The Xbox Series X and S first launched in November 2020, just two days before the PlayStation 5, and gamers around the world were torn apart.
Many have since taken sides, but if you’re still looking to upgrade your last-gen consoles and don’t want to bleed your pockets, you might want to keep reading.
It’s hard enough getting their hands on next-gen consoles, and with the £30 price hike for the PlayStation 5, Sony isn’t making it any easier for those who don’t know what to buy.
The company blames the price hike on the “current global economic environment,” although it failed to note that the economic instability is also impacting its customers’ wallets.
On the other hand, while the Xbox Series X hasn’t gone up in price, leaving it in standby mode rather than turning it off can actually increase your energy bill.
How much does the Xbox Series S cost?
The Xbox Series S has a price tag of just £249.99, not including game bundles and other deals retailers may have from time to time.
In comparison, the Xbox Series X costs £449.99 and the PlayStation 5 is now £479.99, so the price of the X Series S only does half the damage.
Even compared to the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition – which, like the Series S, has no disc drive – there’s still a measurable difference, as the price has also risen to £389.99.
What is the difference between the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X?
In most ways, the Xbox Series S can do the same things as the Xbox Series X, including playing the same games, but it doesn’t have a disc drive, so all games have to be bought and played digitally. That can be tricky, considering the hard drive is half the size of the 1TB Xbox Series X.
The Xbox Series S is less powerful than the Series X, but the only way you can tell is because it can’t play games at native 4K resolution. Since you already need a 4K TV for that, that makes no difference for many people.
There are at least a few exceptions, such as Ori And The Will Of The Wisps, and most games can be upscaled to 4K, which narrows the difference even more.
The Xbox Series S is the smallest console Microsoft has ever made and is almost 60% smaller than the sturdier Xbox Series X. So if you don’t have a lot of room in your room or want to take it everywhere, this is the one for the obvious choice.
It also requires less power and generates less heat, so it’s less of a burden on your energy bill compared to both the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.
What games can you play on the Xbox Series S?
The Xbox Series S can play the exact same games as the Xbox Series X, just with the resolution limitations mentioned above.
The Xbox Series S’s all-digital approach may put off game collectors, but when combined with an Xbox Game Pass subscription, there are hundreds of new and latest-generation games to play.
The Xbox Series S includes the full backwards compatible list of Xbox One, Xbox 360 and original Xbox games – many of which have been improved from their original release.
This is the best value for money for players looking for a budget-conscious gaming setup, but who can also make good compromises on other aspects.
Why you should and shouldn’t buy the Xbox Series S
In short, you should buy the Xbox Series S if you:
- Do you want to experience next-gen gaming, but don’t want to bankrupt yourself in terms of price and energy consumption.
- Glad they can’t use discs for games or movies.
- Don’t have a 4K TV or generally don’t care about resolution.
On the other hand, you have to go a step further to get a console like the Xbox Series X that has fewer compromises:
- Rather collect physical copies of games.
- Insist on the absolute best graphics quality, especially when it comes to resolution.
- Play so many games at once that the Xbox Series S’ smaller hard drive fills up quickly.
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