Thanks to FPS Boost the Xbox Series S is an incredible value at $300

Commentary: It's great but there are still a couple of framerate nitpicks that annoy me.

[ABizzel1]

The problem is for $200 more you get a better, more powerful, and future-proof console by comparison. That's the biggest issue with the Series S IMO, is that the Series X exists.

[darthv72]

No argument there.

[roadkillers]

There is one though. Gamepass will move to Xcloud and at that point hardware is not needed. With that said, I wish I had an X rather than S for RE8

[Shuckylad]

For all gamers especially those whom comments on this site your absolutely correct the series X is a no brainer out the two but for the casuals and parents the series S will be very appealing at its price point, especially with game pass.

[Sayai jin]

Sure, the Series X is there for everyone. or casuals, parents, budget gamers, and those who can't afford the Series X, th3 Series S is enticing.

[Atticus_finch]

$200 more like $100.

[ChasterMies]

Or for $100 more, you can get a more powerful and future proof console that also plays PlayStation exclusives.

[Abear21]

Yeah agreed, I want an Xbox but the S isn’t even an option as far as I’m concerned. Playing old games at faster frame rates is why I bought a pro console last Gen.

[darthv72]

Sadly there were lots of games that couldnt take advantage of the pro (or even the one x). Games i was hoping would get some pro enhancements were driveclub, the order and killzone shadowfall. Thankfully shadowfall does get some enhancement on a 5 though.

Im still waiting on which one is going to get arkham knight updated with performance. I have it on ps4 but it is also on gamepass right now and neither ps5 nor series x/s offer any sort of improvement for it... not yet anyway.

[Fluttershy77]

40% more... "more powerful, future proof" that's an argument a hardcore gamer would do. Hard-working-all-day-away from-kids- single mom will buy the 40% cheaper console. Also struggling people from poor Countries? So this is for them.

[ABizzel1]

poor countries aren't really buying consoles by the millions, and even then these consoles are still far to expensive in those areas.

I see it being okay for kids, casuals, and a GamePass console, but even still I still see it finding a niche audience among those groups in comparison to the Series X. If you can save up $300 in a year, then you can simply wait another year and get the extra $200. Performance modes are completely missing from some Series S versions, resolution has been anywhere from SUB HD - 1080p for the vast majority of games many of which are cross-gen games not new AAA - AAAA 3rd party games or exclusives. The internal storage will not allow them to store many games at 512GB, and adding the external SSD is another +$200 making it cost more than the Series X (though they can get an external HDD which is a better option value wise). They have to rely on digital, so physical game sells are out of the question, and if they had a XBO with a physical library all of those games are now no longer playable on their new $300 console, when they are on their new $500 console, which is the reason why I returned my little brothers and bought him a Series X instead.

The Series S is a good console in an isolated world, but with everything else around it, it becomes a much harder sell, when you remember that people have their consoles for 5 or more years, and the Series S isn't built for that.

Also it's 40% less than the Series X, not more.

[Minute Man 721]

Single moms would buy and then spend $60 for digital games? GamePass yes but no one is buying the S

[AriesBear]

Also 1tb off ssd space. The series s should have been 199 or 249 because the ssd expansion is 200. Makes no sense you might as well just get the X. If the series s had 1tb than it’s an easy recommendation at 299. It’s a really cool little console just priced wrong and poor ssd space.

[darthv72]

I have a feeling the current S models will get a price drop and a newer sku with 1tb drive will take its place at the $299 mark. Same with the series x, there will be bigger internal storage models at some point. Like we saw with the varying drive capacities of the 360/ps3 and xbo/ps4.

These sort of changes happen around the time when there are themed systems released. So you can pretty much expect there to be a Halo themed S and X later in the year near when the game releases.

[CaptainHenry916]

The Series S will hold everything back in the next couple of years

[Abear21]

Xbox won’t ever hold Microsoft back, they don’t care about the console experience (looking at you Flight Sim) they care more about Gamepass rental subs and PC attach rates. You’re right though, you’ll be left behind in the next gen experience if you buy an S

[Teflon02]

This is the thing. I always say if your going for the console just put the money in and get the series X. It just makes more sense. If your happy with the performance boost. You'll get even more and future proof it. A feels like something someone who likes Xbox games but plays on something else should have as a backup for exclusives. Nothing more

[Orchard]

$200, heck even $100, is a lot of money for an entertainment product for a lot of people. Especially lower income families, people who lost their jobs during COVID, people buying for kids or people who only play a handful of games, etc.

A market exists for S and X - they are just targeting different types of gamer.

[Babadook7]

For just $100 you can get a much more powerful PS5. Or you could - if they were in stock.

[darthv72]

The S was the only one I could get at the time. And since then I have been impressed with its performance and its size. It fits the phrase "little engine that could".

Last night I was trying out some fps boost games. Gears 4 was so much better than on my One S. I only hope others like Quantum Break, Sunset Overdrive and Ryse get some love.

And if the S is this good... I cant wait to experience more when I get the X.

[Einhander1971]

Agreed darthv72

[jznrpg]

Get a PS5 disc less or disc or Series X . Skip the S imo

[AriesBear]

I agree with that. The s needs more space or a cheaper price.

[Jericho1337]

Anyone on this website would agree with you, but there’s a huge market out there that aren’t fussed about resolution/storage space. That’s who the S is for.

[Nineball2112]

I agree and yet for families that don't have a lot of extra disposable income, this will be a great gaming system for little Johnny.

Heck, I could see people using something like this is RV's or taking it to the cabin for the kids on camping trips. For the price and size, it seems really impressive.

[masterfox]

In the end is not that good of a value when you consider the games they are offering imo , for this version and the other one.

[Magog]

No it isn't. For $100 more you can get the digital PS5 which plays actual next gen games at a higher resolution.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

Maybe someone wants a GamePass box or has a 1080p tv and don't want to upgrade

[spss11]

Again with this awful 1080p defense of the Series S. As if someone with a 1080p TV can't tell the difference between a game running on a Series S or X? Generally speaking, Series X games will have faster loading, higher fps, better post processing effects, expanded draw distances, more foliage, sharper shadow resolution, more environmental detail, better antialiasing, better vsync, higher quality raytracing, the list goes on. You don't need 4K to spot those differences.

A recent example of this is Outriders. You can see clear differences at 1080p between the X and S, and it's a cross-gen game with dated graphics imo.

Edit: I just remembered, doesn't The Medium drop to sub 720p on Series S? Might be noticeable, no?

[Zhipp]

@spss11
I don't think the Series X has noticably faster loading. The SSDs are the same, and the CPUs, which would be the other limiting factor, are close to identical.

I mostly agree with you, though. Especially when ray tracing becomes more standard I think we'll start to see a more stark gap between the two systems.

To be honest I think Series S is for people who don't have super high standards -- kinda like what a 2050 would be on PC. As long as they can play the game they don't care about all the bells and whistles. With how cheap 4k tvs are these days I find it hard to believe MS is honestly pushing for the shrinking crowd of people with only 1080p displays.

[spss11]

@Zhipp
I agree. I just think it's misleading to say that gamers won't see a difference at 1080p. If lesser graphics/performance doesn't bug you then my argument doesn't matter. But yah, as this gen goes on the graphical gap between S/X will certainly become more pronounced.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

@spss11

The fact that people buy the Series S means there is an audience aware of the shortcomings and still willing to buy.

[Orchard]

@spss11 “ Series X games will have faster loading”

That makes no sense. It’s the same SSD, almost the same CPU (the XSS CPU is still faster than PS5…) and it is loading smaller textures etc - Series S will actually load faster than X and PS5 in some situations, or be similar in others.

But your point is also moot because you and I are not the target audience for S, the target audience likely doesn’t care about anti aliasing etc since they’re more casual gamers, people on a budget or kids etc. Heck, the target audience likely isn’t even on this website in any substantial quantity.

If you had only $300 to spend on a console, I guarantee you’d rather have a 1080p machine with “worse ray tracing” that can play all the games coming out for the next ~10 years, than have no console at all.

[spss11]

@Orchard
I completely agree. Series S is targeting casual gamers or people on a budget. My point is it's misleading to say "Series S is for people with 1080p TVs" as if both the X/S look and perform the same at 1080p. That simply isn't true. The X will be noticeably better, even at 1080p, for most next-gen games.

Though you & Zhipp are right about the SSD loading speeds. So I stand corrected on that.

[rakentaja]

Incredible value combined with Game Pass. There is no Game Pass on PS5...

[Magog]

There is Playstation Plus which is cheaper and gives new games every month. You also get a huge collection of games when you join.

[rakentaja]

to Magog:
PS+ will give you a few games per month vs. Game Pass 375 on the first day (and regularly, several times a month adds a bunch of new ones). It's not on the same level, no matter how much you try.

[Zhipp]

@magog
Maybe this person already has a ps5 and wants to try what Xbox has to offer. There are tons of reasons to buy an Xbox series s

[sinspirit]

It's PSNow, which has more games, and has streaming and free online for games used through the service for $60 a year. It has more AAA titles worth playing. Sure, not as quick to get a brand new big 3rd party title onboard, but it's much cheaper at $120 with PS+ versus $180 to have Gamepass and Live.

Gamepass still requires Live to play online. And, the first party titles are some of the highest rated. I'd brag of day 1 exclusives when they release on a regular basis.

[OptimusDK]

@sinspirit so you are comparing two services where one is delivering ALL new games 23 studios first day on the service plus ekstra 3rd. party games first day as well.

to a service that is giving you old games when everybody have played them. right. There is no comparison at all. PS now is dogshit compared to gamepass. Also the version you talk about you get PC AND MOBILE as well.

[sinspirit]

@OptimusDK

Those studios never release games and there is no good track record under MS. Don't brag about things from an investor point of view. Look at it for what it is.

It's hilarious that everytime PSNow is brought up the criticism is ridiculously harsh. People don't want to objectively compare the value. Better AAA games, much cheaper, streaming included at that cheap price, more games, and free online for games through the service. GamePass is $120, but with how important online access is, you'll want the $180 option. PSNow is complete at $60. The insults at PSNow actually diminish everyones emphasis on GamePass' value. If GamePass is so good and valuable then stop pusbing the narrative that PSNow isn't good for what it is, especially at the price it is.

Ah, I definitely had no idea about GamePass thanks for the advertisement on its features that are never talked about on this site. /s

[rakentaja]

to sinspirit:
It hurts how little you know. Game Pass Ultimate costs $ 60 a year, including Gold to play online. Educate yourself by checking out this video: https://www.youtube.com/wat...
Playstation Now for the same price does not include multiplayer, newer (MLB the Show, Outriders etc) or any first party games (Forza Horizon 5, Starfield etc) on day one.

[SavageFlamingo]

I have a PS5. And it’s a good deal for me. I plan to get one as soon as I can so I can have my Xbox library and gamepass. It’s a good deal for anyone that wants it.

[Sgt_Slaughter]

You lose value on both because of high digital prices that rarely drop, just stick with the disc version of both

[Tacoboto]

So for $700, someone can have an All Digital New Gen.

$400 for the cream of the crop "actual" next-gen (congrats, there are a whopping four titles available now; one's a remake and one's a demo, the fifth comes out in another month).

$300 for a budget side device that plays almost everything else, with a growing list of enhancements for earlier titles.

No one has ever tried labeling the S as a primary console. It is what it is and the biggest complaints at it are thrown by the people who know it isn't for them. Weird.

[Tedakin]

The issue is definitely the hard drive space. Upgrade that and you've spent more than just getting a Series X.

[darthv72]

I use an external 4tb drive for all the non optimized games. Seeing as FPS boost games tend to be older so there is no need to install them to the internal SSD. I may not get the advantage of faster loading but that is a trade off i am willing to make.

[Tedakin]

That is true. Didn't think of that. I have the SSD storage expansion and a basic external usb 1 TB. I have like 20 old games on the external including the FPS boosted titles. Cool they don't require the internal or storage expansion. You don't get the super fast internal ssd loading, but it's still way faster than it was on the Xbox One.

[MIDGETonSTILTS17]

This is a game pass machine for kids... how many children understand framerates?

[343_Guilty_Spark]

Wonder why it's so difficult to understand there is an audience that doesn't need bleeding edge everything. I would not buy my 7 year old a PS5.

[CaptainHenry916]

Lol

[EasilyTheBest]

The Xbox Series S is a great little machine. It's £259 in the UK if you can find one. I think Microsoft could be onto a winner with this console as I'm sure it won't take to long to get the price of it down to £199 & then eventually £149. Bundled with a 1 month free Gamepass subscription it could become a great seller.
I can see the future adverts already. "Xbox Series S just £149 with 300 plus games including Halo 5, Forza Horizon 6 etc etc"

[DazaMc]

The Series S is currently available in six different UK stores if anyone wants one, it's only the Series X that's hard to come by.

https://www.eurogamer.net/a...

[waverider]

No it isnt. This topic already been talked to death. Beside the huge lack of power is the lack of space.... It doesnt have... If you want only a Microsoft console buy the x. The s is a complete waste of money, because from day one you need to buy the ssd expansion... So its 299 plus 200+ ssd expansion...

[darthv72]

You would buy it ONLY if you never plan on using external storage for the games that do not take advantage of it. Currently I have 6 X/S optimized games on my internal. Gears 5, Dirt 5, Falconeer, Medium, Ori and SW Squadrons. All other games I have on an external 4tb hdd and I still have 300gb to spare on the internal SSD.

When/if I decide to increase SSD storage is when i will buy the expansion card. This isnt the days of the 360 core/arcade and NEEDING to buy the expensive hdd because the game requires it.

[waverider]

Dude you got 6 games on the internal ssd drive and still got 300 to spare????! That math doesnt make sense, because the disk size is 364 gigas... Again. The lack of space is huge. Games will get bigger and bigger and if you arent using tbe ssd, then there no point on getting the s. I just hope that you didnt trade the one x for the s. Gamers that do that are the biggest fools in gaming...

[darthv72]

^^the biggest installed game on the SSD is gears 5 (33gb) and the smallest is falconeer (2gb). The rest fit in between and I still have room to spare. Like i said, if I need to install more optimized games then I will get the expansion.

As it is, I dont need it right now. It should be noted that these same games on my One X would amount to larger sizes due to them likely having 4k textures where as the S can get away with smaller textures due to it being aimed at the 1440/1080 size. As to your last comment... my One X sits right next to my PS5 in my bedroom.

[Donjune]

Is Playstation offering Fps boost?

[darthv72]

Not specifically but the 5 does boost performance on games that offered uncapped frame rates. So far the games i have played that run at 60fps on the 5 (when they ran below that on a pro) are killzone shadowfall, god of war, days gone, ghost of tsushima and last guardian. So by virtue of the better hardware, older games do run better on newer hardware.

[hiawa23]

I will preface this by saying I think MS should have just gone with a Series X Digital for $399 instead, but I see what MS was after with Series S, and I like it but for me the Series X was a no brainer. I think they will release a Series X Digital in the future.

[MetroidFREAK21]

I recently just downgraded from a Series X to an S. I don't play many games at a time so storage isn't an issue (I had that Seagate SSD) all my games are already digital and I don't care about high end visuals (got a PS5 for that) so to me, the downgrade was justified and I'm enjoying my S

[Christopher]

Why is this author talking about the Series S and not PC if they only play games that run at 60fps?

[NotoriousWhiz]

Good luck finding a pc that can run games at 60fps for $300.

[Christopher]

Do you think the author doesn't already own one since they say they don't play 30fps games? Do you think they just started gaming in the last few months?

[NotoriousWhiz]

The author might own every console (and PC). Don't see what that has to do with the article talking about why series S could be a good deal for some people.

[Christopher]

Because his only reason is FPS.

[NotoriousWhiz]

He literally points out in the article that better options are available if you want to spend $500+.

[sourOG]

I’m surprised it’s doing as well as it has honestly. I have a feeling it’s mostly “settle sales” aka I’ll settle for a S since I can’t get an X. Or people that don’t know the difference due to ignorant branding lol.

[hiawa23]

Come on, people don't know the difference? If they don't know the difference they probably should not be buying a console, and how is that even possible in today's times where everything is a click away on your phone. Really no excuse for that. I get that the more powerful consoles are not readily available to all as I was able to get my Series X and PS5 Digital consoles from Gamefly after sitting on every site for months after the horrible pre-order debacle, but maybe the console is doing well because it is $299 and I think that is what MS was after with It. That might be good enough for many gamers. MS has been clear as a bell with the branding of the Series S compared to the Series X.

[sourOG]

Not anyone on this site or an informed hobbyist but don’t underestimate how ignorant people in general are on all things. Say some kid wants an Xbox for Christmas and the parents see Xbox one, Xbox series s and series x. They don’t know the difference. And no it’s awful naming, there’s no excuse.

I tend to make it a habit of assuming people know things in the way I speak and I’m wrong 98% of the time. You have to assume people don’t know anything when you make points.

[hiawa23]

MS named the consoles as they wanted, so is there really any point to gamers constantly complaining about the names? They are not changing so anyone who plans on buying an Xbox can clearly get information that tells them the difference from X1 to X1S to X1X to Series X to Series S.

[sourOG]

I’m not complaining I’m saying it’s stupid. And saying that they did their job describing their stupid names doesn’t make them any less stupid. I’m not expecting them to change their stupid names lol.

It’s clear you are irritated by people calling the names stupid as thats the only thing you took out of my post. Sorry not sorry I guess lol? Ignore the posts.

“anyone who plans on buying an Xbox can clearly get information that tells them the difference from X1 to X1S to X1X to Series X to Series S.”
Lmaoo. Clearly know the difference between x1x1sxxxx and series x. It’s dumb..

[hiawa23]

SourOG, I get what you are saying but I really don't get irritated over games, or people calling billion dollar companies stupid for naming their properties. Just games, got to keep this in their proper place. All I am saying is there is no reason not to be informed when most have access to information 24/7. I don't work for MS, Sony or Nintendo and game on all the consoles so gamers can call them whatever they like. No biggie✌

[Einhander1971]

I have PS5 and a Series S, the S is good enough for what I use it for. Playing Gears 4 last night 60 fps, plays fantastic buttery smooth. Great little system. At the end of day the PS5 is where its at. But least I can play the new releases that Xbox bring out. Gears 6 is well in development.

[NotoriousWhiz]

Agreed. Series S is fine as a 2nd console for Microsoft exclusives / Gamepass.

[NealGamby]

“Forget new games! You can now play old games again for another $300!”

[Orchard]

“For $300 you can play Halo, Forza and all the upcoming Zenimax games including Starfield”

Fixed it for ya.

[Knightofelemia]

I'll go Series X

[mattyhaxxx2]

I’ll get a new Xbox series s or x when there is games worth getting it for. The new halo will be on Xbox one so I don’t feel a need to upgrade for a while. That’s the game I’ve been looking forward to the most

[Popsicle]

No it isn’t

[Profchaos]

Problem is Series s doesn't always get frame boost or play at high resolution.
If anyone was actually seriously considering it I think they will regret not saving up for the series X or going ps5 digital if they need something cheap

[343_Guilty_Spark]

Resident Evil seems to suggest there might be more to the Little Box.

[moriarty1889]

if it had a disc drive like the series x it would have been better imo. lower specs and no disc drive really makes the x a no brainer.

[DragoonUS]

are you guys taking storage into account? Series S is waste of money.

[JayRyu]

Considering that you can still use an hdd Series S is a great value. You don't need to have the SSD expansion card.

[KingofBandits]

I disagree. Given the option again today I would still rather pay for the Series X I have then the S. its not just the power, its also the storage and the disc drive. The S is hampered in many ways and fixing those limitations is either expensive (storage) or impossible (disc drive). If you're really just into rental services, streaming and don't care about having an actual game collection this is a good choice, its also cool if you just want a cheap console to get into the Xbox eco system but in a years time I feel many S owners will have dumped it for the XSX.

[Destiny1080]

even if you owned a 1080p tv, this thing is straight garbage

Assassin's Creed Valhalla: as low as 720p
Fenyx Rising: as low as 720p
The Medium as low as 648p
Dirt 5: as low as 540p

[S2Killinit]

Is it though? Is it?

[gold_drake]

but its not tho.
especially not if the better version is just 200 quid more and future proof.

[Flewid638]

Still no games on it that interest me that I can't play anywhere else.