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[Calverz]

Another thread on this
The xbox series s is not for anyone who frequents this forum.
Its for casuals and kids. They dont care about let alone understand resolution or frame rates. I have one mate who doesnt understand the difference between 30fps vs 60fps.
Its entry level, coupled with gamepass offers incredible value proposition. Anyone saying otherwise is just ignorant. The list of games on gamepass and ea play is incredible for someone coming into gaming.

 

[YeulEmeralda]

Except it's not selling well at all.

The kind of people who buy consoles at launch aren't exactly the casual crowd to be fair.

 

[Panajev2001a]

It just makes the barrier to entry lower. It will probably have more of a price cut down the line than the XSX will.

Mmh, it lowers the barrier to entry but not by a huge amount and does not seem to be creating a great shift in perceived value. The $399 PS5 DE is a better priced product overall in terms of price vs perceived value IMHO and so would be a $399 XSX vs the XSS at $299 and sales worldwide are showing that.

Also, not sure about the price cut happening that soon (without a big SoC redesign not sure how they reduce price quickly considering all the cuts they have already made) unless they need to empty stock and soft kill the SKU, by the time it gets a drop so would the PS5 DE or the word of mouth and perceived value has settled enough not to make a price cut for XSX and PS5 DE especially that much needed.

XSS was a product aimed against a competitor who was expected to have a different pricing strategy.

 

[Grinchy]

I feel like if there wasn't a Series S, but there was instead a PS5 Lite that played new games at 1080p and played only base PS4 games without Pro patches for backwards compatibility, the people who are pretending to love the Series S right now would be making fun of the PS5 Lite at every turn. And they'd be right to.

This thing sucks. Its only reason to exist is so Microsoft can say they have a $300 next-gen system on the market to get an impulse sale or to make people feel more ok about "spending a little extra" to get the actual next-gen system. I feel sorry for any kids who are stuck with the Shitbox S for the whole generation. The performance is only going to get worse and worse as time goes on.

It was marketed as a Series X that plays everything at 1440p instead of 4K and that's already not true at a time where games are the least demanding they will be throughout the generation. Imagine what happens when games start to actually use the next-gen hardware and this POS gets left in the dust. Well at least you "saved $200" while juggling 3 installed games at a time and having the absolute worst versions of every game released.

 

[Panajev2001a]

I agree, if you need to spend on external fast storage. You can work around it though if price is a serious issue, just delete and redownload, not great but cost effective.

I think we need to balance this with who the Series S is actually aimed at.

Firstly people who just want to spend the minimum amount of money for a next gen console, if you can only afford £249 then this is your option.

As a bedroom console for children, it's small and quiet and will play Fortnite, Call of Duty, Minecraft and GTA, they will all fit on the drive no problems, maybe add FIFA too. Some people literally only play that many games, it's fine for them.

People who have a Series X like me but want to play their games elsewhere in the house, that's why I got it, when the other TVs are in family use I go and play Series S upstairs, it's just perfect for that.

Not disagreeing with all those points beyond what we already discussed so far, but for me and I guess the perceived value is settling around that, a real next generation console is better than the previous generation consoles at everything. Not being able to be better or matching the Xbox One X for example is one thing (no Xbox One X patched versions BC): I expected any next generation offering to be superior to any model of the Xbox One generation One X included.

 

[Danjin44]

As a bedroom console for children, it's small and quiet and will play Fortnite, Call of Duty, Minecraft and GTA,

Have you looked up the file size for the recent COD game? Getting the game which it comes with bunch of updates and DLC, gonna take most of Series S’s memory.

For Digital Only console, MS should have put 1TB memory for it.

 

[Panajev2001a]

I feel like if there wasn't a Series S, but there was instead a PS5 Lite that played new games at 1080p and played only base PS4 games without Pro patches for backwards compatibility, the people who are pretending to love the Series S right now would be making fun of the PS5 Lite at every turn. And they'd be right to.

This thing sucks. Its only reason to exist is so Microsoft can say they have a $300 next-gen system on the market to get an impulse sale or to make people feel more ok about "spending a little extra" to get the actual next-gen system. I feel sorry for any kids who are stuck with the Shitbox S for the whole generation. The performance is only going to get worse and worse as time goes on.

It was marketed as a Series X that plays everything at 1440p instead of 4K and that's already not true at a time where games are the least demanding they will be throughout the generation. Imagine what happens when games start to actually use the next-gen hardware and this POS gets left in the dust. Well at least you "saved $200" while juggling 3 installed games at a time and having the absolute worst versions of every game released.

Yes, those people would be mocking PS5 Lite once a day every day and twice on Sundays. They know that, but will not admit it.

 

[Blond]

They honestly should’ve just went disc/discless because that console is a real waste. Not to mention both the PS5/Series X will both drop by 100 dollars in a year or so anyway if history is to be repeated so it would’ve been more than enough to convince people to just spend the hundred bucks.

The PS5 DE is the real winner here because you get an actual next gen console that’s an upgrade over your last one. They could’ve just kept the X1X around because it’s more powerful, has a disc drive and looks WAY better aesthetically.

 

[megreotsugua]

They should have cancelled this and sold an xsex digital for $399.

Xses will be the xbone s this generation. It will hold back xsex like xbone s held back xbone x.

 

[Banjo64]

Have you looked up the file size for the recent COD game? Getting the game which it comes with bunch of updates and DLC, gonna take most of Series S’s memory.

For Digital Only console, MS should have put 1TB memory for it.

I have Cold War multiplayer and zombies installed on my Series S... it’s 44gb total...

 

[reksveks]

Not disagreeing with all those points beyond what we already discussed so far, but for me and I guess the perceived value is settling around that, a real next generation console is better than the previous generation consoles at everything. Not being able to be better or matching the Xbox One X for example is one thing (no Xbox One X patched versions BC): I expected any next generation offering to be superior to any model of the Xbox One generation One X included.

Except it is generally better than the One X. Cyberpunk on Series S is much better than on the One X. The issue fundamentally comes down to whether the games are patched to account for the reduction in ram.

I think this is a console for 1080p screens and possibly xcloud in the future.

 

[Riky]

Not disagreeing with all those points beyond what we already discussed so far, but for me and I guess the perceived value is settling around that, a real next generation console is better than the previous generation consoles at everything. Not being able to be better or matching the Xbox One X for example is one thing (no Xbox One X patched versions BC): I expected any next generation offering to be superior to any model of the Xbox One generation One X included.

It is better or matching the Xbox One X, not on all Xbox One games although it runs the One S versions at full settings which is fine for a 1080p set and you get frame rate advantages this way, the Series S version of Cyberpunk is far better than the One X version. You also get much faster loading and quick resume that One X doesn't support.

Mainly though Series S profiles are better than One X profiles and that's more important going forward. Gears 5, higher settings, more stable frame rate. Halo MCC 120fps v 60fps, Valhalla 60fps v 30fps, Watch Dogs Ray Tracing v SSR.

 

[x@3f*oo_e!]

Holy shit, this elitist attitude is not cool.

 

[Riky]

I have Cold War multiplayer and zombies installed on my Series S... it’s 44gb total...

Yeah the games are smaller on Series S too so that helps, on mine I have,

Black Ops Cold War in full
Valhalla
Dirt 5
Gears 5 in full
Watch Dogs Legion

And have 18gb left.

 

[Danjin44]

I have Cold War multiplayer and zombies installed on my Series S... it’s 44gb total...

Is it without the SP mode? Or the 44GB for entire game?

 

[Riky]

Have you looked up the file size for the recent COD game? Getting the game which it comes with bunch of updates and DLC, gonna take most of Series S’s memory.

For Digital Only console, MS should have put 1TB memory for it.

I've got it on mine in full, it's 133.4gb. It has Valhalla, Dirt 5, Gears 5 and Watch Dogs Legion on also with 18gb left. So you could easily fit Fortnite, COD, Minecraft, GTA and FIFA on there no problems.

 

[Panajev2001a]

It is better or matching the Xbox One X, not on all Xbox One games although it runs the One S versions at full settings which is fine for a 1080p set and you get frame rate advantages this way, the Series S version of Cyberpunk is far better than the One X version. You also get much faster loading and quick resume that One X doesn't support.

It is not matching or beating Xbox One X especially with BC titles, do not make things up now. Doing some things better and some things worse games performance wise is not what I expect from a next generation device.

I much rather play the Xbox One X version of BC titles than the Xbox One S one: you get better IQ, better graphics, longer draw distance, etc... you know, the same great things people used to say when the Xbox One X launched and was the top dog in town and people would throw the “but for 1080p TV’s there is not much benefit, etc... etc...” line at it .

Mainly though Series S profiles are better than One X profiles and that's more important going forward. Gears 5, higher settings, more stable frame rate. Halo MCC 120fps v 60fps, Valhalla 60fps v 30fps, Watch Dogs Ray Tracing v SSR

For the cross generation titles you listed you are playing a different version anyways, not sure why you are mixing them in beyond muddling the waters.

 

[Banjo64]

Is it without the SP mode? Or the 44GB for entire game?

Without SP, you can pick and choose what you install on a lot of games on Xbox.

Here’s what I’ve got on mine using a 250gb el-cheapo crutch lmao just so it’s easy to visualise;

 

[German Hops]

 

[Riky]

It is not matching or beating Xbox One X especially with BC titles, do not make things up now. Doing some things better and some things worse games performance wise is not what I expect from a next generation device.

I much rather play the Xbox One X version of BC titles than the Xbox One S one: you get better IQ, better graphics, longer draw distance, etc... you know, the same great things people used to say when the Xbox One X launched and was the top dog in town and people would throw the “but for 1080p TV’s there is not much benefit, etc... etc...” line at it .


For the cross generation titles you listed you are playing a different version anyways, not sure why you are mixing them in beyond muddling the waters.

I didn't make anything up, read what I said " not on all Xbox One titles" I can't make it clearer than that for you. Remember not every Xbox One game has an One X profile either.

You can't just discount out of hand that Series S runs Gears 5, Halo MCC and Warzone better than X1X, they are last Gen games still being supported.

 

[Danjin44]

Without SP, you can pick and choose what you install on a lot of games on Xbox.

Here’s what I’ve got on mine using a 250gb el-cheapo crutch lmao just so it’s easy to visualise;

That’s actually very smart of them, but I still believe for Digital only system it should have much bigger memory.

 

[Sorcerer]

Seems to me Microsoft is signaling that this will be the last console gen they will be involved in. They don't care about the hardware as much as getting everybody to sign up for gamepass. Literally, if you have a decent pc, you have a next generation Xbox already. Whether you sign up for game pass or want to buy games on an individual basis. Also XCloud will be pretty huge once streaming is a viable reality for most people. (But I am thinking that is a decade out at least).

 

[SkylineRKR]

I have an S but when I got my PS5 DE early I felt I overpaid for it. The DE is only 100 bucks more expensive, but its quantum leap above the S.

I bought it mainly for GP and because Playstation is my main system, and I wouldn't get the PS5 before next year, normally. I get a lot of mileage out of my S because of GP and the speed of the system is really nice (its experience feels identical to the 2 next-gen systems). But as I said, I feel its too expensive next to the PS5 DE, you only get 512gb as well after all which is a pathetic amount and i'm pretty much juggling games. You don't get a charge cable with it. So it set me back for 20 more which makes it an even smaller difference with my PS5.

For 199 you would have had an exceptional deal. Because the features are there. It does load fast, it does quick resume, it does outperform the One X in big games such as Gears of War 5. But MS might've been better off just dropping a DE XSX for 399. Especially because GP is better than anything Sony offers, I think a 399 XSX with GP would've been my system of choice.

On the other hand, at 299 I noticed its pretty much the cheapest system on the market. The PS4 amateur has the same RRP and is slightly more expensive at places I visit. The Series S is a far better system. Its also much better than the Pro I recently sold.

 

[Panajev2001a]

Except it is generally better than the One X. Cyberpunk on Series S is much better than on the One X. The issue fundamentally comes down to whether the games are patched to account for the reduction in ram.

I think this is a console for 1080p screens and possibly xcloud in the future.

It is better at some things and worse at others, not the next generation jump I expected and makes things more complex for users and especially devs (easier to maximise performance of the XSX and still reach a wider audience).

A $399 XSX Digital Edition would have been a much better match for the XSX and be much much better than the XSS and also the XOX at everything. Even price reduction for the SoC would have scaled to both modes more easily (same SoC).

MS made a bet and designed a box with compromises needed to hit $299 based on what they thought Sony would do in term of models and pricing (two models at $449-499 and $549-599). If they had been right in their predictions Sony would have been toast (PS5 with the current specs at that price point would have been murdered at retail).

 

[Panajev2001a]

I didn't make anything up, read what I said " not on all Xbox One titles" I can't make it clearer than that for you. Remember not every Xbox One game has an One X profile either.

You can't just discount out of hand that Series S runs Gears 5, Halo MCC and Warzone better than X1X, they are last Gen games still being supported.

I am not discounting it, just repeating what I said: next generation should be better wholesale not better at some things and worse at others. Those games you quote are optimised for Series S|X hence why they did not matter when talking about BC titles.

 

[Chittagong]

The Series S is best thing to happen to my nomadic lifestyle since Switch.

Packed, up it fits a small carrying case. I would not have taken my PS5 or Series X with me to the cabin due to their size, but now I can enjoy my Series S loaded with Cyberpunk, Call of Duty Cold War, Control, Dark Souls 3, Star Wars Fallen Jedi and Dirt 5. Still have some 80GB space left.

 

[Panajev2001a]

The Series S is best thing to happen to my nomadic lifestyle since Switch.

Packed, up it fits a small carrying case. I would not have taken my PS5 or Series X with me to the cabin due to their size, but now I can enjoy my Series S loaded with Cyberpunk, Call of Duty Cold War, Control, Dark Souls 3, Star Wars Fallen Jedi and Dirt 5. Still have some 80GB space left.

Although the XSX fits nicely in a larger bag, sure XSS works a lot better and they have bagged this demographic. If I were to travel but reside in each location for a long enough amount of time then I would want an extra item of luggage if I could, but that is just me.

 

[Riky]

Space is a good point also, I couldn't fit any other next gen console here without blocking my screen, it really is a great size.

 

[Mr.ODST]

Got a Series S so I can take it when im away on work, like the start of this week, I can take it and still play Warzone, Rocket League etc with friends its that small to carry around but still get great performance on the road since the TV's in the Hotel / apartments are 1080i not complaining.

 

[Panajev2001a]

Got a Series S so I can take it when im away on work, like the start of this week, I can take it and still play Warzone, Rocket League etc with friends its that small to carry around but still get great performance on the road since the TV's in the Hotel / apartments are 1080i not complaining.

Short term travel is a plus yes.

 

[Outrunner]

I feel like Xbox Series is a waste of time & I don't understand why Microsoft makes consoles.

 

[SkylineRKR]

Except it is generally better than the One X. Cyberpunk on Series S is much better than on the One X. The issue fundamentally comes down to whether the games are patched to account for the reduction in ram.

I think this is a console for 1080p screens and possibly xcloud in the future.

Yakuza is also much better with 1440p/30 vs 1080p/30. And an optional 60fps mode on top of it. Next to no load times either.

But I would've liked it if the S was better than the One X at everything, though the S is a cheaper purchase I guess. The One X certainly isn't a better experience, its a much slower system. I play Sea of Thieves with 3 friends on One X and i am almost instantly back into the action while they're waiting.

 

[THE DUCK]

I think they rather make a new half step update XSS Pro and XSX Pro a few years more down the line than cut the price of the XSS massively and also increase its volumes, but sure they may discount that much it if they wanted to clear existing stocks.

If they can keep costs in line and it sells well, every unit sold is another potential ganepass subscriber, they may even be ok.with taking a small loss if they see good attach rates.

I've said it before, if ms sells half as many units as sony this generation but manages to get millions more gamepass subscribers, they may actually win this generation in terms of profit without actually selling more consoles.

 

[Clear]

I'm betting it'll be replaced by a PS5 DE equivalent at the same price-point within 3 years.

 

[Panajev2001a]

If they can keep costs in line and it sells well, every unit sold is another potential ganepass subscriber, they may even be ok.with taking a small loss if they see good attach rates.

I've said it before, if ms sells half as many units as sony this generation but manages to get millions more gamepass subscribers, they may actually win this generation in terms of profit without actually selling more consoles.

We will see, PSN digital sales and PSN+ subscriptions were indeed a massive giant unsung hero for PS4 so yes I expect the bet to be big on GamePass, but the amount of DLC’s those users will get, how many will stay subbed at full price, and the effect it will have on third party publishers (see the price only based race on mobile and how the reaction to perceived software value cratering changed that industry) is more difficult to forecast.

 

[SkylineRKR]

I'm betting it'll be replaced by a PS5 DE equivalent at the same price-point within 3 years.

This is a no brainer. The PS5 and Series X will see revisions. And a smaller and cheaper Series X renders the Series S obsolete unless they make it a dirt cheap alternative to the point its not worth it for them.

 

[SkylineRKR]

If they can keep costs in line and it sells well, every unit sold is another potential ganepass subscriber, they may even be ok.with taking a small loss if they see good attach rates.

I've said it before, if ms sells half as many units as sony this generation but manages to get millions more gamepass subscribers, they may actually win this generation in terms of profit without actually selling more consoles.

Selling consoles is only for list wars.

Consoles don't even generate much profit. Its the software and subscriptions that do. MS doesn't give a shit if you're subbing on a Laptop or on a console, as long as you're subbing. In potential they have a much wider reach than Sony because you can sub on a myriad ot platforms. Sony has the potential to sell more systems, but they HAVE to sell its console in order to push their content, which comes at the risk of selling at a loss or creating a flop.

MS can always continue as a service. I think their console gives their service an identity, and its a good option for those who want the console experience with its service. GP is probably less succesful if they don't offer a console with it. I wouldn't sub without one, I don't like gaming on my laptop. I think MS is closing in on 20 million subscribers, that amount will only rise further once we'll see the fruits of the Bethesda purchase, its also a stellar deal for hardcore PC gamers. The next TES and Starfield will be on it day one.

 

[A Most Virtuous Cat]

The problem is not even series s; the problem is that there are NO next-gen GAMES on xbox that may showcase the 1st party potential it may have. And XSS is an absolute worst machine to play 3rd party games at the moment (maybe once them tools mature, it gets better). In addition, 399 PS5DE is also sitting there with $100 more but 100x the value.

 

[sinnergy]

The problem is not even series s; the problem is that there are NO next-gen GAMES on xbox that may showcase the 1st party potential it may have. And XSS is an absolute worst machine to play 3rd party games at the moment (maybe once them tools mature, it gets better). In addition, 399 PS5DE is also sitting there with $100 more but 100x the value.

Cyber punk runs pretty good on it ...

 

[Bamihap]

Wait until sony drops the PS5 price to 299 and the Xbox Series S drops to 149.. Then you'll see why they made this little box.

 

[Azurro]

If they can keep costs in line and it sells well, every unit sold is another potential ganepass subscriber, they may even be ok.with taking a small loss if they see good attach rates.

I've said it before, if ms sells half as many units as sony this generation but manages to get millions more gamepass subscribers, they may actually win this generation in terms of profit without actually selling more consoles.

Gamepass is losing them money, tons of it at the moment. First they would aim at profitability, let alone the insane profits Sony makes off the PSN Store and physical stores.

So far, we all know the reasoning behind the Series S. Cheaper, for casuals, mass market, blah blah blah. However, the thing can be bought right now, there's not all that much demand for it, in the holiday season. It doesn't seem to be doing anything for MS in terms of installed base, and they are already launching with less units sold than with Xbox One.

 

[base]

The Series S has 2 objective advantages over the Series X:

• It is cheaper
• It is smaller

If these are not factors for you of course the console won't make sense compared to the Series X choice which is objectively superior (outside of those 2 points).

For some people a console at least 35% cheaper and about half the overall size has a destinct appeal. Especially as those people who prioritize budget price and compact offering are less likely to have a high end 4K display and so would benefit less from the Series X's premium offerings.

And no one buys it. It's available everywhere so people don't care about Game Pass that much.

 

[DavidGzz]

Imagine if Nintendo released two Switches, one delivered 4k graphics the other 1080p. Prices are 500 and 300. The 1080p version would be a waste of time? The 300 dollar Switch is selling better than the PS4. Most kids couldn't care less about
4k. Think Mcfly.

And no one buys it. It's available everywhere so people don't care about Game Pass that much.

Yeah, BS. Sold out in the biggest market, the States. Spain or wherever you're from isn't very telling, man.

 

[MrFunSocks]

Excuse me, but why is it that such people wouldn't just use the Xbox One for that purpose? If someone has an Xbox account and recently bought a Series X, then they already have a spare Xbox One sitting around. Exactly why would they spend $299 on a piece of hardware that their existing Xbox One could already do for Zero dollars?
Yes, in theory Series S could run next gen games in a few years... But then why buy the hardware NOW, when it is at the most expensive? Just wait two more years and buy it at a discount with bunddled free games. The old Xbox One would do everything you already listed just fine until then.

How does Cyberpunk play on the One S? How does it play on the Series S?There’s your answer. An Xbox One isn’t in the same ballpark in terms of graphics or performance as the series S.

Also how’s that price drop for the switch going? What’s it been now, 4 years with no price drop? This generation the price isn’t going to drop very much. These console are already selling at a loss or break even at best, and the parts in them are already almost as cheap as they’re ever going to get. They won’t have a price drop for years, if ever. They’ll just get more old first party games bundled with them as a way to make it seem cheaper.

 

[MrFunSocks]

To me thats the heart of the problem with Series S. if someone buys Series S then that person don’t care about having most advance tech but it also mean that someone doesn’t want spend huge amount of money on gaming system.

But because of Series S small memory that person gonna end spending lot of money to get memory expansion, which at that point you better off buying Series X or PS5 instead.

You don’t need to buy the expansion in Xbox, you can just use a regular old external USB. It’s not like the PS5 where you can only store new games on the internal.

If the next economy crisis hits Japan hard, we're screwed in terms of games.

Why? Barely any of the biggest games are from Japan.

 

[mejin]

Quality over price is always the best choice. People are not that dumb.

 

[YeulEmeralda]

I just hope it will advance the emulator scene of Xbox. I literally need just two games from Xbox - Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon. Nothing else from Xbox's announced titles (which usually come to PC anyway) interest me and I don't understand why they can't port those two games to at the very least PC. They waste so much money on Game Pass which is not that good even now when it's at the business stage of people loving it... and they can't make a basic PC port?? It reminds me of that thing with Gears 5 audio issues and Xbox controller which still aren't fixed. So much for Xbox being Microsoft and having PC market...

Wouldn't surprise me if modern Xbox literally forgot about those games.
The 2020 Xbox brand is very different from those halcyon days.

 

[Bryank75]

Well, since PS4 was still being sold for 300 euro and Pro for 400, it made strategic sense to put this model out.... at least for now and it has good synergy with the gamepass model.

It doesn't appeal to many of us hardcore / core gamers but I think it's a good option that offers value, which seems to be Xbox's main selling point right now.

 

[ZoolNL]

I have an 1080P tv and it’s beautiful. I love gamepass. It’s like the best netflix for gaming machine. Great look, silence, works best for my tv and has an awesome library of games (it’s nextgen compared to xbox one X).

But in all fairness the naming of these devices must be the dumbest I’ve ever heard. Goddman they are stupid. It’s WiiU all over again.
People buying Xbox One S or Xbox One X for their kids because they wanted a S or X...

 

[Astral Dog]

I dislike the lack of a disc drive, but even without that the SSD capacity is a big joke for the size of games this gen, combined with the lesser capacity i wouldn't recommend a Series S at this point, even for budget gamers it has big cutbacks.

Later when it has 1TB SSD and bundled with a game it should be nice though