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. One important thing to note is that there’s no disk drive on the Xbox Series S, and you’ll only have 512GB of storage to play with. Unlike the One S, though, it comes with a super-fast NVMe SSD instead of an achingly slow mechanical hard drive, and it can be expanded with the 1TB Storage Expansion Card from Seagate. And while an expensive extra, Seagate's card should give you peace of mind when it comes to storage. Plus, it gets discounted at various online retailers with surprising frequency. If storage is one of your primary concerns when shopping for a new console, the Xbox Series X may be a safer option. While the Series S still hosts a wealthy 512GB memory, which drops to around the 300GB mark once you factor in system software. The Xbox Series X offers slightly more with its initial 1TB storage, falling to the 800GB mark with system software considered. Then, of course, there’s always the option to add an SSD or an external hard drive to your console to boost the storage. 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.

Xbox Game Pass: sold separately; game catalogue varies over time. See xbox.com/gamepass and https://www.ea.com/ea-play/terms and https://www.ea.com/ea-play for details. 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. That might sound like a big compromise on paper, but remember the Xbox Series S is targeting 1440p/60fps instead of 4K/60fps. This means it needs less power to reach its pixel count, but it can still deliver all the new-gen features Microsoft is focusing on like ray tracing and 120fps. The Xbox Series S is equipped with AMD’s Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures, DirectX ray tracing delivers true-to-life lighting, shadows and accurate reflections to create dynamic, living worlds. Your games not only look better and play better, they also sound better! With the next evolution in audio technology, 3D Spatial Sound creates immersive audio experiences for your games. Can I play Previous Xbox Games on Xbox Series S?

How it works*

The Xbox Series S might be tiny, but there’s a lot of power inside. The console targets a resolution of 1440p instead of native 4K (though some titles can output at a full 4K), and is capable of 120fps gaming. Though its GPU is considerably less powerful than the Xbox Series X's, it boasts an almost identical CPU and 10GB of GDDR6 RAM. That’s less than the 16GB the Xbox Series X, but it’s considerably more than the Xbox One S, which only has 8GB of GDDR3. 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).

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. The Xbox One S might look similar, then, but it's technologically inferior to the Xbox Series S. It's a great option if you want to play Xbox exclusives that you missed out on like Gears 5 or Forza Horizon 4, or simply want to give Xbox Game Pass a whirl, but if you're after a more futureproofed console, you'll want the 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. If you’re used to the dashboard UI of the old One S or One X, you’ll find no surprises with the Series S, as it’s now the same across all of Microsoft’s consoles. Where it differs, though, is in the performance. The combination of the faster CPU, high-speed RAM, an SSD and the whole Velocity Architecture makes the Series S feel significantly faster. 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

For Xbox One owners looking to upgrade without breaking the bank, the Xbox Series S is a great option, if you can accept what it's been designed to achieve. If you've already got the Xbox One X and a 4K display at home, however, we suggest considering the Xbox Series X instead. Read on for our full Xbox Series S review. But do you actually need a 4K TV? And furthermore, do you need one that supports HDMI 2.1 for its 120Hz refresh rate? Let’s walk through all the scenarios. 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 Xbox Series S is 60% smaller than the Xbox Series X saving owners a lot of space without sacrificing user experience.How on Earth can it play the same games then? Well, where the Series X is designed to play them at native 4K resolutions at 60 to 120fps, the Series S targets a maximum 1440p at 60fps. And in the real world, rather than the world of console specs, that often means 1080p at 60fps or even 1080p at 30fps. If you’re a paid-up member of the benchmark-obsessed PC gaming massive you’ll regard this as the stuff of nightmares, but if games look great and play well at 1080p on Series S, does it really matter? Xbox Series S review: Price and competition 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.

Xbox Series X vs Xbox Series S - Frequently Asked Questions Is the Xbox Series X better than the Xbox Series S?The number of games that can be suspended varies – we had as many as eight in rotation at one point – and it won't work with every title, especially those with ever-changing online worlds, like Sea of Thieves. It's a handy, time-saving feature that's only possible thanks to the console's SSD, and game states are preserved even if the console is completely powered down.