Updated: November 13, 2020 9:20:49 pm
Over the past 48 hours, I’ve tried many games optimized for Xbox Series S, including Forza Horizon 4 and ori and the will of the wisps. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)
For the past two days, I’ve been constantly thinking about the Xbox Series S, one of the two next-gen consoles released by Microsoft. Not because I’m so excited to review a new console, but because I see in the S Series a new kind of game console that didn’t exist before. Sure, it’s not a Nintendo Switch killer, but the S Series is a weird, weird console that could set the stage for Microsoft in its ambitions to introduce the Xbox brand to new consumers in India.
TO 34,990 rupeesThe Xbox Series S may be an entry-level next-gen console, but its impact could be far-reaching, as long as Microsoft delivers games that resonate with fans and families alike. I’ve spent roughly 48 hours with the Xbox Series S, and while I’m nowhere near giving my final verdict, I did enjoy my time with Microsoft’s smaller Xbox console. Here’s my first impression of the discless Xbox Series S.
A little console
When I first unpacked the S Series, I refused to believe it was a next-gen console. I knew it would be small in size, but it is very small. The S Series is slightly larger than the size of a paperback (for reference, Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs), so you don’t have to rearrange the TV shelf to position the console. If you haven’t seen one in person, it’s hard to describe the S Series, but close-ups should definitely give you some design details.
The nice thing about the S Series is that you can stand it upright or lay it flat. The boombox-like console is white with a black circle in the center. The rear circular ring is not there for aesthetics. It is there to ventilate the console. On the rear of the S Series, you will find two USB-A ports, an HDMI output, a storage expansion, the power port, and an Ethernet connector. On the front, there is a single USB-A port and there is no disk drive (more on this later).
My Nintendo Switch is in the middle of the PS4 (left) and Xbox Series S (right). (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)
A familiar controller
The new S Series ships with the latest Xbox controller, although not much has changed. It looks like the controller that came with the Xbox One X, but now there is a dedicated share button, an updated D-pad, and a USB-C port. The share button is a welcome move, because now I can quickly share screenshots and clips with friends or save them directly to OneDrive. But a big problem with the Xbox controller is that it still uses AA batteries. That means I need to buy rechargeable batteries from time to time. Although I must say that the Xbox Wireless Controller feels good in the hands.
It’s 2020 and a console like the Xbox Series S still comes with the controller that uses AA batteries. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)
A diskless console
The S Series is a discless console, which means that you will not be able to play physical copies of the games. I don’t know how you see this, but I feel very comfortable with the idea of having digital-only consoles. In the past few months, I’ve bought more digital-only games for my PS4 and that shows that physical games have become optional. I’m not going to say that physical games are dead to me, but now I have the option to download full games directly from Microsoft and Sony. The key question is: how many people are willing to buy a digital console? I think Microsoft is fully aware of the challenges of selling digital-only consoles. Buying the S Series is worth it if you have a fast broadband connection at home and are one of those who have stopped buying physical games altogether. For me, the S Series makes perfect sense because I have a fairly fast internet connection and I have subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a subscription service that gives you access to more than 100 games to download and play on your console / or PC. monthly.
The S Series is a discless console. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)
Limited storage
One of the highlights of the S Series is the use of a 512GB NVME Solid State Drive (SSD). I can clearly see how fast the games load on the console. I have played Forza Horizon 4, a title optimized for Xbox Series X / S, and the game only takes a few seconds to load. My big caveat is that a 512GB SSD storage will fill up quickly. What’s worse is that only 364GB of that 512GB storage will be accessible to the user to store games and apps. Suppose I download a game that takes up 90GB, I’m afraid I will run out of storage in a few days. The only option to expand storage is to get a 1TB storage card that costs $ 220.
The S Series comes with a 512GB SSD storage. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)
Designed for 1080p TVs
While both the X Series and S Series have the same user interface and ultra-fast NVMe SSDs that dramatically improve performance and load times, the two next-gen consoles are different in nature. The reason: The S Series is designed for 1080p TVs. In simple terms, the S Series hardware doesn’t support true 4K gaming. Instead, the console can support at most one 1440p monitor / TV up to 120 FPS. But don’t worry, I played Forza Horizon 4 and it looks awesome on my 4K TV. The S Series enhances content to fit a 4K TV.
The S Series supports a maximum resolution of 1440p at 120 frames per second. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)
Weaker than the X Series but still a capable console
The S Series is less powerful than the X Series, and Microsoft does not hide this fact in any way. The X Series has a 3.8GHz 8-core Zen 2; the S has the same but with a maximum of 3.6GHz and only has 10GB of RAM versus 16GB in the X Series. The biggest difference aside from the lack of a disk drive in the S Series is the GPU in the smaller console. While the two new next-gen consoles feature custom AMD Radeon RDNA 2 architecture, the 52 cores of the X Series GPU clocked at 1.825 GHz for 12 teraflops and the S Series GPU is only 20 cores at 1565. GHz for 4 teraflops. But that doesn’t change my perception of the S Series. At the end of the day, the S Series can play the same next-gen titles as the X Series. Like the X Series, the S Series is also backwards compatible with all Xbox. A game; Besides, it can also play Xbox 360 and original Xbox games.
Many titles have been optimized for the S Series that run smoother and faster on the console, but next-gen games have yet to appear. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)
Prints after 48 hours
It’s been almost 48 hours since I set up the Xbox Series S. In the last two days, I have played a couple of optimized Xbox Series S games. Hardware upgrades and a fast SSD help run existing games faster and smoother. on the console. But the Xbox Series S currently lacks next-gen titles that have yet to come out. I will have more information on the S Series, gameplay, optimized games, quick overview, and the potential of the diskless console in my detailed review. It will be out on Monday, November 16.
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