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[DarkMage619]

A $399 XSX DE would have made more sense to me.

Would that option be superior to casual gamers who just want to grab a current generation system for a low cost ? What about the manufacturing cost when larger more expensive SOCs are tough to come by? Do you think MS would have been able to make more digital XSXs than XSS? How much lower would their install base be?

Maybe MS thought that graphics scale pretty easily and a lower end device would affect games as much as the existence of the GTX 3060 and the 3080. It's not too complicated to figure out the Xbox game plan. The loudest complaints against the XSS are people who never intended on ever getting one and that's quite telling.

 

[Topher]

Would that option be superior to casual gamers who just want to grab a current generation system for a low cost ? What about the manufacturing cost when larger more expensive SOCs are tough to come by? Do you think MS would have been able to make more digital XSXs than XSS? How much lower would their install base be?

Maybe MS thought that graphics scale pretty easily and a lower end device would affect games as much as the existence of the GTX 3060 and the 3080. It's not too complicated to figure out the Xbox game plan. The loudest complaints against the XSS are people who never intended on ever getting one and that's quite telling.

That's funny considering I actually bought an XSS. I had ONE complaint and that was the SSD size. As far as the graphics, I've said on these very forums that to me it wasn't an issue and not the reason I returned it. Somehow that immediately associates me with the "loudest" of XSS complainers? lol.....ok

Did you read the comment I was responding to? I was stating that a $399 XSX DE would have made more sense to me than a $399 XSS with 1 TB SSD.

 

[Belthazar]

Simply an option. Nothing wrong with giving gamers multiple ways to play games. People who only have an X1 wouldn't be able to play MS Flight Simulator without streaming. Options are good for consumers.

change those words to Blu-Ray and u have ur answer.
the future is now old man

The posts I quoted were claiming the Series S' storage is good enough because people would use it to stream instead of downloading games... So, I don't really know what you guys are saying, because I know people stream games... I'm just disputing the notion that consumers want to buy dedicated hardware that can run the games natively only go use it for streaming games instead

 

[Belthazar]

Maybe MS thought that graphics scale pretty easily and a lower end device would affect games as much as the existence of the GTX 3060 and the 3080. It's not too complicated to figure out the Xbox game plan. The loudest complaints against the XSS are people who never intended on ever getting one and that's quite telling.

We're already seeing games fall short of their initial promise of parity at a lower resolution all across the board with new games so...

 

[dcmk7]

We're already seeing games fall short of their initial promise of parity at a lower resolution all across the board with new games so...

Agree, so soon into the generation too.

 

[YeulEmeralda]

Still don’t get the issue. I have Elden Ring, Apex Legends and Halo’s multiplayers installed and have over 200gb left.

I only have a 500 gigabyte SSD in my PC. When you have decent internet in combination with an SSD it's completely manageable.

 

[Danjin44]

It's a bargain for $299 imo.

The problem is Series S is Digital only with little storage space, which force to buy storage space but they are not cheap…..which makes you think instead of buying both Series S and extra storage you would better off just getting Series X.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

A $399 XSX DE would have made more sense to me.

That or a 800 GB(to match PS5)
6TB $299-329 model.

 

[MrFunSocks]

Why would anyone need a Series S for streaming tho? People buy consoles to play natively.

Because it ….. can ……. do streaming? I stream games via xcloud on my Series X and RTX3070 gaming PC.

 

[SeraphJan]

Series S to me is more of a cloud device for casual users

Series X is the way to go

 

[MasterCornholio]

The PS5 does not have a ton of storage either.

Thats why I added the XPG 2 TB drive for $249.

Dang I was thinking of just upgrading mine with a 512GB drive. Might have to get a bigger size if the prices are that low.

How’s the drive btw?

 

[vaibhavpisal]

The problem is Series S is Digital only with little storage space, which force to buy storage space but they are not cheap…..which makes you think instead of buying both Series S and extra storage you would better off just getting Series X.

It's a good thing in a way.

Think of it as a game pass machine. Gamepass introduces inherent confusion over what to play.

On Series S you will have 5-10 games installed. This helps with focus and completing games. Which is good practice.

If you absolutely must have tons of games with quick access, consider a usb 3 drive. It transfer games in under 5 mins. Still it's a extra step and inspire you to finish what's on internal first.

I am using it like this and much prefer it to having ready access to every game that catches my attention on gamepass.

 

[gt86]

The problem is Series S is Digital only with little storage space, which force to buy storage space but they are not cheap…..which makes you think instead of buying both Series S and extra storage you would better off just getting Series X.

I have both.....I love my x, but for someone that doesn't have 4k tv the s is a great buy...maybe I'm jaded because I have gb internet and storage isn't a huge issue. People forget you can move games you are not playing to a USB drive.

 

[Kagey K]

You can buy any external SSD and get all the benefits of the internal for bc games through the USB port, while saving your internal drive for the Series enhanced games.

Not sure what they did with the I/O but not many people realize it works.

 

[Bogroll]

I think people need to look outside of video games as this pricing verses what you get is quite common.
A real world example from my experience. 2005 I bought a VW Mk5 Golf GTI £20k 200hp I could have bought a Golf diesel for 14k with far less options as standard a crude engine in comparison to the one in the GTI.
6 months later I bought a Mk 5 R32 for £24k more options on the R32 as standard plus 4 wheel drive and a super smooth V6 engine that made the GTI engine seem like it was diesel.

Do you get what I'm saying. Has everyone been living under a rock or do you just like being like little kids on the playground or are you really that dense.

 

[The_Mike]

Series S to me is more of a cloud device for casual users

Series X is the way to go

Then there's no point in buying one if you already have a xbox one unit since they output the same from the cloud.

 

[Bernd Lauert]

A $399 XSX DE would have made more sense to me.

It wouldn't make sense to Microsoft though. Having the XSS was a great decision for them.

 

[Topher]

It wouldn't make sense to Microsoft though. Having the XSS was a great decision for them.

I was saying a $399 XSX DE would make more sense than a $399 1 TB XSS, hypothetically.

 

[GametimeUK]

My friend got one. Installed FIFA and Call of Duty. That's all she wrote.

 

[Bernd Lauert]

I was saying a $399 XSX DE would make more sense than a $399 1 TB XSS, hypothetically.

Ah, I see. The problem for Microsoft with not having the XSS still remains though. Current chip situation makes the XSS a winner. In a world where there is no chip shortage, I'd likely agree with you.

 

[Malcolm9]

They should have made a digital Series X rather than the Series S personally.

 

[DarkMage619]

That's funny considering I actually bought an XSS. I had ONE complaint and that was the SSD size. As far as the graphics, I've said on these very forums that to me it wasn't an issue and not the reason I returned it. Somehow that immediately associates me with the "loudest" of XSS complainers? lol.....ok

Did you read the comment I was responding to? I was stating that a $399 XSX DE would have made more sense to me than a $399 XSS with 1 TB SSD.

You choose to put yourself in the category of loudest complainer not I. I simply said your desires didn't align with the goals MS had for a $299 console. A $399 XSX would have been far more expensive to make and fewer of those devices would have existed. I'm glad MS made a device for a larger audience than just the hard-core gamer.

We're already seeing games fall short of their initial promise of parity at a lower resolution all across the board with new games so...

MS NEVER promised the system would run games a particular way. That ALWAYS comes down to the software developer not the hardware manufacturer. It's for that reason Returnal renders internally at 1080p and has no raytracing; it's has nothing to do with the hardware but Housemarque's development choices.

Games like MS Flight Simulator, Watch Dogs Legion, and Forza 5 prove the system has the capability to do the same things the more expensive platforms can do.

The problem is Series S is Digital only with little storage space, which force to buy storage space but they are not cheap…..which makes you think instead of buying both Series S and extra storage you would better off just getting Series X.

Plenty of inexpensive external hard drives that have worked on the XSS since day one. No one is forced to do anything.

Ah, I see. The problem for Microsoft with not having the XSS still remains though. Current chip situation makes the XSS a winner. In a world where there is no chip shortage, I'd likely agree with you.

In a perfect world the XSX would be $299 and be the only SKU. In reality MS made the best decision that benefits both themselves and their customers. It could have been worse and I agree with you they did a good job with the XSS.

 

[SeraphJan]

Then there's no point in buying one if you already have a xbox one unit since they output the same from the cloud.

Actually that's partially true, even the backward compatibility from Series S is Xbox one S version instead of one X. Microsoft is basically aiming none gamer or very casual gamer with Series S, where to them the price cut is more important than the hardware spec. A Series S + Game Pass basically fulfill that need, a very good way to boost the subscribe count.

But I think most serious gamer would purchase Series X for the actually next gen experience.

 

[DarkMage619]

Then there's no point in buying one if you already have a xbox one unit since they output the same from the cloud.

The XSS is significantly more powerful than the X1 it also will FPS boost X1, and run 360 games at superior resolutions and framerates which obviously the X1 will never do. It also plays current generation games natively which is still superior to streaming for any game that requires quick reaction times. Plenty of reasons to use an XSS over the X1.

 

[The_Mike]

The XSS is significantly more powerful than the X1 it also will FPS boost X1, and run 360 games at superior resolutions and framerates which obviously the X1 will never do. It also plays current generation games natively which is still superior to streaming for any game that requires quick reaction times. Plenty of reasons to use an XSS over the X1.

That's a good point.

But as someone owning an Xbox one x, I find it hard to upgrade to series s.

But I assume series s is this generations xbox one, and series x is the upgrade one x users want.

 

[Topher]

You choose to put yourself in the category of loudest complainer not I.

So any single complaint about XSS puts someone in the "loudest complainer" category for you?

I simply said your desires didn't align with the goals MS had for a $299 console. A $399 XSX would have been far more expensive to make and fewer of those devices would have existed. I'm glad MS made a device for a larger audience than just the hard-core gamer.

Again, I wasn't talking about a $299 console. I was talking about two hypothetical $399 consoles. No idea why this is hard.

Ah, I see. The problem for Microsoft with not having the XSS still remains though. Current chip situation makes the XSS a winner. In a world where there is no chip shortage, I'd likely agree with you.

Yep. The most crucial attribute for console sales this gen has been availability.

 

[DarkMage619]

That's a good point.

But as someone owning an Xbox one x, I find it hard to upgrade to series s.

But I assume series s is this generations xbox one, and series x is the upgrade one x users want.

You are absolutely correct. The XSS was never intended to be a replacement for the X1X. The real comparison is the X1 and XSS and it's pretty amazing that people generally refuse to make THAT comparison.

So any single complaint about XSS puts someone in the "loudest complainer" category for you?



Again, I wasn't talking about a $299 console. I was talking about two hypothetical $399 consoles. No idea why this is hard.

Again when did I say that YOU are the loudest complainer about the XSS? I was making a general point the people who talk the most trash about the system don't own it. If that shoe doesn't doesn't fit you don't wear it.

As far as your comments about hypotheticals I was simply providing a dose of reality as to why that hypothetical wasn't going to happen. I mean I would have preferred a XSX with 32GB of RAM with a 10 TB SSD I'm pretty sure you realize that isn't going to happen either. You're right, It ISN'T that hard to understand.

 

[Topher]

Again when did I say that YOU are the loudest complainer about the XSS? I was making a general point the people who talk the most trash about the system don't own it. If that shoe doesn't doesn't fit you don't wear it.

Actually this is the first time that you have stated that you were not referring to me and it was a "general point". Thank you for clarifying.

As far as your comments about hypotheticals I was simply providing a dose of reality as to why that hypothetical wasn't going to happen. I mean I would have preferred a XSX with 32GB of RAM with a 10 TB SSD I'm pretty sure you realize that isn't going to happen either. You're right, It ISN'T that hard to understand.

Your "dose of reality" wasn't required. I said one hypothetical made more sense than another, imo. None of that implies either would be a realistic option one day.

 

[THE DUCK]

Wow, the ignorance is strong with some posters in this thread.

You don't complain about a compact suv being smaller than full size, right? I mean I can't fit as much in the back, so it's not usable at all.

You don't complain about a 3050 having less ram than a 3060, right? I mean it's just not fair, I can't play my newest games at 4k, it's just not usable.

You don't complain about a phone that's far cheaper having less storage, right? I mean I can't hook it up to a pc and dump the photos every so often, that's too much work.

You don't complain that a double burger has less parties than a triple, right? I mean it's not usable in a double, the ratio is all off. Complete garbage.

You don't complain your sitting in row 40 instead of row 5 when you paid for row 40, right?
I mean it's not usable, right, you can't see thier faces.

You don't complain that you got a small slurpee instead of a large slurpee when you paid for a small, right? I mean it's not usable....you'd finish your slurpee before your meal was done!!

You don't complain that Switch lite has a smaller screen, and its not oled, right? I mean that size is completely unplayable, and the lcd is garbage, they told me it would be fun......

The notion that the product is unusable due to the storage size is laughable. Your using it wrong. You'd think they put 1gb in it by this thread. Items cost less for a reason.

 

[DarkMage619]

Your "dose of reality" wasn't required. I said one hypothetical made more sense than another, imo. None of that implies either would be a realistic option one day.

This is a message board. Whose comments about anything here is 'required'? I just provided an explanation as to why your hypothetical wasn't happening. Many people have stated the exact same desire you had but failed to understand why MS made the decisions they made. Several people in this thread are still very confused. I thought it was important to provide additional information.

 

[CrustyBritches]

Comparing the Series S at $299 to the Series X or PS5 at $499 is disingenuous. Via Ebay the actual real-world, 'Buy it Now' price in the US is ~$285 for XSS, ~$650 for XSX, and ~$750 for PS5. You can't "just get a XSX instead, it's better value".

 

[THE DUCK]

Comparing the Series S at $299 to the Series X or PS5 at $499 is disingenuous. Via Ebay the actual real-world, 'Buy it Now' price in the US is ~$285 for XSS, ~$650 for XSX, and ~$750 for PS5. You can't "just get a XSX instead, it's better value".

Very true. And that doesn't speak to the series S vs pc value gap which is even larger.
Try building a compact pc that plays games at series S level for $285.

 

[Topher]

This is a message board. Whose comments about anything here is 'required'? I just provided an explanation as to why your hypothetical wasn't happening. Many people have stated the exact same desire you had but failed to understand why MS made the decisions they made. Several people in this thread are still very confused. I thought it was important to provide additional information.

Comparing the Series S at $299 to the Series X or PS5 at $499 is disingenuous. Via Ebay the actual real-world, 'Buy it Now' price in the US is ~$285 for XSS, ~$650 for XSX, and ~$750 for PS5. You can't "just get a XSX instead, it's better value".

It depends how patient you are really. I returned my XSS and was able to get XSX at regular price at Best Buy a few weeks later. But yeah, I get your point. Retail price for XSS is definitely a better value than ebay price for XSX or PS5, imo.

 

[DarkMage619]

 

[CrustyBritches]

Very true. And that doesn't speak to the series S vs pc value gap which is even larger.
Try building a compact pc that plays games at series S level for $285.

Yep. In 2020 right before the chip shortages I got hot buys on 3 RX 470 4GB ex-mining cards and built each of my kids a gaming PC. That was used parts and the best I did was ~$420 for Ryzen 5 1500 Pro 4c/8t, RX 470 4GB, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD+1TB HDD, and mid-sized tower. With new parts, current prices, and building itx/sff it would probably be upwards of $700-800.