a pairing one. Due to the fact that there is no disc drive, there is nothing else on the front panel. You can see two more USB-A ports, and HDMI port, an Ethernet port as well as a power port on the back of this console. The fact that despite being the cheaper version, it still has the Ethernet port is great.
However, just like the Xbox Series X, this one does not have a USB-C port either. Considering the fact that these consoles promise to last for the next five to seven years, overseeing this is weird. For those who do not know what a USB-C port is, it offers faster charging as well as data transfer. Although a USB-A is fine for now, it is a huge opportunity missed that they did not include a USB-C port.
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Xbox Series S Review: Interface
In this section of the Xbox Series S review, we will focus on the interface. Have you used the interface of the Xbox One? It is just like that. Although Microsoft updated the storefront of Xbox in the last few months, the interface has not been altered for years now. When you start the console, you can see the Home screen with all of the games and activities. If you scroll down, there is Store, Media and Game Pass to pick. Should you push the Xbox button on the controller, you can go through the games and apps, see system notifications, see library, manage friends list, access settings and many more options.
Explaining it more in details will be repetitive for those who have seen it, and most of you definitely have. It is not considered a particularly pretty interface. However, it does what it has to with little friction. For those who have used Xbox One before, it is easy to dive in this console. The consistency of this console’s interface is the best thing about it. Microsoft has revamped the store, PC and Android Xbox apps. Therefore, not a lot of consistency can be seen in the Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox On, Xbox PC app and Xbox Android app. In other words, Microsoft is creating an Xbox ecosystem, and offers you the experience from everywhere.
However, it lacks in aesthetics yet makes up for it in utility. There are many games that can be accessed by Xbox Game Pass.
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Xbox Series S Review: Performance
Although it seems quite obvious, the performance of Xbox Series X is much better than the Xbox Series S. For those who know the specs of both of these consoles, this sentence makes perfect sense. While the Series X has a GPU up to 12 teraflops of output, 16GB of RAM, 1 TB SSD Storage and a 4K Blu-ray disc drive, the Series S has a GPU up to 4 teraflops of output, 10 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD storage and no disc drive. Most of the games of Xbox Series X will show 4K resolution and 60 frames per second. Some games even show resolutions of up to 8K and frame rates of near 120 per second. However, Xbox Series S’s resolution is just up to 1440p. In conclusion, the Series S is not as powerful as the Series X; therefore, the price is lower.
When testing the games on both these consoles, although Xbox Series S was more pleasant and showed games better, the Series S was not bad at all. The differences are quite subtle. The color palettes of the Series X were richer than the Series S and so were the draw distances and textures. However, these were the only obvious differences we could see. In addition to that, the time of loading content was better on the Series X compared with the Series S.
One of the major downsides of the Series S performance is that when played on a 1080p TV, it looks just like the Xbox One. However, it is pretty faster in loading content than the Xbox One. Although both of these two consoles cost the same, it is smarter to pick for the Series S from the get-go.
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Xbox Series S Review: Controller
Another innovation of the Series S when it comes to doing more with less is regarding its controller. Generally, the Xbox Series S controller is very similar to that of the Xbox One. They both have extended hand grips, two staggered analog sticks, a D-pad, four face buttons, four shoulder buttons, a power button as well as two options buttons, exactly in the same place as they were before.
However, when you hold one of these controllers in your hand, you will start to feel the difference. It has a matte surface and it is also a little more resistant when it comes to sweating. More significantly, the grips are textured in the back now. In other words, holding the controller is much easier and more comfortable in general. What’s more is that you can see a share button in the middle of the controller. It allows you to take screenshots as well as video clips.
The only main disadvantage of this controller is that it is still backed by AA batteries right out of the box instead of more environmentally friendly batteries that are rechargeable. However, that does not mean you cannot buy rechargeable battery packs.
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Xbox Series S review: Backwards compatibility
This console is backwards compatible with almost all Xbox One games as well as a lot of the Xbox 360 and original Xbox titles. The fact that this console does not have a disc drive makes the backwards compatibility a little thornier. Although buying digital games is very more common now, it was not used by many when the first generation of the Xbox One came out. Moreover, it was less accessible before then as well.
Therefore, if you have a big physical Xbox/Xbox 360 library, they will not be useful on the Series S and you might have to buy them again digitally. They may get added to the Xbox Game Pass. You can also simply buy the Xbox Series X and avoid all the troubles.
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Xbox Series S Review: Xbox Series X vs. Series S
One of the major questions that many people are asking is that whether you should opt for the Xbox Series S or the more expensive version Xbox Series X. Well, for those who do not have a budget and space is not a problem for them, we highly recommend the Series X as it is more powerful and functions better. In addition, for the games on 4K TVs, the Series X is a better experience. However, if you want to use your console on a 1440 monitor or 1080p display, then choose the Series S.
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Xbox Series S Review: Verdict
In our Xbox Series S review, we mentioned how sleek, affordable and approachable this console is, which makes it a great choice for casual and budget-minded gamers. You cannot recommend the Xbox Series S to everyone. For those who have a 4K TV, then the Series X is a better option, especially since you are a serious gamer who wants to use the next-generation titles with more equipment.