This console is remarkably compact and has a surprisingly low price point.
This striking design choice has drawn comparisons to a speaker and a washing machine.
This aesthetic might not be for everyone, but I like how it stands beside my television.
Amazon
Aside from the bold vent grill, the Series S doesn’t break any new ground regarding design choices.
It feels pretty sturdy in both positions.
Start by connecting the console to a television with an HDMI cable and plugging it into power.
Lifewire / Jeremy Laukkonen
Poorly-optimized games like Cyberpunk 2077 struggle, and most games run best in 1080p.
Most games run better in 1080p, but 4K upscaling also worked well in my experience.
Developers can optimize Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S games to exploit the more powerful hardware.
Lifewire / Jeremy Laukkonen
Post-launch titles have launch the gamut.
Cyberpunk 2077 was disappointing initially, with a capped frame rate and dynamic resolution.
Some games had more noticeable load times than others, but not enough to disrupt gameplay.
Lifewire / Jeremy Laukkonen
Full backward compatibility meant you could play every Game Pass game on day one.
Since then, hundreds of additional titles have bolstered that lineup, like Halo Infinite and Psychonauts 2.
The catch with the Series X|S game library is that all Microsoft first-party console exclusives are also on PC.
Still, it does put Xbox consoles in a tough spot compared to consoles from other manufacturers.
At over 100GB, Destiny 2 ate nearly one-fifth of the total storage space on the console.
Moving games is, thankfully, a breeze.
However, I could not move the Xbox Series X|S games to the drive because it was too slow.
For me, the solution has been to use the Series S primarily as a Game Pass machine.
The issue is that it’s expensive.
Similarly, download speeds dive into the low teens whenever a game runs, even in the background.
Thats right on the money in terms of what I see directly at my Eero router.
Actual download speeds topped out at 500Mbps and typically hung between 270 and 320Mbps.
Youll want to connect this all-digital console via Ethernet to a fast internet connection.
If youve used an Xbox One, youll find the Xbox Series X|S user interface strangely familiar.
The dashboard looks almost the same, and the guide functions as expected.
The visual experience is much the same as using an Xbox Series X.
The dashboard is simple to use, but any promised overhauls tend to be more incremental than significantly better.
Microsoft took that Xbox Series X|S design and tweaked it ever so slightly.
The overall shape of the Xbox Series X|S controller is quite similar to the Xbox One controller.
The dimensions arent identical, but telling them apart is tricky.
The battery compartment is also slightly smaller.
The most significant addition to the controller is that it now includes a dedicated share button.
It feels nice, if different, but only time will tell if its more robust than previous iterations.
The triggers and bumpers also received a facelift that ditched the glossy finish and added some nice texturing.
The Series S undercut the Xbox One S at launch, though Microsoft later discontinued the previous-gen consoles.
One expense you may need to budget for is additional storage.
Otherwise, youll be uninstalling games regularly or relying upon streaming.
Microsoft cut back on hardware to offer an incredibly low price point, while Sony removed the optical drive.
Final Verdict
An affordable alternative for those without a 4K television.
