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Should I buy a Xbox Series S?

RaZoR No1

Member
Do you already own any Xbox One console?
If yes, wait until you have enough for the XSX.
If you really just wanna play something, maybe try to find a very cheap older Xbox One console. Gamepass and nearly all games run on them too (The Medium is the only exception?) and it doesn't set you that much back.

XSS is only good as second console or if you really dont care about resolution etc. Dont forget that you wont have a disc drive, too.
 
Gosh op. Just get the X.

S is amazing too but in your situation I can see you having buyer's remorse within a week.

I love my Series S by the way, so much that I made a thread.


 

NinjaMouse

Gold Member
The smaller internal storage in the S was a non-starter for me. I was all set to buy one until I thought closer about that. The X just makes much better sense in that regard, alone.
 

cireza

Banned
Series S with GamePass is by far the most affordable offer right now.

If you are okay with rotating games on the hard drive as months pass (if that's how you consume your games) then it should be perfectly fine. Series S is a Game Pass console first and foremost.
 
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HotPocket69

Banned
Yeah, so I really need a console right now and I only have around $500. I can afford to buy the Xbox Series S and not the X, but I am trying to sell my iPad Air and Magic Keyboard so I can buy the X. Thing is, should I buy an S in the meantime even though I have a 4K TV? I know it’s not the best of the best like the X, but it’s what I can afford at the moment and if my iPad sells then I can cop an X and sell the S.

What do you think I should do? I mean, is the S so bad that I would regret buying it altogether? I’m pretty sure I’ll have an X soon, but I’m literally starved for gaming and I need something.

If you’re debating this hard about it to feel the need to ask on here, don’t do it.

Also, get a a PS5. Imagine selling all that pricey tech for a fucking Xbox 🤣

Save your money
 
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DaGwaphics

Member
Honestly, if you are questioning whether you would be okay with the S or want the best experience with the X, get the X.

The S is best for people that don't care about the graphics all that much, and those people probably wouldn't think twice about picking up the S to start with. IMO
 

DESTROYA

Member
If you don’t work get a job and save the extra money to buy the XsX it is the only Xbox to do next gen justice especially if you have a 4K TV. Hell borrow $100 if you have too.
Not sure why you need one right now when you’ve made it this far without one, being a little patient and working a little harder always pays off in the end.
 

deriks

4-Time GIF/Meme God
I say you wait a little while saves money to get an X. But if you don't have anything to play, go for the S
 

Sp3eD

0G M3mbeR
I love my S but I also have a 70” 1080p TV I have no intention of upgrading til it dies. It is a fantastic little machine, however the hard drive situation on it is pretty bad. I constantly have to keep cleaning the fridge to play bigger games which leads me to getting tons of smaller games instead of gears 5 or gta

the loading on this thing is amazing (which I’m sure the x is on par too). It has replaced my PS4 as my multimedia machine for watching YouTube / Netflix due to how quick everything loads and how smooth the apps work
 

McCheese

Member
Save up for the X, unless you have a kid or dependant who will be happy to receive the S in the next year or so. It sounds like you have enough money for something in between the two, price-wise that would be the PS5 digital edition, throwing that out there.
 

FrankWza

Member
Yes! The XBox Series S is built for people who want a cheaper next gen experience!
But it’s not a next gen experience. It’s been promised to play games that release on the next gen consoles with a next gen feature here or there. But it’s already struggling to do that. I would call it, next gen compatible
 

HeresJohnny

Member
I would never buy a digital console, and I especially wouldn't buy the less powerful console. And since neither the X or the S has anything really noteworthy to play exclusively on them, it's an easy wait. Now, when RE8 comes out, that becomes a much tougher proposition. That's a game that I think is gonna be pretty gimped on current hardware and having a new system might be the only way to experience the game.
 
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M1chl

Currently Gif and Meme Champion
Cheaper console options probably ended being more expensive than if you buy the more expensive options, ie: Storage space and only digital games. I would not do it, 100USD more is not that much.
 

Codes 208

Member
Either buy a digital ps5 ($400) or wait for the SX.

the SS is already showing signs of being a bottleneck and one I would hardly call “next gen”

not to mention you’ll likely end up paying more in the long run for memory. 512gb of ssd isn’t a lot especially after it takes like 130gb for the OS. In fact, I would argue the one x is a better console than the SS because atleast that machine can play Xbox one/360 games in 4k
 
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I have both the XSX and XSS. The XSS was initially going to be used in a spare/guest bedroom, but so far it's been great having it right underneath the XSX in our main entertainment center hooked up to the 4K TV and alternatingly to a secondary 1080p TV right next to it. When it's not in parallel use I find myself firing it up for emulators and back compat more often than the X simply bc I like how efficient it is. It's a great little piece of kit, especially for the $270 I paid for it. I of course use the XSX for higher end current gen games for 4k/60. But the XSS is surprisingly capable and, frankly, it's amazing how good it is given the price and the lowered GPU spec.

That said, if the console is to be your primary and you already have a 4k TV I would likely hold out for the XSX. And, of course, if you plan on buying physical games and/or have old disc versions of 360 or OG Xbox games, then you'll need to go XSX.

If you have a 1080p TV amd don't see upgrading that anytime soon...or, like me, you see the XSS becoming a secondary console...then the XSS is a great choice.

Either way, you can't really go wrong. Don't listen to the trolls and PS fan boy warriorz.
 

Derktron

Banned
Many say yes but I'd say no. But yes, yes if you are on a budget and just want to start off in their ecosystem so I think it's a great system to start off in especially with Xbox Gamepass offering so much for a new gamer. But the no comes from someone who has started again with being in their ecosystem. For starters, the console memory is what kills the system. Only because so many new games now require you to add them to the internal drive You start off with only 325 GB and that's only enough for maybe 2 games depending on what you play with. If you are a gamer who plays a lot of games and will be playing the new games (Of course) and don't mind spending $200 on a memory card that you will need to play on the new game. Then by all means go for it. But if you are a person who cares about playing a crapton of games. Then go for the Xbox Series X. It has a bit more memory to play on. But if you are a person who cares about performance and visuals prepare to be disappointed in the long run as I see this console being looked down upon by many devs who are lazy to port something meaningful with the Series S. Many devs is already sounding the alarm with the Series S being an issue for them. So it all depends on what you want as a gaming investment.
 
My boy has an S, and loves the fast load times and the games running at 60fps. It’s a great little machine, and I’m impressed every time I see it. He does have a 1080p tv though.

If you have a 4K tv, it may be worth saving a bit more for the X if you sit close enough to notice the difference.

(Ignore stupid trolling comments above making it sound like it’s a 720p machine. Some games may dip there briefly due to dynamic resolution, but it’s not the norm.)

I honestly don’t think it’s trolling. As we get further into this gen, games will get more demanding and if the series S can’t even hold 1080p with these cross gen games, I definitely see the series s with a lot more games with sub 900p resolutions and 30 fps. Having 1/3 the tflops of the series x is just too big of a gap.
 

S0ULZB0URNE

Member
If he is low on cash PS5 with its 80 Euro digital games is probably not the best option.

@ Karmic Raze Karmic Raze
You could try to get one on Amazon Warehouse Deals. Got mine there for 360 Euro. Came brandnew just the packaging was damaged. But it's kind of hard to get one.
When he realizes he doesn't have much storage space(he most definitely will)he will have to put out another $220.

$300+$220
 
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I have both the XSX and XSS. The XSS was initially going to be used in a spare/guest bedroom, but so far it's been great having it right underneath the XSX in our main entertainment center hooked up to the 4K TV and alternatingly to a secondary 1080p TV right next to it. When it's not in parallel use I find myself firing it up for emulators and back compat more often than the X simply bc I like how efficient it is. It's a great little piece of kit, especially for the $270 I paid for it. I of course use the XSX for higher end current gen games for 4k/60. But the XSS is surprisingly capable and, frankly, it's amazing how good it is given the price and the lowered GPU spec.

That said, if the console is to be your primary and you already have a 4k TV I would likely hold out for the XSX. And, of course, if you plan on buying physical games and/or have old disc versions of 360 or OG Xbox games, then you'll need to go XSX.

If you have a 1080p TV amd don't see upgrading that anytime soon...or, like me, you see the XSS becoming a secondary console...then the XSS is a great choice.

Either way, you can't really go wrong. Don't listen to the trolls and PS fan boy warriorz.
This is the most absurd use case for a console I have ever heard of
 

Goro Majima

Kitty Genovese Member
I get not chasing cutting edge PC hardware but buying the lesser powered console seems kinda weird to me.

Or even versions with missing features and that’s a feeling that dates back to the old Xbox 360 “arcade” edition. At the time it was a choice between the “Xbox 360 Pro” and the gimped one that you don’t want.

The lone exception in all this was the Wii U for me because whether it’s 8GB or 32GB - it was all too small.
 

bitbydeath

Member
Calm down? You wouldn’t be calling me a dick (or implying I am a liar) if you knew me, so show some respect to folk you don’t know.

But humour me, idiot (you’ve earned that).

What misleading comment have I made? I simply said the S is a great small machine - I know because I have one in my house and have experience of it - but recommended the X. Where’s the lie?

On the other hand, there’s you walking in with your baby-sized feet, contributing a single sentence about 720p games. Who’s the one being misleading again?

You are an absolute walloper.
Firstly, I didn’t call you a dick but I gather you aren’t too familiar with the English language. ‘Don’t be a dick’ means to not act like a jerk but look how that backfired. :messenger_tears_of_joy:

And yes, the comment I was referring was your original hand waving of my comment like you were paid by Microsoft themselves to try sweep my factual statement under the rug.

Now run along and collect your cheque.
 
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BigLee74

Member
Firstly, I didn’t call you a dick but I gather you aren’t too familiar with the English language. ‘Don’t be a dick’ means to not act like a jerk but look how that backfired. :messenger_tears_of_joy:

And yes, the comment I was referring was your original hand waving of my comment like you were paid by Microsoft themselves to try sweep my factual statement under the rug.

Now run along and collect your cheque.

If there was a wanker emoji, you’d be getting it.
 
The S is a great system, for it's price, and it's capabilities, that cannot be matched by any PC or console, anytime soon for $299.

OTOH, the X is a FAR GREATER value at $500. Taking your current situation into context, you already have a 4K TV. You can sell some of your devices to get cash that goes towards the additional cost above $500 if you plan to get the X.

If you take the easy route and get the S now, you would have to sell it later, used and it drops value, whatever it ends up selling for. The pandemic and the current climate of 7NM silicon scarcity won't last long, especially for Sony and Microsoft as they are BIG clients for TSMC.

It will be much less of a hassle for you to, wait a few more days/weeks/months and straight up get the X and enjoy 4K gaming, instead of buying an S, selling it later for less money and then adding even more money on top of that to get an X.

Oh, and yes. The IQ difference between the X and the S, especially on a 4K screen like yours, is more than palpable. It's embarrassing at times.

S has it's own market. You're not one of them.
 
When he realizes he doesn't have much storage space(he most definitely will)he will have to put out another $220.

$300+$220
Why? The XSS allows you to offload games to an inexpensive external hard drive. Perhaps you have mistaken it for a different console where storage is harder to find.

Don't you see, you just need to have 2 TV's next to each other, one of which should be 1080p and then it makes perfect sense to use that alongside a superior device that does exactly the same thing.

Anyone who disagrees is a fanboy or a troll.
Nope anyone that likes the XSS is paid by MS. It's impossible to just like the console because it's cheaper and more powerful than any other console at this price point. I've also noticed that no one has offered to give any money to the OP who clearly stated the cost was a major factor. Why make suggestions that go against one of the reasons he was going for the XSS in the first place? The PS5, XSX and yes even the mighty PS5 DE are all MORE expensive. If money was no object I'm certain there are other gaming options.
 
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THE DUCK

voted poster of the decade by bots
I love the suggestion of buying a ps5 de, might as well tell him to go buy the lockness monster, Bigfoot, a unicorn, or 3060ti.
 
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GHG

Gold Member
Why? The XSS allows you to offload games to an inexpensive external hard drive. Perhaps you have mistaken it for a different console where storage is harder to find.


Nope anyone that likes the XSS is paid by MS. It's impossible to just like the console because it's cheaper and more powerful than any other console at this price point. I've also noticed that no one has offered to give any money to the OP who clearly stated the cost was a major factor. Why make suggestions that go against one of the reasons he was going for the XSS in the first place? The PS5, XSX and yes even the mighty PS5 DE are all MORE expensive. If money was no object I'm certain there are other gaming options.

If you want to moan about people not offering donations why don't you give him your series X and get yourself a series S as a replacement if it's so great?

You said the bold, not me. Glad you're at least willing to admit it considering the only people that I see advocating for the Series S here tend to be people who own the Series X (not the S) , are heavily invested in the ecosystem and want others to join at any cost even if it's via hardware that isn't fit for their needs. Note - even many of the Series S owners in this thread are suggesting the OP gets a Series X.

It's a system that's hard to recommend. Get over it.
 
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