Is buying an Xbox Series S a wise choice?

[hotgamerft]

Hello everyone,

I am in a bit of a pickle. I upgraded my PC in early 2020, I upgraded everything apart from the GPU, which was not a good decision since GPU prices were normal back then. I am now stuck with a GTX 1060 (3GB) and it is starting to show its age. There is no way I am buying a GPU at a ridiculous price. So I started looking at the current-gen consoles (already own a PS4) and the Xbox Series S seemed like a reasonable choice at around 70k (looking at the fact that any decent GPU would cost upwards of 100k at least). What do you guys think? Is it a good choice at this point in time?

I game at 1080p, I don't own a 4k monitor and/or a tv and don't plan on getting one in the near future. PS5 and Xbox Series X are out of the question because I am not willing to spend that much on a console that I wouldn't even be using to its full potential (because of the resolution I play at).

So what do guys say? Xbox Series S with xbox gamepass. Yes or a no go?

Anyone using this console can share their experience as that would also help me in my decision. I heard something about headset compatibility, what's up with that? I own a logitech G533 wireless headset which works fine with my PS4. I was wondering if it would work with the Xbox Series S or will i need to buy something that is compatible?

 

[imadsani]

I was, sort of, in a similar position as you. I've always been a PC gamer and decided to get the Xbox series S but I cannot, for the life of me, play on a controller. I like games like Battlefield / Warzone / CS etc. I've tried it but I can't get used to it. It's been around 6 months since I last switched it on, wasted the gamepass all this time as well.

Otherwise, Gamepass is far better than anything that Sony has on PS and the Series S is a great console if you can get past the 400 gb of internal storage cap. The only turn off is that you need a fast connection because you'll need to download everything. A game takes a day or two to download even on my 100mb connection because the CDN's aren't placed optimally for us.

 

[UzairAhmed]

Hello everyone,

I am in a bit of a pickle. I upgraded my PC in early 2020, I upgraded everything apart from the GPU, which was not a good decision since GPU prices were normal back then. I am now stuck with a GTX 1060 (3GB) and it is starting to show its age. There is no way I am buying a GPU at a ridiculous price. So I started looking at the current-gen consoles (already own a PS4) and the Xbox Series S seemed like a reasonable choice at around 70k (looking at the fact that any decent GPU would cost upwards of 100k at least). What do you guys think? Is it a good choice at this point in time?

I game at 1080p, I don't own a 4k monitor and/or a tv and don't plan on getting one in the near future. PS5 and Xbox Series X are out of the question because I am not willing to spend that much on a console that I wouldn't even be using to its full potential (because of the resolution I play at).

So what do guys say? Xbox Series S with xbox gamepass. Yes or a no go?

Anyone using this console can share their experience as that would also help me in my decision. I heard something about headset compatibility, what's up with that? I own a logitech G533 wireless headset which works fine with my PS4. I was wondering if it would work with the Xbox Series S or will i need to buy something that is compatible?

Till 2019 I was a hardcore PC gamer( 2080Ti extreme+i9 9900K) with whole water cooled build then I got home due to the pandemic I am now stuck and my PC is somewhere in China collecting dust or probably dead or stolen by now. Due to the inflated prices I haven’t built or bought a gaming PC here so consoles were the logical choice so I bought a series X last year with game pass and a PS5 two months ago and I couldn’t be happier to be honest. Don’t buy a series S its severely underpowered and 1080p only machine if you dont have a 4k TV now then you might in the future so series X is a better choice all in all. Series S is digital only with 500GB storage which is going to cost you an arm and a leg to upgrade with series X you get around 3X more power and double the storage plus the option of buying a disk rather than relying on digital purchases from microsoft store. Hope this helps you in your decision the only reason I would buy a series S is as a secondary system downstairs in the living room and for something more compact and easy to carry in my bag when I am going to another city(I always carry my series X with me when I am out of town) other than that there’s no reason to buy it period

 

[hotgamerft]

I was, sort of, in a similar position as you. I've always been a PC gamer and decided to get the Xbox series S but I cannot, for the life of me, play on a controller. I like games like Battlefield / Warzone / CS etc. I've tried it but I can't get used to it. It's been around 6 months since I last switched it on, wasted the gamepass all this time as well.

Otherwise, Gamepass is far better than anything that Sony has on PS and the Series S is a great console if you can get past the 400 gb of internal storage cap. The only turn off is that you need a fast connection because you'll need to download everything. A game takes a day or two to download even on my 100mb connection because the CDN's aren't placed optimally for us.

Well I get what you are trying to say here. I myself have never been comfortable using a controller for FPS titles, I just can't aim with a thumbstick. But the thing is that I have always had a console and am perfectly fine with playing other style of games with a controller. I will still use my PC for online FPS like Apex legends and the likes.

What do you think of the performance of the console? What resolution do you play on? Those are the major concerns for me. I need to be able to get good framerates at 1080p. Also kindly answer the headset compatibility question I asked in the original post as well.

How many games can you fit on that internal SSD? What's the average size of a game?

Till 2019 I was a hardcore PC gamer( 2080Ti extreme+i9 9900K) with whole water cooled build then I got home due to the pandemic I am now stuck and my PC is somewhere in China collecting dust or probably dead or stolen by now. Due to the inflated prices I haven’t built or bought a gaming PC here so consoles were the logical choice so I bought a series X last year with game pass and a PS5 two months ago and I couldn’t be happier to be honest. Don’t buy a series S its severely underpowered and 1080p only machine if you dont have a 4k TV now then you might in the future so series X is a better choice all in all. Series S is digital only with 500GB storage which is going to cost you an arm and a leg to upgrade with series X you get around 3X more power and double the storage plus the option of buying a disk rather than relying on digital purchases from microsoft store. Hope this helps you in your decision the only reason I would buy a series S is as a secondary system downstairs in the living room and for something more compact and easy to carry in my bag when I am going to another city(I always carry my series X with me when I am out of town) other than that there’s no reason to buy it period

My situation is kind of different from yours because I will get a GPU as soon I think I can one for a reasonable price. With my current PC I can still play a lot of titles smoothly, It just needs a GPU upgrade. So the Xbox is going to be used alongside my PC. The PC is going nowhere.
As for the PS5 and Xbox Series X, well they are ridiculously priced and I am not willing to pay that much (I'd rather get a GPU for that much)

 

[iampasha]

Ex pc gamer and series S owner chiming in. I have mixed feelings. On the one hand when you couple it with a gamepass, its a great entryway for next gen games in cheap. However it is seriously underpowered for a next gen device. Last gen Xbox one X is outperforming it in some scenarios lol. Also keep in mind it doesn't have a Blu-ray disc player so cheap second hand physical games wont work, couple that with only 350 something gb of free space for games to work with.
The SSD is superfast and the controller feels great (aside from them using AA batteries that you need to replace)

So, to keep it short i would suggest the series S if:

You can get it for MSRP and not a penny more.

You don't care much about the eye candy high resolution gaming ( In some games series S drops even below 1080p to maintain 60fps)

You don't install more than 4 big AAA games at once

You are willing to purchase digital only media and/or have gamepass

 

[UzairAhmed]

I second what iampasha just said and for 120K(price of series X) you cannot get a decent GPU these days and it's a big if that prices will be normal next year so I think you're better off with a series X and if somehow things magically get better next year GPUs are around MSRP then just sell it off.

With a gaming PC there's no need for an Xbox to be honest as all MS games are available on PC I ditched the whole Xbox one series because I was playing MS and multiplatform games on PC and exclusives on PS4 then PS 4 Pro the rest is up to you

 

[hotgamerft]

Ex pc gamer and series S owner chiming in. I have mixed feelings. On the one hand when you couple it with a gamepass, its a great entryway for next gen games in cheap. However it is seriously underpowered for a next gen device. Last gen Xbox one X is outperforming it in some scenarios lol. Also keep in mind it doesn't have a Blu-ray disc player so cheap second hand physical games wont work, couple that with only 350 something gb of free space for games to work with.
The SSD is superfast and the controller feels great (aside from them using AA batteries that you need to replace)

So, to keep it short i would suggest the series S if:

You can get it for MSRP and not a penny more.

You don't care much about the eye candy high resolution gaming ( In some games series S drops even below 1080p to maintain 60fps)

You don't install more than 4 big AAA games at once

You are willing to purchase digital only media and/or have gamepass

Storage space won't be much of an issue since I usually play 1 or 2 games at a time. My major concern was performance and you post just cleared that confusion. The way you described it, it seems though it would struggle to maintain a constant 60fps at 1080p and games will only get more demanding therefore the performance will worsen as the time passes.

I second what iampasha just said and for 120K(price of series X) you cannot get a decent GPU these days and it's a big if that prices will be normal next year so I think you're better off with a series X and if somehow things magically get better next year GPUs are around MSRP then just sell it off.

With a gaming PC there's no need for an Xbox to be honest as all MS games are available on PC I ditched the whole Xbox one series because I was playing MS and multiplatform games on PC and exclusives on PS4 then PS 4 Pro the rest is up to you

I think i will skip the Xbox Series S, i won't be buying the X either since i was only getting an xbox due to the lower price. I will try to get a hold of a 3070 or a 3060ti at an acceptable price. A friend of mine got a 3060ti from Canada for 105k PKR a couple of months ago.

 

[UzairAhmed]

Yeah that's the best thing actually if you can get it for MSRP then buy it without thinking twice 3070 is a good card indeed so is 3060ti they are both better than what ps5 and series X can offer and with a gaming PC you don't need an Xbox period.

I on the other hand don't really miss the PC because of the Xbox so it's a good middle ground if you don't have a pc or getting a PC at a later date but in your case the price of a proper GPU could be the price of the Xbox so it's better to try to get that GPU

 

[UzairAhmed]

Again if you change your mind and want to get Xbox again then just get the series X don't waste money on S

 

[Chandoo]

I can only offer my own opinion. Buying a console with a disc drive is a huge plus for me, so I wouldn't consider Series S or PS5 DE just because of that.

Gaming is not a cheap hobby, so I try my best to mitigate costs where possible by buying cheap/used and reselling if I know it's a game I won't be replaying.

 

[SolitarySoldier]

I game at 1080p, I don't own a 4k monitor and/or a tv and don't plan on getting one in the near future. PS5 and Xbox Series X are out of the question because I am not willing to spend that much on a console that I wouldn't even be using to its full potential (because of the resolution I play at).

So what do guys say? Xbox Series S with xbox gamepass. Yes or a no go?

From my perspective, it is an easy yes. If you don't plan on having a 1080p+ display in the near future, you can have a Series S until then. When you plan to upgrade your display and GPU, you can sell your Series S. Meanwhile, you can play the latest games via Game Pass or Xbox digital store. It is worth it for Game Pass alone if you aren't a graphics/technical freak, as you'll be able to play some of the biggest existing and upcoming games.

I got my Series S for the same purpose and I couldn't be more satisfied. Since graphics aren't a major concern for me (not that games look bad on Series S; they certainly look a lot better than last-gen), the only issue I face is that I've to keep removing and downloading games due to the limited storage. But it's not a deal-breaker. Likewise, the lack of a disc drive is not an issue for me because I bought a Series S specifically for Game Pass and I haven't purchased a single game outside of that (nor do I plan to).

I've primarily been a PlayStation gamer and I'll eventually settle with a PS5 in a year or two but until then, I decided to opt for an easy entry into the current-gen with a Series S and Game Pass.

 

[hotgamerft]

Yeah that's the best thing actually if you can get it for MSRP then buy it without thinking twice 3070 is a good card indeed so is 3060ti they are both better than what ps5 and series X can offer and with a gaming PC you don't need an Xbox period.

I on the other hand don't really miss the PC because of the Xbox so it's a good middle ground if you don't have a pc or getting a PC at a later date but in your case the price of a proper GPU could be the price of the Xbox so it's better to try to get that GPU

I can only offer my own opinion. Buying a console with a disc drive is a huge plus for me, so I wouldn't consider Series S or PS5 DE just because of that.

Gaming is not a cheap hobby, so I try my best to mitigate costs where possible by buying cheap/used and reselling if I know it's a game I won't be replaying.

I did not plan to purchase any game for the Series S and instead wanted to just get it with gamepass. I still have my PC so I will be able to play most of the games there as well. I get what you are trying to say about the physical discs of games. I still own a PS4 and mostly did the same as you stated i.e. bought games played them and then sold them off but it does not apply in this case because I won't be buying any games. My major concern was performance and so far I am confused by the existing suggestions.

From my perspective, it is an easy yes. If you don't plan on having a 1080p+ display in the near future, you can have a Series S until then. When you plan to upgrade your display and GPU, you can sell your Series S. Meanwhile, you can play the latest games via Game Pass or Xbox digital store. It is worth it for Game Pass alone if you aren't a graphics/technical freak, as you'll be able to play some of the biggest existing and upcoming games.

I got my Series S for the same purpose and I couldn't be more satisfied. Since graphics aren't a major concern for me (not that games look bad on Series S; they certainly look a lot better than last-gen), the only issue I face is that I've to keep removing and downloading games due to the limited storage. But it's not a deal-breaker. Likewise, the lack of a disc drive is not an issue for me because I bought a Series S specifically for Game Pass and I haven't purchased a single game outside of that (nor do I plan to).

I've primarily been a PlayStation gamer and I'll eventually settle with a PS5 in a year or two but until then, I decided to opt for an easy entry into the current-gen with a Series S and Game Pass.

What about the performance at 1080p? Do you feel it being sluggish? What games have you played so far on the Series S.

Also plz answer my question about headphone compatibility in the first post as well.

 

[UzairAhmed]

The games don't feel sluggish on series s they lack the fidelity as there are compromises in graphics and resolution to achieve 60 FPS..... playing games on PS4/pro and Xbox one/x can be described as a sluggish 30 FPS experience but series s is going to be better than that