Thinking about buying an Xbox Series S, but you have doubts because you’re not sure what this console really has to offer, what its life cycle will be, or even its possible phasing out by some developers. You might also be thinking that it’s worth paying more for the Xbox Series X because it’s more powerful, but is it really worth buying the Xbox Series S in 2023?

I think this is a very interesting question and we will find out in this article. checking the six keys that tell us yes that the mentioned console is a very interesting option and that it is a good time to buy it. Each of these keys will be properly justified on a technical level, so if you have any questions about any of them, feel free to post them in the comments and I’ll be happy to help you out.

Before I get down to business, I think it’s necessary to explain exactly what the Xbox Series S is and what position it occupies in the market. it’s about current generation consoles that, on a technical level it is significantly above Xbox One and PS4, and it is also much more powerful than both consoles.

Generally speaking, it has all the advances that have defined the new generation of consoles launched in 2020 and therefore offers all the key features that we can find in PS5 and Xbox Series X. The only difference between them is that It has less brute force.

Why is it worth buying Xbox Series S in 2023?

1.-It is a technically advanced console

Yes, it is true that the Xbox Series S is less powerful than the Xbox Series X and that, if we limit ourselves to talking about the GPU, the former is also behind the Xbox One X, as it reaches 4 TFLOPs and the latter reaches 6 TFLOPs. However, This is just another fact to consider, and by itself it doesn’t define what Microsoft’s little console can offer.

When you buy an Xbox Series S, you get a console that it has all the keys that define a new generation:

• It has a custom Zen 2 processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, the same architecture and configuration as the Xbox Series X.
• It has a unified GDDR6 memory architecture with a total capacity of 10 GB.
• It has a GPU based on the RDNA2 architecture and equipped with 1,280 shaders. It can accelerate hardware ray tracing and offers full DirectX 12.1 support.
• As a storage unit, it has an NVMe PCIe SSD with a speed of 2.4 GB/s.

The Xbox Series S GPU may be slightly less powerful than the Xbox One X, but the former has a much higher CPU and therefore does not suffer from any bottleneck in this sense. It is a more balanced system, supports new generation technologies and APIsand has a high-performance SSD that minimize loading times in gamesand improves performance when using the latest generation graphics engines, which makes it possible to eliminate classic problems with stuttering, cracking and slow loading of textures and graphic elements.

Graphics performance matters, but it’s not everything, and the Xbox Series S offers such a good gaming experience for us to enjoy titles as demanding as Cyberpunk 2077 while maintaining a stable 60 FPS in dynamic 1080pwhile maintaining a good level of graphic quality and a more than acceptable density of NPCs.

2.-It has a very reasonable price

And with time running out, this represents a very important advantage. The suggested retail price of this console is still set at 299.99 euros, but its price has fluctuated a lot in recent months and recently it was possible to buy an Xbox Series S for just 239.99 euros. For the price, this console was practically a gift.

If we want to buy Xbox Series X, we will have to pay €499.99That’s double what the Xbox Series S cost on more than one occasion. This enormous price difference that exists between the two is key because it gives the small Microsoft its own space and because it positions it as a really interesting option for those who want to enjoy the experience typical of the new generation of consoles, but with a very tight investment.

Clearly, if you buy an Xbox Series X you will have higher performanceand that this console is able to offer a more solid experience in high resolutions, but not everyone can afford to pay almost 500 euros for a console and with the Xbox Series S you will have a very similar experience at your fingertips for half the price

Buying Xbox Series S will allow us to enjoy, as we said before, all the values ​​that defined the new generation of consoles, but with a very limited investment. You won’t have to break the bank to buy it and you can rest easy because it’s a good investment because it’s a balanced console that won’t depreciate quickly. We can buy it right now €271.58.

3.-It offers great value for what it costs

Metro Exodus EE ray traced on Xbox Series S. Courtesy of Digital Foundry.

And this is clearly visible in an important detail which it is not possible to build a computer with a similar level of performance and functionality to those offered by the Xbox Series S with a budget of 299 euros, much less with one of 239 euros (the minimum price for which said console can be purchased.

Buying an Xbox Series S will allow us to do that play previous and current generation titles in 1080p or 1440p resolutiondepending on the requirements of each title, with a good level of graphic quality and a speed between 30 and 60 FPS, depending on the mode we choose in the configuration options.

There are titles that prioritize the graphics quality and resolution but run at 30 FPS, and others that lower the resolution and sometimes the graphics quality to run at 60 FPS. We can also find games for Xbox Series S that use hardware accelerated ray tracingsomething that wouldn’t be possible on the Xbox One X.

The SSD that the Xbox Series S uses also makes a significant difference as it significantly reduces load times (They range from more than a minute to a few seconds), and has a positive impact on the performance of games that require continuous streaming of assets, such as Cyberpunk 2077 or Dying Light 2, to name two well-known examples.

The value that the Xbox Series S offers in terms of performance and technical options is unquestionable, but we must not forget that this console also gives us access to Game Passservice available to us a huge number of games for only 9.99 euros per month.

I want to end this point with another important detail, and that is Xbox Series S likely price growing in the short or medium term. I’m not talking without reason, Microsoft has already confirmed the price increase of Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X in Japan, and we can’t rule out that it will eventually be applied in other countries, including Spain. If you’re planning to buy one, you shouldn’t wait too long because you might end up with a price hike.

4.-It has the same catalog of games as the Xbox Series X

It is another of the most important aspects that we have to take into account. Microsoft doesn’t allow developers to marginalize the Xbox Series S, which means that any games that come to the Xbox Series X must also be available in a version for its little sister. If this is not met, the game will not be greenlit and will not be able to complete its launch.

It is no accident that Microsoft has adopted this policy and It’s a guarantee for those who decide to buy the Xbox Series S. It is a fact that some developers have criticized the hardware configuration of this console, specifically the amount of unified memory that it connects (10 GB compared to 16 GB for the Xbox Series X), saying that it makes it difficult to program games.

There is no doubt that these developers they would be willing to give up the Xbox Series S version and is limited to creating games for Xbox Series X and PS5. Of course, this would greatly affect the actual value of little Microsoft.

Fortunately for users, Microsoft does not allow this, both now and in the future both consoles will have the same catalog of games. The only differences between them will be the resolution, image quality and ray tracing support, which is suppressed in some Xbox Series S games due to lower consumption.

There will be no differences in the available services either for one console and another, not even in peripherals, so you can be sure that buying an Xbox Series S will allow you to enjoy an experience very similar to what you would have with an Xbox Series X.

5.-It will not be abandoned prematurely

One of the things that most worries those who hesitate to buy the Xbox Series S is this very point, which is that they believe that due to its lower power, it could end up being abandoned soon, ie. they think it will have a shorter lifespan than the Xbox Series X. I can confirm that this will not be the case, the console will continue to receive the same support as its older sister and will have the same games.

It’s clear that both will age in different ways, because ultimately it’s undeniable that the Xbox Series X is more powerful than the Xbox Series S, but This will continue to be the basis for game development for the current generation of consoles.and all cross-platform titles will be optimized to run properly on them.

It should be noted that for Microsoft to shelve the Xbox Series S before the end of the Xbox Series X’s lifecycle would be shooting itself in the foot because the first of which was a complete sales success and would therefore disappoint confidence which millions of people around the world have saved on their console. In fact, it would be a very serious mistake and it would create a bad image, and that is the last thing the Redmond giant needs.

With all of this in mind, it’s clear that you can rest easy if you decide to buy the Xbox Series S, that you’re making a good investment and you can easily turn it into a profit and enjoy it for many years. I can’t give you a specific number, but this generation has at least 6 or 7 years left to live.

6.-It is small, quiet and powerful

According to Microsoft itself, the Xbox Series X has an average consumption when we play 153 watts, while the Xbox Series S moves in the band 73 wattsalthough these values ​​can vary up and down depending on the game used. These numbers confirm that the Xbox Series S consumes half as much as the Xbox Series X and is also much smaller, making it easier to integrate into different spaces.

This lower power consumption has another positive side, which is the heat generated is less and therefore the cooling needs of the Xbox Series S are much more modest when compared to its older sister, which allows the fan to work at a quieter pace and that the noise level generated is much lower. Yes, this console is quieter and you will notice it from the first moment.

It is also a very powerful console, as it is able to run demanding games with the configurations we mentioned, while maintaining an average consumption below 75 watts. Getting to that level of efficiency with a PC would be impossible now, because only by fitting a graphics card whose performance is similar to the Xbox Series S GPU (the closest would be the Radeon RX 6400), we would already be in the 50 watt range and we would have to add the consumption of the rest of the components (CPU, RAM, storage, etc.).

Smaller size, more efficient operation and lower noise level will show better user experience, and in lower cost of ownership, because this lower consumption will reduce our electricity bill month after month, and we will have a small savings year after year that we can spend on other things. Depending on how we use the console and our rate, the difference can range from a few euros to more than 20 euros per year.