• Hey everyone, staff have documented a list of banned content and subject matter that we feel are not consistent with site values, and don't make sense to host discussion of on Famiboards. This list (and the relevant reasoning per item) is viewable here.
  • Do you have audio editing experience and want to help out with the Famiboards Discussion Club Podcast? If so, we're looking for help and would love to have you on the team! Just let us know in the Podcast Thread if you are interested!

Xbox Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S?

What current generation Xbox console do you have or prefer?

  • Xbox Series X

    Votes: 30 73.2%

  • Xbox Series S

    Votes: 11 26.8%
  • Total voters
    41
FutureFunkPepsi

FutureFunkPepsi

Cappy
Pronouns
He/Him
It’s crazy to think it’s already been over a few years since new generational console hardware has shipped - Microsoft however went a very interesting path with it offering two different performance profiles at different prices.

For the Xbox owners on here -

Do you prefer the beefier Xbox Series X with the more powerful hardware, disc drive slot and 1TB storage?

Or does the mini Xbox Series S (seriously, still can’t get over how tiny that machine is) - with no disc drive, a bit less powerful and 500GB storage suffice? It clocks in at two hundred bucks cheaper, and that’s nothing to scoff at.

Do you have the Series S as a companion piece to your other platforms? Or the more power the better?

Just curious on y’all’s thoughts!
 
I have a Series S as a companion console to my Switch. Mostly it was a question of cost - I don't have the spare time or energy for multiple gaming systems, Switch fits into my lifestyle best, and I also don't have a 4K TV so there's limited reason to update to a powerful model for those high resolutions. It's been a convenient way to play a few different games through GamePass every now and again, as well as to purchase the occasional game that's not on Switch (like Baldur's Gate 3 currently).

I also like the Series S design and size, as well as how quiet it is. It's a good little box and it matches my white Switch OLED.
 
It really does depend on what your expectations are, I think! I have a Series S and I'm very happy with it. I have seldom been outright disappointed with the performance it delivers, it generally looks just fine on my 4KTV, and I have unlimited internet so deleting and redownloading stuff is no big deal. If not getting 4K & 60+fps is OK by you, I'd say the S will fit the bill.
 
I don't own either but as soon as I saw the design of the Series X I was in love. The fact that it's literally just a blocky monolith is so funny to me and scratches that early-2000s itch of edgy-cool. It's called Xbox, and it's a literal box. It's perfect.

Only thing I'd change is having the green from the top grating actually be lit instead of just being green plastic. If I ever get one I might just do a case mod for the first time since the original Xbox.
 
I have the X but the S is my favourite design wise. I wouldn't downgrade for the sake of a prettier console, but I think they're both good. Being tiny and way cheaper is definitely a plus
 
I bought a Series S around the holidays in 2022 when it was getting good discounts. I knew I wanted to get a PS5 eventually but the game lineup wasn't there yet for me to pull the trigger at the time. But the Series S was cheap enough that I took the plunge. I could play games for "cheap" with Game Pass plus I hadn't owned an Xbox since the 360 so there was a backlog of Xbox exclusives I wanted to play.

If Series X was the only option, I probably wouldn't have gotten an Xbox at all.
 
If you planning to get a Switch 2 next year ill go with the S as most third-party titles will probably come to that. If you have no plans on getting a Switch 2 just get Series X for the graphics and performance I suppose.
 
0
If you really will only ever want gamepass, S is fine.

But X is easy to get and heavily discounted now. Performance boost, physical backwards compatibility, physical games, backwards compatibility X boost all easily worth the price difference imo.
 
Brock Reiher said:
If you really will only ever want gamepass, S is fine.

But X is easy to get and heavily discounted now. Performance boost, physical backwards compatibility, physical games, backwards compatibility X boost all easily worth the price difference imo.
Click to expand...
Plus if the leaks are accurate, it's the last Xbox with physical media support full stop, so I'm going to hold onto mine until hell freezes over.
 
If you truly want one for whatever reason, get the Series X and avoid the Series S. The lack of a disc drive alone is bad, and the Series S already lacks a lot of storage. All the super cheap Series S sales you see are not the 1 TB version as well, and even then the Series X is very clearly getting fire saled constantly. Just recently I saw the Series X used for $300 on Woot, and last Black Friday had them selling for $350  new.

And even then backwards compatibility and maybe Game Pass (which has its own fair share of issues long-term) are the only big reasons to get an Xbox at all. My Series X is legit just a back compat machine.
 
0
Series S is good enough to run most games on Xbox right now. Unless you really wanna play high end AAA stuff, it’s hard to recommend an X. Especially with Xbox’s physical media and first party exclusivity in flux.
 
I bought S for £180 and three years of game pass for £110 which I've been topping up with the rewards program (I get more than enough points each month to get a month of game pass without even spending a penny).

The SSD making even a bloated OS run perfectly and the writing of game states to SSD for quick resume makes it the most convenient home console experience I've ever had. Played dozens upon dozens of games through game pass it and use it as my video streaming device as it's actually got the apps unlike Switch and is relatively low power compared to PS5.

There are downsides of course, lack of physical disc drive but I have other consoles for actually owning games/playing blu rays, lack of SSD space which I've been less annoyed about than I expected and can more than put up with for what a good deal it has been, Microsoft trying to puts ads for external products on the dashboard which I block with pihole and of course as Series X is now readily available it has sales which cut into the value proposition but at the time it was definitely worth it. Relative lack of power hasn't caused me any problems so I don't really care.

Game pass is pretty obviously unsustainable especially as long as they are essentially giving it away through their rewards program but I'll make use of it while it's still the deal it is.
 
Kind of an aside but despite billing itself as a 1440p machine (and not getting there for a lot of demanding games), the Series S does occasionally hit 4K. Hades and Ori come to mind
 
crepuscule said:
Game pass is pretty obviously unsustainable especially as long as they are essentially giving it away through their rewards program but I'll make use of it while it's still the deal it is.
Click to expand...
It is and it isn't. Apparently it is profitable, it brings in more than they spend on it, which is impressive. Remember most users aren't pulling "tricks" like code stacking and rewards spam. Ultimately if you're using it to its maximum, the rewards program is doing its job, it's keeping you maximally engaged, and they've already made money off you with the hundred and so up front. It keeps you in the ecosystem, it keeps you tempted to get DLC, or buy to own, or MTX, for a normal user, it keeps you seeing ads.
 
I bought an S a couple years ago primarily as a Game Pass box and it's served that purpose well. Storage hasn't been an issue except now with Baldur's Gate 3 (which requires 150 GB + 150 GB during patching).

I also have a PS5 (with BD drive) and Switch, though. I still think the S is a good budget option for Game Pass, but if I had to choose a single console to couple with the Switch, I'd choose the PS5.


Edit: With regard to the profitability of Game Pass, it's something we cannot really know. MS says it's profitable, but that's all dependent on how it plays around with accounting -- I doubt that the additional revenue brought in by Game Pass subscriptions over Game Pass Core (XBL Gold) covers the cost of running the service and the associated lost sales.

I'd also note that Quick Resume falls flat on its face with multiplayer titles and games that are pushing the hardware hard/are poorly optimized (Starfield, BG3).
 
Last edited:
0
Depends upon what you want

I got the Series S as a complimentary console for gamepass and very cheap digital games, and it's worked great for me. I plan to get the 1tb expansion card eventually, but for now I just "clean out the fridge" when I finish a gamepass title. If it's first party I can download it later, and if it's 3rd party it'll probably be gone by the time I want to replay.

If I was looking to jump into this generation of gaming and get a main console, I'd go with Series X. Option for physical, better graphics/performance, and more built in storage space. I still consider upgrading to the Series X just to collect some physical Xbox One (a console I skipped) and Series games before they go the way of the dodo and Microsoft goes digital only, but I'll cross that bridge later.
 
0
if you have the extra money, the x is 100% worth it, especially if you're interested in dev mode emulation and physical media. being able to play parts of my og xbox/360 library, especially the ones that support FPS boost, has been great
 
0
I feel like I could have got a Series X instead of the S, just for more performant games. But I really only use my S as a gamepass + quick multiplayer box, and only got it because it was reaaaal cheap, and extra $300 would have turned me off.

It is a shame a lot of the old gen games are old xbox one/s instead of the X versions though, seems like such a waste since the Series S is so much more capable than the old machines, but oh well.
 
0
I finally returned the Series X I bought over the holidays this past Thursday. After everything that's happened these past months, I simply couldn't justify keeping this device. Brief outline of what ultimately changed my mind:
  • Wanted to play exclusives like Hi-Fi Rush -> Hi-Fi Rush announced for PS5 (which I already own).
  • Wanted to play some BC games like Sonic Generations and Star Wars Battlefront II -> Sonic x Shadow Generations and Star Wars Battlefront Classics announced for all platforms.
In two months time I lost multiple reasons to keep my Series X. It's truly bonkers, lol. Therefore, because of these sudden developments, my opinion on the Series S has completely flipped. I now truly appreciate the value a Series S brings to the table at it's price point. I'm 100% positive I'll be picking one up if they go on sale again ($100-200 USD). I mostly want a Series to play some old games, so the Series S should be perfect for that.
 
I got my Series S before my PS5, and while it's now relegated to being a Gamepass machine for me I'm still glad I got it. Nice entry-level machine.
 
0
Anecdote, just today I inserted my (slightly scratched) copy of Rayman Origins 360 into my Xbox Series X, and you know what it did?

Installed and began playing it. 😅

And it looks beautiful!
 
0
You must log in or register to reply here.


Back
Top Bottom