Gaming & Consoles
Microsoft Xbox Series S Review: The Budget Way Into Current-Gen Xbox
- Brand:
- Microsoft
- Ages:
- 13+ years
- Updated:
- 2026-07-03
The verdict
The Series S is a smart, honest budget console for anyone who plays on a smaller screen or doesn't chase 4K, and Game Pass makes the value case even stronger — just go in accepting it's a compromised little sibling, not a cut-price Series X.
Pros
- By far the cheapest way into current-generation Xbox hardware and full Xbox Game Pass compatibility
- Small, quiet, and light enough to fit in tight entertainment centers where a Series X or PS5 won't
- Same CPU generation as the Series X, so load times and game logic run close to its bigger sibling
- All-digital design keeps the up-front price down for anyone already comfortable buying games digitally
Cons
- 1440p-focused output means a genuine step down in visual fidelity from the Series X, not just a smaller box
- 512GB base storage fills up quickly with modern install sizes, and Storage Expansion Cards are expensive per gigabyte
- No disc drive at all, so used and physical game buying is off the table entirely
- Some cross-gen games ship with visibly reduced settings or resolution specifically because of the Series S, a recurring developer complaint
This review is based on Microsoft's published Series S specifications and the consistent pattern in independent benchmarking and cross-gen game comparisons since launch, weighed against the pricier Series X it sits alongside.
What you're actually trading away
The Series S uses the same 8-core Zen 2 CPU family as the Series X but a considerably less powerful GPU and only 10GB of RAM, targeting 1440p rather than native 4K. In practice that means lower resolution, sometimes reduced texture quality, and occasionally cut-back settings in graphically demanding games — a real, visible difference on a large 4K TV. The 512GB SSD is also the tightest storage of any current-gen console, and expanding it means buying Microsoft's proprietary, pricey Storage Expansion Cards.
Where it shines: Game Pass and price
For anyone who plays mostly on a smaller TV or monitor, or subscribes to Xbox Game Pass, the Series S is hard to argue with. It runs the same Game Pass library as the Series X, loads nearly as fast thanks to the shared CPU and SSD architecture, and costs meaningfully less than every other current-gen console — often the console Microsoft discounts hardest around sales events.
Who it's for
Best for a secondary bedroom or dorm-room setup, a first console for a younger gamer, or anyone building a Game Pass library who doesn't own a 4K display. Skip it if you already have a big 4K TV or care about squeezing maximum visual fidelity out of current games — that's what the Series X and PS5 exist for.
Frequently asked
- Can the Series S play the same games as the Series X?
- Yes — nearly the entire Xbox library, including Game Pass titles, is available on both consoles. The difference is resolution and settings, not game availability.
- Does the Xbox Series S have a disc drive?
- No, it's an all-digital console with no disc drive option, so all games and media must be purchased or streamed digitally.
- How much storage does the Series S have?
- 512GB, with roughly 364GB usable after the OS. Expansion requires Microsoft's proprietary Storage Expansion Card, which costs significantly more per gigabyte than external drives on other consoles.
- Is the Xbox Series S worth buying?
- Yes, if budget and size matter more than chasing native 4K — it's the cheapest real way into current-gen Xbox and Game Pass. If you own a serious 4K TV, the Series X or PS5 will show a visible difference the Series S can't match.
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