You are thinking of buying an Xbox Series S, but you have doubts because you are not sure what this console can really offer, the life cycle it will have or even its possible gradual abandonment by some developers. You may also be thinking that it is worth paying more for Xbox Series X because it is more powerful, but is it really worth buying an Xbox Series S in 2023?
I think it is a very interesting question, and in this article we are going to find out. reviewing six keys that tell us yes, that said console is a very interesting option, and that this is a good time to buy it. Each of these keys will be duly argued at a technical level, so if you have any questions about any of them you can expose it in the comments and I will be happy to help you solve it.
Before getting into the matter, I think it is necessary to explain what exactly Xbox Series S is and what position it occupies in the market. Is about a console of the present generation that, on a technical level, it is well above Xbox One and PS4, and it is also much more powerful than both consoles.
In general terms, it has all the advances that have defined the new generation of consoles launched in 2020, and therefore offers all the key functions that we can find in PS5 and Xbox Series X. The only difference between them is that It has less gross power.
Why is it worth buying an Xbox Series S in 2023?
1.-It is a technically advanced console
Yes, it is true that Xbox Series S is less powerful than Xbox Series X and that, if we limit ourselves to talking about the GPU, the former is also behind that of Xbox One X, since it reaches 4 TFLOPs and the latter reaches at 6 TFLOPs. Nevertheless, This is just one more fact to take into account, and it does not define by itself what Microsoft’s small console is capable of offering.
When buying an Xbox Series S we are acquiring a console that has all the keys that define the new generation:
- It has a custom Zen 2 CPU with 8 cores and 16 threads, the same architecture and configuration used by Xbox Series X.
- It has a GDDR6 unified memory architecture with 10 GB in total.
- It has a GPU based on the RDNA2 architecture and equipped with 1,280 shaders. It can accelerate hardware ray tracing, and offers full DirectX 12.1 support.
- It has a 2.4 GB/s NVMe PCIe SSD as a storage unit.
The Xbox Series S GPU may be slightly less powerful than the Xbox One X, but the first one has a much higher CPU and therefore does not suffer any bottleneck in this sense. It is a more balanced system, supports next-generation technologies and APIsand has a high-performance SSD that minimize loading times in gamesand improves performance when using the latest generation graphics engines, which makes it possible to eliminate the classic problems of stuttering, popping and slow loading of textures and graphic elements.
Graphics power matters, but it’s not everything, and Xbox Series S offers such a good gaming experience that we can enjoy titles as demanding as Cyberpunk 2077 while maintaining a stable rate of 60 FPS in dynamic 1080pwhile maintaining a good level of graphic quality and a more than acceptable density of NPCs.
2.-It has a very affordable price
And with the times that run this represents a very important advantage. The recommended retail price of this console is still set at 299.99 euros, but its price has fluctuated a lot in recent months, and recently it was possible to buy an Xbox Series S for only 239.99 euros. At that price this console was practically a gift.
If we want to buy an Xbox Series X we will have to pay €499.99That is, double what the Xbox Series S has cost on more than one occasion. This enormous price difference that exists between the two is key because it gives the small Microsoft its own space, and because it places it as a really interesting option for those who want to enjoy an experience typical of the new generation of consoles, but with a very tight investment.
It is clear that if you buy an Xbox Series X you will enjoy higher performanceand that this console is capable of offering a more solid experience in high resolutions, but not everyone can afford to pay almost 500 euros for a console, and with Xbox Series S you will have a very similar experience at your fingertips for half the price what does that cost
Buying an Xbox Series S will allow us to enjoy, as we have said before, all the values that have defined the new generation of consoles, but with a very contained investment. You will not have to break the bank to buy it, and you can rest easy, because it is a good investment, since it is a balanced console that is not going to depreciate quickly. Right now we can buy it for €271.58.
3.-It offers a great value for what it costs
Metro Exodus EE with ray tracing on Xbox Series S. Courtesy of Digital Foundry.
And this is clearly seen in an important detail, which it is impossible to build a PC with a similar level of performance and features to those offered by Xbox Series S with a budget of 299 euros, much less with one of 239 euros (the minimum price at which said console could be purchased.
Buying an Xbox Series S will allow us play previous and current generation titles in 1080p or 1440p resolutionsdepending on the requirements of each title, with a good level of graphic quality and rates between 30 and 60 FPS, depending on the mode we choose in the configuration options.
There are titles that prioritize graphic quality and resolution but move at 30 FPS, and others that reduce the resolution, and sometimes the graphic quality, to move at 60 FPS. We can also find games for Xbox Series S that use hardware accelerated ray tracingsomething that would be impossible on Xbox One X.
The SSD that Xbox Series S uses also makes a significant difference, as it dramatically reduces load times (They go from exceeding a minute to around a few seconds), and has a positive impact on the performance of games that require continuous streaming of assets, such as Cyberpunk 2077 or Dying Light 2, to give two well-known examples.
The value that Xbox Series S offers in terms of power and technical capabilities is beyond doubt, but we must not forget that this console also allows us to access the Game Passa service that makes available to us a huge number of games for only 9.99 euros per month.
I want to end this point with another important detail, and that is that Xbox Series S price likely end up rising in the short or medium term. I am not speaking without reason, Microsoft has already confirmed an increase in the price of Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X in Japan, and we cannot rule out that this will also end up being applied in other countries, including Spain. If you plan to buy it, you shouldn’t wait too long, because you may end up with a price increase.
4.-It has the same catalog of games as Xbox Series X
It is another of the most important aspects that we must take into account. Microsoft does not allow developers to marginalize Xbox Series S, which means that all the games that come to Xbox Series X must also be available in a version for its little sister. If this is not met, the game will not be greenlit and will not be able to complete its launch.
That Microsoft has adopted this policy is no coincidence, and It is a guarantee for those who decide to buy an Xbox Series S. It is a fact that some developers have criticized the hardware configuration of this console, specifically the amount of unified memory it mounts (10 GB compared to 16 GB for Xbox Series X), and have said that this makes programming games more difficult. .
There is no doubt that those developers they would be willing to give up the version for Xbox Series S and limited to creating games for Xbox Series X and PS5. Obviously this would considerably affect the real value of the small Microsoft.
Luckily for users Microsoft does not allow it, and both in the present and in the future both consoles will have the same catalog of games. The only differences between the two will be given by the resolution, image quality and ray tracing support, which is suppressed in some Xbox Series S games due to its lower power.
There will also be no differences in the services available for one console and another, nor in the peripherals, so you can rest assured, buying an Xbox Series S will allow you to enjoy an experience very similar to what you would have with Xbox Series X.
5.-It will not be abandoned prematurely
One of the things that most worries those who hesitate when buying an Xbox Series S is precisely this point, and it is that they believe that due to its lower power it could end up abandoned early, that is, they think it will have a shorter lifespan than Xbox Series X. I can confirm that this will not be the case, the console will continue to receive the same support as its older sister, and will have the same games.
It is clear that both will age in a different way, because in the end it is indisputable that Xbox Series X is more powerful than Xbox Series S, but This will continue to be the basis for the development of the games of the current generation of consoles.and all cross-platform titles will be optimized to work correctly on it.
It must be borne in mind that for Microsoft to shelve Xbox Series S before the end of the life cycle of Xbox Series X would be like shooting itself in the foot, since the first one has been a complete sales success and with this it would be disappointing the trust that millions of people around the world have deposited in their console. Indeed, it would be a very serious mistake and it would give it a bad image, and this is the last thing the Redmond giant needs.
With all this in mind it is clear that you can rest easy, if you decide to buy an Xbox Series S you will be making a good investment, and you can make it profitable without problems and enjoy it for many years. I can’t give you a concrete figure, but this generation has at least 6 or 7 years to live.
6.-It is small, silent and efficient
According to Microsoft itself, Xbox Series X has an average consumption while we play about 153 watts, while Xbox Series S moves in the strip of the 73 watts, although these values can change both up and down depending on the game used. These numbers confirm that Xbox Series S consumes half as much as Xbox Series X, and is also much smaller, which makes it easier to integrate into different spaces.
This lower energy consumption also has another positive side, and that is that the heat generated is less and therefore the cooling needs of the Xbox Series S are much more modest if we compare it with its older sister, which makes the fan work at a calmer pace and that the noise level generated is much lower. Yes, this console is quieter, and you will notice this from the first moment.
It is also a very efficient console, since it is capable of moving demanding games with the configurations that we have mentioned while maintaining an average consumption of less than 75 watts. Getting to that level of efficiency with a PC would be impossible right now, since only by mounting a graphics card whose power is similar to the Xbox Series S GPU (a Radeon RX 6400 would be the closest thing) we would already move in the 50 watt range, and to this we would have to add the consumption of the rest of the components (CPU, RAM, storage, etc.).
A smaller size, more efficient operation and a lower noise level will translate into a better user experience, and in a lower cost of ownership, since this lower consumption will reduce our electricity bill month after month, and year after year we will have a small saving that we can dedicate to other things. Depending on how we use the console and our rate, the difference can range from a few euros to more than 20 euros per year.
