In Defense of the Xbox Series S 

i had a Series S before i upgraded to the Series X, i never thought from owning it, “damn i wish i had more performance”. The Series S is a phenomenal console once you get past the storage issue, it’s amazing, it’s a beast and i’m so glad it exists.

I own the PS5, XSX, and SWOLED, I grabbed a Series S for my bedroom for $200 and its honestly been amazing, its an affordable way me and my kiddo can play game pass games and cross plat games together on different screens. Also, even with my being a pixel peeper who watches every DF video, in practice the difference its pretty negligible between the two! 🔥

Back in the Pandemic time, the Series S was the only new console I can find in store and online at MSRP. Shout out to the Series S for holding it down for me until I upgraded to a PS5.

What matters to me is it allows the common person to get into current gen gaming with little financial hastle. 300 bucks is a hell of a lot more affordable then 500 for someone working at 15 an hour.

I've always been a PlayStation player, but I decided to buy an S as a secondary console last year and I absolutely love it. I can easily carry it around to play some matches at my friend's place, I can fire up from time to time for an important exclusive or a game pass addition, and I never felt left out of anything just because it's slightly weaker than the X. I can only recommend it, a great concept imo

Owning both a Series S for downstairs and Series X upstairs in the game room, my ONLY complaint with the S was the storage. I think this model will be fine for most people, even on a 4K TV.

That gears reference there when the box opened. Impressive editing!

I got X because of the Ladder strategy, that and the last big console I played prior to switching to PC was the 360 (yes both Microsoft). On amazon an amazon certified refurbed Series X was 50 bucks more (400) than the new 1tb S (350). It was an easy call and amazon refurb quality was 8/10. Overall happy but would still love an S for my bedroom! I love how small and sleek the S looks, perfect for many things but the one that most worries me is how long will it keep up with the X in an unnoticeable manner.

In third world country, series S and game pass is the most affordable option for gaming than building pc,ps5, and NSwitch.

I love my Series S. It's allowed me to play games that will never come to the Switch, like Elden Ring, Red Dead Redemption 2, Starfield, Forza Horizon, etc. It's a sleek machine and more powerful than meets the eye.

I already had switch and a ps5, and I was burned by the 360 era as I had rrod several times I stuck with the Sony and Nintendo , but I couldn’t resist game pass I bought a series s , I was that impresssed I upgraded to a series x two months later and it is now my main console I use, my Nintendo for their first party games and Sony for first party and vr

DID YOU PLAY THE OG GEARS SOUND WHEN YOU OPENED THE BOX?! God damn Kenson, that was dope. I rewinded it like 10 times, lol. You the man

Like some others said, shoulda def made this $300 and bump down the white S to $229-$250 and make the black S $300 “to make up for the other 1/2 of GB they missed with the white one”

Series S is a beast. Playing Starfield on it and its running perfectly!!!

I just upgraded to the Series X a few days ago. The Series S is an amazing console and most people do not and will not ever need the X when they can get the S. However for me personally I started to get annoyed with the resolution and optimizing in certain games for example Street Fighter 6 and framedrops in Starfield. The resolution bump is also a great visual upgrade. I wouldn’t say it’s worth the upgrade right now but these consoles are meant to last 4+ years still. So keep that in mind if there are already games out there right now that are becoming noticeably less on the Series S.

Looks clean and minimalist! Can easily fit on any shelves 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽

totally LOVED the Gears Of War reference when u unboxed it

Im a university student and i had an Series X/S and Ps5. I have a relatively small dorm room and i dont want my gaming setup to be the center of it. I first got the ps5 and it was just way to big. Switch from pc to console made it also really expensive on ps5. I returned it for an series S. You can get AAA games for a few bucks with Keyshops and the gamepass is killer.

I bought one because I couldn't get a X. Never regreted it. The Series S is a wonderfull and strong enough machine to have much fun with. It is cheap, silent and runs everything I throw onto it. And it only uses 80W max. This is awesome! It small, lightweighted enoug to carry around and is just perfect for me to play while on the road!

Xbox series s is my first Xbox console, so it being all digital worked for me as I was aiming for the backlog games which some weren't available on PlayStation. Wouldn't mind the upgrade in memory with this Black edition

I play on PC but I just got a series s. It is mostly for Playing games on the TV or just playing games that aren't cross platform so I can play with my friends who nearly all have a Series X as their main or have a PS5 but a series S as a secondary. I love where it fits in the market and hope Xbox releases 2 different consoles again next generation.

It should be $300 tbh. And they need to release a digital series X for $399 that would directly compete with the digital ps5.

I currently own a PS5, Nintendo Switch and now the XBSS. I gotta say, I missed having an Xbox. I love how small the Series S is. You can just take it around anywhere, but I am thinking about trading it in for the black one

Series S is an amazing console

You and I must be around the same age cause both our beards greyed at the same time lol

Series S pairs really nicely with a PS5 or a Switch

My only problem with the series S, and the reason I did joy upgrade from my VHS XBOne is the lack of disk reader. I have a lot of physical games on the Xbox one that I still play and would not be able to if I switch to the series S and I don't want to spend the money on the X.

I bought the Xbox series S just for Starfield, I grew up playing PlayStation and the PS five is my main gaming system right now but honestly, I’m surprised of how well the series S has held up. I even downloaded the Mass Effect series and it looks amazing. I’m definitely going to keep this for a minute until I upgrade to the X but even then I don’t have to because this runs amazing. I only plan on using it for Starfield and maybe the Oblivion or fallout three remastered

Dudeeee - loving the shirt! Also great video :)

If they sold this one for 299 and the 512gb for 249 it would be worth it. Just because for 349 you might as well save up 50 more dollars and get a ps5 digital. It’s discless and 1tb but has better graphics, memory, and ram.

I guess if not for the fact it doesn't have a disk drive.. Its still worth buying considering how powerful it is.. Always enjoying kenson consoles reviews.. Just the best.. 👏👏👏

Background music reminds me of "Heartbeats" by The Knife.

I've had the series S since launch. Its fantastic and I have no complaints about it. I'm not a frame rate or graphics snob. I just wanna play games.

Its good the black series S got more storage. Every series s owner i know ended up getting the X because of the lack of storage.

The way I look at is I use my PS5 for big releases but I grab some games on series s as long it’s 60fps 4k honestly not a big deal

One of the main factors with series s is ultimately the price and that makes this the stand out system for me.

I would get one for my room in a heartbeat if it could play my blu rays and physical disc

Series S is a wonderful second console.been using it a lot more than the ps5 lately. But the true downfall is the storage on the white one it has like 360gb storage which really limits you. Eventually your gonna need an ssd which is still overpriced.

I was super close to upgrading to a series x, mostly for starfield. But i held out to see what it looked like on the series s. Im glad i did. I saw the digital foundry comparison and i was impressed by the s. Played starfield on my s and my pc with synced save files. Looks great on both

Honestly, I had this issue with my Day one Xbox One, was that the majority of the Disc based games involved a hefty download to even play it. So what was the point of the disc? I switched to the Series S, but unfortunately couldn't afford the expansion and it's been a big ass struggle bus to keep more than 2-3 games on it and have the flexibility to have more when the friends want to switch games.

I’m still on the fence for a current gen system I lean towards the Series S (I have an older 42 1080p TV no plans to upgrade) but some days I say I’ll wait and buy a PS5 when I decide to get a new system Still rocking my PS4 and Xbox 360 haha

I'm pretty sure the charger my phone is currently charging on has more computing power than my first pc and that played games. My point is if you give game Devs too much power they get lazy if it's a bit limited just code better. It's affordable and that's good for people

I have a ton of Xbox physical media from my 360 days and I'd love to carry those over so unfortunetly an all digital console ain't for me...plus the all digital future makes me nervous how temporary games media is they don't last. But I do like your argument that this could be a great secondary console if you already spent a lot of money on say a PS 5 etc

This guy is so much into gaming having new stuff every time.

If your a casual player the 1TB Series S is a perfect system as if you pare it with Game Pass Ultimate you get Xbox + Windows Game Pass plus you get Cloud Gaming on top which is a brilliant way to try out games before you download them, also the older 512GB Series S is the perfect console for a younger gamer.

Through a friend who used their Verizon account, I was able to get a new (not pre-owned, refurbished, etc) Series S for $150 + tax during a Verizon promo offer a few months ago. Getting my toe in the current gen pool for roughly a 1/3 of the cost vs the Series X & both PS5 models seemed like the right move for me as I can't plunk down $400-$500 + tax currently on a gaming machine. Although I can only buy games digitally and internal storage is pretty limited, I have no regrets as I'll usually wait for sales for digital games and use discounted digital Xbox cards to pay for those games and delete games when necessary. That said, I do feel more invested in the MS/XB ecosystem vs Sony/PS and will likely upgrade to a Series X down the road when either funds become available, there's a significant price drop (at $350 or lower, I might impulse buy one), or both.

The black looks like non shining black that they used on Xbox one elite 1tbs hybrid with I love I still have one but now on my wall of lifeline systems

I just got the Xbox s besides my PS5 (have been always a ps gamer) to play starfield. I am very impressed what this small thing offers. Starfield is also great!

Ps5 is my main, but recently I picked up a series s for the bedroom with game pass, and I’m loving it. Even cancelled my ps plus now.

I want to get a console soon, but I can only get one. I want either series s or the switch but i can't decide which one. I really like the games on both consoles.

I use to bring my one x when I travelled or switch but now I'm just packing my one s have my one x in the bedroom SX downstairs and my switch is mostly for Football Manager these days and RE saga

The Gears of War sound bit when opening the Xbox 😢

Got mine but tired of mostly 3rd party games refusing to do 60 FPS on the S and X. Might honestly make the upgrade seeing as the X is more available now. I am typically not finding this problem with the first party games. IE the new Forza motorsport will be 60 FPS, regardless of which Xbox your on.

You can’t go wrong with a Series S with 1TB of storage in my opinion. I bought the white Series S a couple years ago after my PS4 died & ever since I upgraded it with the 1TB expansion card I haven’t even thought about buying a different console.

In my country the price difference bewteen series x and s 1tb is like 50 usd

Every time I unplug and move the series s to the family room I can’t believe how small it is.

0:56 I understood that reference. 🤣❤️

I hope series s gets a revision some day the cpu is great but the gpu is what it’s holding the system back I don’t need to to be crazy good just improve it marginally that it can be noticed

Why is split screen so difficult to get working? I used to play 4 Player split screen cod and zombies with the boys in the Xbox 360 days.

I wish the series X had the series S design

Just got mine today it’s dope as hell

I always been a person that gets one or the other. I own a ps5 since day one. Just couple of days I liked some of the up coming exclusives on the Xbox ex: state of decay and stalker 2. So I elected to get the black series. At the end of the day my main console will always be my ps5, and all my friends on ps5. I don't have any friends on xbox even tho I owned a xbox 360, those friends switched to ps5

I use mine as an emulator box since I have a Series X as well

Does this consider FSR 3? I think that will be a GAME- changer for the Series S.

0:57 - i heard that GoW sound

Nice shirt dude. Have that exact same 1

The all black looks awesome!

I have the Series S 1TB with an external hard drive. Performance is insane and with a good monitor it's probably the best. One thing people will say the downside is not owning physical copies or being able to play old gen games but it's not really that much of an issue, sure new games maybe more expensive but if you know the right places you can get keys for cheap. For old gen games If i really wanted too I can just break out my old Xbox and play them on there lol. Apart from that it's worth buying if you are considering the cheaper option, also you get exclusives with game pass and new releases if you specifically own these models. I bought mine during a sale for 250 when it was first released last year in September and I haven't regretted it since. Can't wait for all the new releases running on the new game engines we have in 2024, it's truly going to be an epic time for gaming in the upcoming 5 years.

I think im going to grab a Series S now as my introduction to the current gen of console gaming, and when the mid gen refresh is announced i might upgrade to the X 👌

I bought a series s around Christmas season when it was $250 and got a 2tb WD external hard drive for around $75. Im good.

Is it bad to go from series x to series s because I have been using the x for almost a year now and mostly for msfs( keeping my xbox on for almost 20days per month) , as a result the xbox does not pack the performance it had at the start when I bought it

Larian managed to make it work just fine. The "issue" with the series S isn't any different than the Steam Deck; developers are just going to have to do their job and optimize for the platform. You know, that thing they should have been doing in the first place..

I have to say I totally love the design of the Series S. When I inevitably upgrade to the Series X, i think for the first time in my console owning history, Im not gonna trade the S in. Ill probably keep it in the upstairs living room with the Switches.

Own a PS5 & Xbox Series S, just sold my series s for the new black series s just because of the space. I already have a hard drive and I don’t need a disk port as I buy digital, I think it runs great. Don’t really need the x tbh, I’m picking the black s up from Best Buy in a couple days but people telling me it was a bad choice and I should’ve just got the series X or the expansion card

Pre Ordered mine and extremely happy with it so far and GPU is FREAKING Fantastic, an insane value. I like the black colour scheme had the One S but sold it as soon as the X/S was revealed but just didn't manage to get a Series S until now and with the needed 1TB-825GB i'll have enough space to play the games i want without worrying with the previous model. And with Lies of P, STARFIELD, and Forza Motorsport all coming out soon i'm gonna be STACKED.

I get other’s gripes with the system, but as somebody that slowly fell out of xbox/play station as I got older it’s been an awesome way to play new releases on game pass for a month, then cancel the subscription until the next game I want to play comes out. I would have just skipped the xbox/play station generation all together without this lower entry price point.

Im a PC player since about ps2 ages. But after my EVGA gpu died from one day to another i bought an series S out of rage (PS5 was absolutely out of stock here in Brazil 1 and a half years ago, only available with resellers asking +1200 usd) so i said fuck it. I can't believe how much more i played with it. I almost went back to my golden Ps1 years (Im 39) The vastness of titles that gamepass ultimate has, im replaying halo that only played a little bit with my friends old xbox years ago, the old gears of war. Omg flight simulator is incredible for the people who loves aviation like me etc. Cloud gaming is already awesome. I play from my job and with a good connection runs very well. Excellent system. For an excellent price.

Hows that a new re-model when it's the same console but in black 🤔

This new Black Series S is what Series S should originally have been

I've got all 3 and Series S is my favorite

I want a white 1Tb version.

I just love my series s. gamepass along with option to buy old classics from the store is amazing.

Damn that matte black looks good! So far I've been nothing but impressed with how capable today's consoles are. Got the PS5 and the graphical capabilities are insane, and I LOVE the super fast SSD.

You can get a series S as a second console with a year of game pass and be set. For less than the price of a series X

I had the series S and sold it cause I wanted the disc tray in the X so I can play my older Xbox games just to find out I can’t cause I gotta rebuy them digitally to play them. So imma get the black series S soon

Finally, a black series S. I have the original series. S mine is 12 months old. I have the original series X mine is six months old. I’m definitely going to try and add this to the collection.

But that same price PS5 Digital available. So what is best?

I believe the series s checks a lot of boxes and gets the job done very well for the average gamer and all at a price point that you really can’t beat. I’m really rooting for the more affordable options like this console that really gives everyone a chance to just have some fun playing some video games.

I got the series s being mainly a ps5 player. It’s affordable which is a plus and I’m not gonna play only xbox so just for playing the exclusives it’s great. With Bethesda games and especially the recently announced Blade game coming only for xbox it’s great. The series X is a lot more powerful but for people who wanna experience both PlayStation and XBOX exclusives it’s a good affordable solution for people who don’t play every game released on an xbox console but still good for the big games coming to the console exclusively.

Someone should make a laptop like monitor and battery attachment for the series s

I think the Series S is a very good console. Its just that the developers just dont want to optimize the game for the series S or even X(they just use the power of the X to get the desired fps)

If I didn’t have 2 XSX in my home (my bedroom, my sons’ room) I’d def get a 1TB Series S. It’s powerful and now with more storage. My nephews love the Series S 512 I passed down to them so it has us all in the Xbox ecosystem. I also own a Switch and PS5 so no console wars here just a casual gamer house.

If Larian can get divinity 2 running on the switch I dunno why they can't get BGIII running on the CBS seriously

They had the chance to add some extra System Memory (RAM) for newer and more demanding games but they didn't. The price increase to $349.99 is absurd. SSD prices have decreased significantly since the release of the Series S. I'm not easily fooled, this is a price increase in disguise. You can use an inexpensive external SSD to expand the Series S storage.

I just got a disk ps5 and while I recently have went back to Xbox most of my ganes for xbox is digital now so I might pick up the series S plus Gamepass is actually really good

When will the Xbox Series X Mid Generation Refreshes be announced??

The Series S is actually pretty great and it IS my main console. I take issue with many reviewers that throw the line it is a "great secondary console", specially when their main console is something like the nintendo switch. In fact the only thing that prevents the XSS from emulating the switch with better graphics and framerates is simply the fact that an emulator for the xbox platform hasnt been ported yet. For everyone who games on a 1080p panel and wants to be up to date but also cares for quality retrocompatibility going back 20 years (further if you use emulators) the xss can easily be your main machine. God knows you wont find a wide array of native, commercially available offerings of 6th and 7th gen titles in a current machine that also lets you play new titles anywhere else unless youre gaming on pc.

It really comes down to years down the road, when it will ultimately not be good enough for the new flagship games coming out. If you aren’t worried about that, get the s series.

Honestly the Xbox Series S is a steal for this console generation. Granting access to next-gen gaming at an affordable price point is absolutely insane. Even now with inflation and everything prettying much peaking in price the Xbox Series S is simply a great value and great gaming.

I got this yesterday I love it 😌 I also have a ps5