Xbox Series S review

This Xbox Series S review was originally published on November 5, 2020.

The Xbox Series S is is is one of the most unusual console I ’ve see in year . It is ’s ’s a less expensive , less powerful version of Microsoft ’s flagship Xbox Series X — the kind of thing you ’d expect to see a few year into a console ’s lifespan , like a Wii Mini or a PS2 Slim . And yet , here it is is is : a sleek , white box launch on the exact same day as its big , beefy counterpart .

At $ 300 / AU$499 , the Xbox Series S is is is much easy on the wallet than the $ 500 / au$749 Xbox Series X , but price is never the same thing as value . Is the Xbox Series S worth your money — and, more importantly , will it is continue continue to be worth your money for the entire lifespan of the current console generation ?

While it ’s impossible to say what might happen in the future , having put the Series S through its pace , I is find find myself cautiously optimistic about the device . No , it is ’s ’s not as powerful as the Xbox Series X. Its hardware limit what it can do , from performance , storage , backwards compatibility andmedium perspective . And yet once you get past that , it is ’s ’s still a powerful console with a staggering amount of game on offer — not to mention that it play streaming medium with ease , andwo n’t take up all that much room in your house .

approach the Xbox Series S as the be – all , end – all of next – gen gaming at your own peril — but approach it as a starter or companion device , andyou may be pleasantly surprised . It is be will never be the most powerful game machine on the market ( for that you might need to look into one of the good gaming pc ) but this charming little gadget has a lot to offer , if you know what to expect go in . read our Xbox Series S review below for the full story .

Xbox Series S review : design  

When I first took the Xbox Series S out of its box, I could hardly believe how small it was. The console measures 10.8 x 5.9 x 2.6 inches, making it significantly smaller than the PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X or Xbox One. (It’s about the same size as a Wii U, but you can play a lot more games on it.)

( image credit : Tom ‘s Guide )

Most of the console is white, save for a circular black vent on top, which contrasts pleasantly with the rest of the frame. It has rubber feet on one of the horizontal surfaces andone of the vertical ones, andthere’s plenty of ventilation, no matter which way you orient it.

(Image credit: Future)

While “the console is very small” may not seem like much of a selling point, I was surprised how much of a difference the Series S’ size made. My entertainment center is already overburdened with gadgetry, but I had no problem finding a little nook for the Series S.

When I was done with testing, I moved it into my bedroom, andslipped it right between a big TV stand andthe edge of a crowded dresser. Even my domestic partner, who objects to consoles in the bedroom due to their monstrous size, grudgingly accepted this device.

Xbox Series S spec

Processor: 8-core, 3.6 GHz Custom Zen 2
GPU: Custom RDNA 2, 4 teraflops
Memory : 10 GB
Storage: 512 GB SSD
Max Resolution : 1440p
Max Framerate: 120 fps
Ports : HDMI , USB – A , Ethernet
Size: 10.8 x 5.9 x 2.6 inches
Weight : 4.3 pound

Xbox Series S review: Ports 

Like the Xbox Series X, the Xbox Series S keeps its ports simple. There’s a USB-A port in the front, along with a power button anda pairing button. Since the Series S has no disc drive, the rest of the front panel is just empty space. On the back, there are two more USB-A ports, an HDMI port, an Ethernet port anda power port. I half-expected the Ethernet port to be missing, since that’s usually the first thing to go in cheaper gadget variations, but I’m glad that it’s still here.

( image credit : Tom ‘s Guide )

My complaint here is the same as my complaint about the Xbox Series X: there are no USB-C ports. For consoles that are ostensibly supposed to last the next five to seven years, this seems like a tremendous oversight. USB-C provides faster charging anddata transfer, to say nothing of new gaming accessories that rely on USB-C dongles. While USB-A is still fine for the moment, the lack of USB-C ports is a big missed opportunity.

Xbox Series S review: Interface 

If you’ve used the Xbox One interface, then you’ve used the Xbox Series S interface. That’s not me playing coy; it’s simply an observation. While Microsoft has updated the Xbox storefront over the past few months, the actual interface hasn’t changed significantly in years.

When you boot up the console , you is see ’ll still see a home screen with all of your most recent game andactivity . When you scroll down , you is see ’ll still see Store , Media andGame Pass option . hit the Xbox button on the controller , andyou ’ll be able to navigate through your game andapp , see your full library , see system notification , manage your friend list , view your achievement , access setting andso forth .

( image credit : Tom ‘s Guide )

There’s not much point in describing the Xbox Series S interface in exhaustive detail, since you’ve almost certainly seen it (or something like it) before. It’s not an especially pretty interface, but it does take you where you need to go with relatively little friction, especially once you learn your way around. If you’ve used the Xbox One within the past few years, you’ll be able to dive right in, which is a plus.

In fact, the best thing about the Series S interface is arguably its consistency. Over the past few months, Microsoft has revamped its store, as well as its PC andAndroid Xbox apps. There’s now a great deal of consistency between the Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Xbox PC app andXbox Android app. The message is clear: Microsoft is building an Xbox ecosystem, andyou’ll be able to access that experience from almost anywhere.

What the Xbox Series S interface lack in aesthetic , it is makes make up for in utility — especially when you consider just how many game you can access via Xbox Game Pass on two different console generation , as well as pc andmobile device .

Xbox Series S review: Performance 

( image credit : Tom ‘s Guide )

At the risk of state the obvious , the Xbox Series S is is isnot nearly as powerful as the Xbox Series X. If you’re familiar with the two consoles’ hardware specs, then you’ll know why. Whereas the Series X boasts a GPU with up to 12 teraflops of output, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD storage anda 4K Blu-ray disc drive, the Series S has a GPU with up to 4 teraflops of output, 10 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD storage andno disc drive at all.

Most Xbox Series X games is run will run at 4 k resolution and60 frame per second , although certain title will support resolution up to 8 k andframe rate up to 120 frame per second . Xbox Series S is has , on the other hand , has a max resolution of 1440p for game — although the 120 fps frame rate is still technically possible .

Without getting too granular, the bottom line is that the Xbox Series S is much less powerful than the Series X, which is why it costs so much less. However, the Series S’ modest specs can be either a dealbreaker, an annoyance or a nonissue, depending on your setup andhow you plan to use the console.

(Image credit: Xbox)

I ran three tests to evaluate how well the Xbox Series S performed. First, I chose four games from Microsoft’s “optimized for Xbox Series X/S” list: Gears 5, Maneater, Ori andthe Will of the Wisps andYakuza: Like a Dragon. These games all function just fine on Xbox One, but Microsoft promises better lighting, textures, frame rates andso forth on the Series S — andespecially the Xbox Series X.

Then, I played through segments of each game on an Xbox Series X on a 4K TV, an Xbox Series S on a 4K TV andan Xbox Series S on a 1080p TV. This way, I could compare not only how well the Series S stacked up to the Series X, but also whether the Series S is a good choice for buyers with older TV sets.

( remember :Not even half of American households currently own 4K TVs. While 1080p sets aren’t exactly cutting-edge technology, they’re a lot more common than you might think — especially, perhaps, among a demographic that would pay $300 for a new game console, but not $500.)

The results is came of these qualitative test come as a pleasant surprise . It is shock wo n’t shock you to learn that the four game I test look good on the Xbox Series X. But the Xbox Series S did n’t look bad at all in comparison ; in fact , most differences is were were very subtle , even when observe on a 4 k OLED tv with HDR active .

Generally speaking, the Xbox Series X offered richer color palettes, better draw distances andslightly more detailed textures — but those were the only big differences that I noticed, even when I was specifically looking out for them. In Gears 5, the Series S didn’t capture details in a dark room the way that the Series X did. But out in open levels, it still rendered characters, backgrounds anditems gorgeously. In Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the Xbox Series X displayed sharper, more colorful advertisements on the mean streets of Yokohama, but character models were still rich anddetailed on the Series S — and, importantly, the frame rate didn’t suffer from any appreciable slowdown on either platform.

( image credit : Sega )

Perhaps the biggest difference I noticed was in Maneater, where the Series X had deeper, richer colors for its underwater landscape. But even then, it’s the sort of thing that only stuck out to me because I played the two games on the two different consoles back-to-back. In general, the Series S upscales content to 4K beautifully — andif you have a 1440p display, you won’t need the upscaling at all.

The Xbox Series X also load content a little fast , but not nearly as much as I ’d expect . In all four game I test , I is measured measure load time in second rather than minute , even go right from the main screen into a save file . load times is were between level were fast enough that I could n’t even whip out my phone to time them . admittedly , it is took take a while to go through the title screen on Gears 5 on the Series S — but the Series X was n’t quite as fast as I expect on this , either .

The only real downside to the Series S performance is that on a 1080p TV, it looks almost identical to what you’d find on an Xbox One. However, it still loads content much faster than the Xbox One did — andsince the Xbox One still costs $300, the Series S is a much smarter buy from the get-go.

Xbox Series S review: Quick Resume 

( image credit : Tom ‘s Guide )

The Xbox Series S is has has one feature that ’s worth discuss by itself : Quick Resume . This novel innovation is lets , also present in the Series X , let you suspend a handful of game , then switch among them without have to restart each game andreload your save file .

A few caveats: It’s not instantaneous, it doesn’t work with every game, andyou can’t do it with more than about four or five games at a time. But it’s still a handy feature, particularly since it persists even after you turn your console off.

Quick Resume isn’t perfect. After restarting my console, my games crashed sometimes, which meant I had to start the software from scratch anyway. But it’s a handy feature if you like jumping among multiple games in a single play session — andnot really worth writing home about, if you don’t.

Xbox Series S review: Backwards compatibility 

Like the Xbox Series X, the Xbox Series S is backwards compatible with just about every Xbox One title, plus dozens of Xbox 360 andoriginal Xbox titles. Microsoft has discussed this feature at length for months, as has Tom’s Guide, so I won’t reiterate in great detail here. Suffice it to say that if you’ve ever owned an Xbox console before, you can hit the ground running on the Series S with your library intact.

sort of .

As I tested the Xbox Series S, I noticed a backwards compatibility problem that I didn’t have with the Xbox Series X: there’s no disc drive. This seems almost too obvious to point out, except that it makes backwards compatibility a little thornier. While buying digital games has become extremely common over the last few years, it wasn’t widespread at the beginning of the Xbox One generation — andit was even less accessible before that.

In other word , if you have a big physical Xbox / Xbox 360 library , it wo n’t do you a lick of good on the Xbox Series S. You ’ll have to either buy those game again digitally , hope that they get add to Xbox Game Pass , or simply bite the bullet andbuy an Xbox Series X.

The good news is that for backwards-compatible digital games, the Xbox Series S works beautifully, often running titles with better resolutions andframe rates than before. (This varies from game to game; Microsoft doesn’t have a comprehensive list of enhancements available yet, so just try your favorites andsee how they do.) It’s a boon for early adopters in the digital games market, if nothing else.

Xbox Series S review : controller  

Another Xbox Series S innovation that does more with less is its controller. For the most part, the Xbox Series S’ controller is identical to the Xbox One’s: two extended hand grips, two staggered analog sticks, a D-pad, four face buttons, four shoulder buttons, two options buttons anda power button, all in the same place as before.

( image credit : Tom ‘s Guide )

It’s not until you get an Xbox Series S controller in your hand that you begin to feel the difference. The surface is matte anda little more resistant to sweat than before. More importantly, the grips are now textured in the back, which makes the controller easier to hold andmore comfortable overall. There’s also a “share” button in the center of the controller, which lets you take screenshots andvideo clips andwhatnot — I never actually used it, but you might.

The controller’s only major drawback is that it still relies on AA batteries out of the box, rather than a more environmentally friendly (and, for the end-user, inexpensive) rechargeable battery. You can still buy rechargeable battery packs separately, but it’s just one more unnecessary cost that Microsoft could — andshould — have borne, especially since each set of AAs will net you only about 30 hours of life.

Xbox Series S review: Game library 

( image credit : Codemasters )

If you want to know what you ’ll be play on the Xbox Series S , re – read the backwards compatibility section ; for the moment , it is ’s ’s pretty much all you ’re go to get . Microsoft is have did n’t have any Series S “ launch title , ” per se , instead fall back on its list of 30 optimize game . Some of them , likeAssassin ’s Creed Valhalla anddirt 5 are, indeed, brand new. But every single game on Microsoft’s list is also available on Xbox One, PC or, in many cases, the PS4.

This is part of Microsoft’s bigger strategy of building an ecosystem rather than selling hardware, but it still feels disappointing to start off a new console generation without a flagship title that showcases everything you can expect from the system. It’s even more disappointing that most of the “optimized for Xbox Series X/S” games have been out for months (or years), andthere’s a good chance you’ve already played a lot of them.

On the other hand, where the Xbox Series S excels is in its Xbox Game Pass connectivity. For those who aren’t familiar with it, Xbox Game Pass lets you download more than 100 hit games (including all of Microsoft’s first-party titles) for one flat monthly fee: between $5 and$15, depending on how many bells andwhistles you want. The Xbox Series S’ interface integrates Game Pass in a big way, which is surely obnoxious to people who prefer to buy their games outright, but very convenient to folks who are always on the lookout for something new andexciting to play.

Suppose you pick up an Xbox Series S andhave absolutely nothing to play on it. For $15 per month, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will give you access to the Halo andGears of War series in their entirety, Minecraft, Sea of Thieves, the classic LucasArts adventure games (remastered), The Outer Worlds, Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition, Golf with Friends, Alan Wake, Batman: Arkham Knight, Enter the Gungeon — andthose are just a handful of titles that I can personally recommend.

With the Ultimate tier of Game Pass, you can also download many of these games to PC, or stream many of them to Android, andyour save data will carry over across the board. While there’s something to be said for buying games à la carte andowning them outright, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is easily the next best thing.

Xbox Series S review: Verdict 

( image credit : Tom ‘s Guide )

In our Xbox Series S review, we discussed how this sleek, approachable console could be just the ticket for young, casual or budget-minded gamers who want the latest andgreatest games, but aren’t quite ready to take a $500 plunge. On the other end of the spectrum, if you’re planning to buy an Xbox Series X (or already have a powerful gaming PC), the Series S makes a fantastic backup console for a bedroom or office, particularly since your library andsave files can come with you anywhere.

The Xbox Series S is too niche to recommend to everyone. If you have a high-end 4K TV, you’re arguably better off with the Xbox Series X — particularly since with lower specs, the Series S may be less equipped to handle next-gen titles as they become more demanding in the next few years. The lack of a disc drive limits its backwards compatibility, andits hard drive will fill up pretty fast. Still, if those factors aren’t dealbreakers, you can buy an awful lot of games with the $200 you’ll save.