Xbox Series S is one of the cheapest options for a current-gen console put up by Microsoft. Not to mention, it boasts a humongous library of games and is also loaded with features. So, how does it play against its big brother, Xbox Series X, and rivalry PlayStation 5? This in-depth review guides you through everything-from prices and features to the designs and much more—thereby helping you decide whether the verdict is whether the Xbox Series S is indeed up for owning.
This. Being the smallest Xbox and, indeed, all-digital gaming console, so with the power of the next gen at an almost discounted price point, the specs alone justify this to merit mention—in 1440p resolutions and up to 120fps gameplay. It also boasts 512 GB of internal storage, compatible with Xbox Game Pass, thus making it a perfect console for a casual player or even a buy-in as a secondary console.
This will cost what seems to be a plenitude, but at this price, the Xbox Series S should be more than enough and can muster the muscle needed to meet an Xbox Series X, far less honed than a PlayStation 5. It also only runs at 512 GB of storage-and available space is around 364 GB of useful kind-while its optical disc drive lack may even disqualify it for possible buyers.
It is a cracking budget entry to next-gen gaming and can coexist with its compromises.
Price and Availability
Xbox Series S finally lands and launches on November 10, 2020, in the company of its bigger sibling, Xbox Series X. Series S costs the miserly $299 compared with a more pricey counterpart; the sibling Xbox Series X runs for a whacking $499.
One of the deals under next-generation consoles is the Xbox Series S with competitive pricing. They are available in most of the major retail chains, including Amazon and Best Buy, and even directly at the Microsoft store through various online stores. The number of retailers as well as place differs, so get the nearest where they might be available.
This minimalist design has made it quite compact and as small as 6.5 x 15.1 x 27.5 cm-it’s even about 60% smaller than the Series X, fit enough for just any entertainment system. The top section contains the white shell in it with circular black vent-serves mainly for the cooling exhaust of the console.
Features
1. Digital-Only Console: All the series S have no disc drive, so basically it all sits in your download package anyway. Download and have fun streaming with Xbox Game Pass.
2. Quick Resume: Fall in love quickly because sooner rather than later you’ll shift from one game to another. None as seamless as autobrowsing; with it, the progress is automatically saved
3. Backward Compatibility: With Xbox Series S, you get thousands of titles on Xbox One, Xbox 360, and the original Xbox so that you can get into thousands of games you want.
4. Smart Delivery: You always get the best version of a game available for your console, no matter which Xbox console you are playing on.
Pretty eye-catchy on design, but basically it’s a 512 GB thing for storage. So you’re at the mercy of slightly larger game files. That’s the Seagate-issued expansion card you are given, and that’s about it.
It is certainly giving a very good value against other competing consoles. At this stage, for this console to be priced this way, giving up to 1440p gaming at 120fps is pretty cool, and it runs Forza Horizon 5 and Halo Infinite with quite alive color over them pretty full of details at that.
With ray tracing in this simulation, it’s much more of it: lighting, shadows, and reflections all really feel much more realistic. True 4K gaming isn’t quite captured as is on Series X but upscales well to 4K on compliant displays.
It can also be seen through the custom NVMe SSD that cuts load times for older consoles compared to it. There is fast booting into games, features like Quick Resume that makes it ridiculously easy to swap between titles, and #GamePass integration.
Perhaps the greatest marketing advantage that Series S will have is Xbox Game Pass. An infinite vault of AAA and indie classics for pennies on a dollar-that monthly fee, instead, for goodness sakes. Titles drop game pass on day one, boiling the service down into a cheap new release platform
Why should buy?
Xbox Series S fits:
- Budget-conscious Gamers: As cheap as one may want to try next-gen gaming.
- Casual Games: Suitable users are digital games in general and not really fussy about getting a disc-based player.
- Only for game pass users gamers: Xbox Game Pass user. It will be a good game satellite.
- Other room gaming gadget: To be used best as another gaming console in another room of the house.
Who will not afford to miss it?
Those who require at least a 4K resolution. For them, Xbox Series X or PS5 gives more.
Not so great for those who have many games since this does not have a disc drive.
Were actually spent a few weeks with real-world performances: user experience tests run on the Xbox Series S as it ran in some of its titles: graphically-demanding games, for instance, such as Forza Horizon 5, and another optimised version running for the case of “Gears 5” and even features to boot, including features like Quick Resume and backward compatibility, amongst anything that Xbox had in store through Game Pass.
I put it through its paces with some gaming, load times, and audio quality, as well as general usage with an A/B comparison between the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.
That is to say, the Xbox Series S is a powerful powerhouse packed with tremendous value for money. There are some misses in it, but affordable performance coupled with the fact that someone can get onto Xbox Game Pass makes it extremely attractive for any gamer.
The Xbox Series S 512 GB is pretty superb, especially for the gamers willing to jump into next-gen gaming with an all-digital approach and mind the cost-effective.
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