Xbox Series S

Product Information

More third-party and first-party exclusives have since arrived like The Medium and Microsoft Flight Simulator, but Microsoft's first-party output is slowly catching up. Halo Infinite, Forza Horizon 5, Psychonauts 2, Grounded, and As Dusk Falls are all now available. If you're using a 1080p TV, the Xbox Series S uses a technique called supersampling to create better-looking images, even on less-capable displays. Supersampling is a complex process, but the basic idea is that the game is rendered at a higher resolution, and then the console downscales the image to match the output of your TV.

It's important to note that while the Xbox Series S only outputs at 1440p resolution when you're gaming, the console is capable of displaying streaming apps in 4K HDR. That means the likes of Netflix, Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus will output in 4K if you're using a compatible display.Coming from the Xbox One Controller, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the Xbox Wireless Controller for Series X/S isn't that different. However, it's now more comfortable and easier to use than ever before, due to subtle changes in the controller's ergonomics. With comparative price points and similarly sleek designs, the Xbox Series S and Xbox One S are easily mistaken at a glance. Delve deeper, though, and the power gap between Microsoft’s two cheap consoles becomes abundantly clear. With a 12 teraflop GPU capable of up to 120 frames per second, the Xbox Series X is twice as powerful as the Xbox One X, Microsoft’s former flagship console for the last generation. It supports various exciting new-gen features such as ray tracing, variable rate shading, and support for 8K resolution. You can enjoy all of this with the Series S, and there’s a real feeling that this is how the console was always intended to be used. After all, with no disc drive, Xbox Game Pass and the Microsoft Store are your only sources of new games. But here there’s just one problem, and it’s the Series S’s biggest: the amount of onboard storage is just tiny. The big question, of course, is the performance within games, and having had a few months to work with the Series S I’m more than happy. Naturally, there are compromises: you can forget about 4K gaming and I’ve only seen a few titles that run at 1440p. 1080p is a more realistic target for most, though some will go higher at a frame rate of 30fps. Yet big Xbox Series X/S exclusives or enhanced titles look fantastic on the Series S, and – to my surprise – still look and feel like a step on from games on the One X.

It's worth noting that the Xbox Series S can render some games in native 4K if a developer chooses to enable that option. Just be aware it's done on a game-by-game basis, and isn't something you’re going to see on every game on the system. Unless you're on a particularly strict budget, it's hard to recommend the Xbox One S in 2023 when the Xbox Series S is at a relatively affordable price already. In addition, since Microsoft discontinued production of the last-gen machine two years ago, the Xbox Series S has become easier to find and is in much better supply compared to the Xbox One S. Are Xbox Series S and Xbox One S the same? Xbox: Online console multiplayer/co-op requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Core (memberships sold separately). Cross-Generation gameplay may be limited to certain modes and features. Windows 10/11 PC: Performance scales with higher-end systems. WARNING: Some people may experience a seizure when exposed to flashing lights or patterns in video games ( xbox.com/xboxone/healthandsafety). There's a lot of information on display at once, and it's fair to say there's a small learning curve when it comes to figuring out how to navigate the UI effectively. The downside to the new consoles having the same user interface as the One series is that the Xbox Series S doesn't feel any different right away. It doesn't feel that new, even if navigating the dashboard feels snappier than before thanks to the extra power underneath the hood. Smyths Toys UK Limited acts as a credit intermediary and not a lender. Smyths Toys UK Limited offers credit products provided exclusively by Klarna Bank AB (publ).Use with digital games only; console does not play physical discs. 120 FPS: Requires supported content and display; use on Xbox Series S as content becomes available. Xbox Game Pass: Game catalogue varies over time (xbox.com/gamepass). Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription and supported game; may require supported Bluetooth controller (all sold separately). Select regions and devices. Streaming limitations apply, server availability and wait times may vary. Requires internet, ISP fees apply. xbox.com/cloudgaming New application with Klarna, including credit assessment, contract, terms and pricing apply. See Klarna Credit Agreement for terms and conditions. For ports, you’ll find an HDMI 2.1 output, two USB 3.2 ports, an Ethernet port, a storage expansion slot, and an AC input.Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Xbox Series S doesn't have a port for Kinect, Microsoft's now-defunct motion-sensing camera, or a HDMI input for cable boxes. However, that the Xbox Series S only ships with a High-Speed HDMI cable, not an Ultra High-Speed HDMI cable. While the hardware powering the Xbox Series S is brand-new, the Xbox Series S design is reminiscent of the now-discontinued Xbox One S All-Digital Edition.

Creating the smallest Xbox ever is not just a space-saving strategy but also allows for better airflow and cooling process, making Xbox Series S incredibly resistant to overheating. Klarna Bank AB (publ) is authorised by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (Finansinspektionen) and subject to limited regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. Details about the extent of this regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority are available from Klarna Bank AB (publ) on request. The upshot here is that the console can utilize HDR (high dynamic range), which enables a wider color palette, higher peak brightness, and better contrast levels. Skies look bluer, the grass looks greener and colors pop in every scene. If you haven't had the opportunity to game in HDR yet, you're in for a treat. Most folks though, we expect, will be pairing the Xbox Series S with a 4K HDR TV – potentially one with a 120Hz native refresh rate, although the majority of displays sold over the last few years are likely to only support 60Hz at 4K and 1440p.If you do have a capable display, here's how to enable 120Hz on Xbox Series S.Compatibility depends on device and operating system version. Experiences may vary. Go to Xbox Wireless Controller functionality for more information. The availability and sale of Xbox Series S is subject to required regulatory approval(s) in your jurisdiction. By the time you've installed four or five games, you'll need to start thinking about what to uninstall, which is never a fun experience. While Microsoft claims that games on Xbox Series S will be up to 30% smaller due to not having 4K texture files, this won’t stop the system's internal drive from rapidly filling up. The Xbox One S only has one real advantage over Microsoft’s newer model: the 4K HD Blu-Ray drive. If you’re looking for a cheap 4K Blu-Ray player that also allows you to stream Netflix and play games, the One S is a great choice. Up to 120 FPS: Requires supported content and display. Use on Xbox Series S as content becomes available. The end result is a noticeable boost in image clarity and anti-aliasing (the removal of jaggies and pixelated edges) and means that gamers who aren't using a 4K or 1440p -capable screen will still benefit from improved image quality from the Xbox Series S.

Of course, they’ll have to do so on a device that’s significantly less powerful. The Series S has the same eight-core AMD Zen 2 CPU as the Series X, but it runs at a 200MHz deficit. It also has 10GB of GDDR6 RAM against the Series X’s 16GB. Where the Series X has a 12 teraflop GPU running at 1.825GHz, the Series S has a weedy-sounding 4 teraflop GPU running at just 1.55Ghz. That GPU has just 20 RDNA2 compute units, too, where the Series X GPU has 52. Here’s what you need to know: both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S can play exactly the same games, although they’ll undoubtedly look best on Xbox Series X.The compromises we’ve usually seen on Xbox Series S mainly focus on the resolution drop to 1440p from 4K, and likely more minor changes that probably won’t be as noticeable. Use with digital games only; console does not play physical discs. Use on Xbox Series S as content becomes available. 120 FPS: Requires supported content and display; use on Xbox Series S as content becomes available. 4K streaming: with select apps, see Xbox.com. Some apps require app provider-specific subscriptions and/or other requirements. Xbox Game Pass: Game catalog varies over time. Visit Xbox Game Pass for details. Halo Infinite: coming soon.Xbox Series X vs Xbox Series S - Frequently Asked Questions Is the Xbox Series X better than the Xbox Series S? If you are fortunate enough to have a display that's compliant with HDMI 2.1, you can enable 120fps at 1440p without having to drop down to 1080p resolution. To enable 120fps, simply pop into the console's audio and visual settings, where you can choose from various frame rate and resolution options. Its GPU, while not as powerful as the one in the Xbox Series X, can upscale games to 4K (in a similar way to the Xbox One S) and still run games at 120fps at 1440p, but you'll need a HDMI 2.1-compliant TV if you want to keep the resolution at 1440p. It's also capable of ray tracing, and loads games faster than ever, thanks to Microsoft's Xbox Velocity Architecture. Compatibility depends on device and operating system version. Experiences may vary. Go to Xbox Wireless Controller functionality for more information. The availability and sale of Xbox Series S is subject to required regulatory approval(s) in your jurisdiction.