The Xbox Series S was recently revealed as a much cheaper alternative to the Xbox Series X. Priced at only $299, which is significantly less than the Series X’s price of $499, the more compact console is an attractive option for those who can’t or don’t want to pay the full price for the standard next-gen Xbox console. Both consoles will be releasing on November 10th, but shoppers can pre-order them starting on September 22nd.
Granted, in addition to being sixty percent smaller than the Xbox Series X, players will be sacrificing processing power and storage for the Xbox Series S' cheaper price tag. As such, players may have to spend more on external storage or gaming subscriptions in the long run. But the less-pricey initial expense of the Series S definitely makes it appealing.
One of the most controversial aspects of the Xbox Series S console, however, is its unique design. The Series S features a large black fan grill directly in the center, a first of its kind in comparison to previous generations. The console has garnered mixed reactions online, drawing hilarious comparisons to everything from washer machines, intercom systems, and even vintage speakers. But this begs the question as to what purpose, if any, the fan's central location is to the console, other than giving it a bold aesthetic appearance and obviously assisting with heat distribution.
Why Xbox Series S Looks Like That
Microsoft hasn’t specifically given a reason for the Xbox Series S’s design, despite the controversy it’s stirred. The Series X features a completely different aesthetic, with a large exhaust fan at the top of its tower design, while the Series S features its ventilation port cutout over the processor. So, even though both consoles look quite different, they both share the same equally-large fan, which is a radical design choice compared to earlier predecessors. It appears Microsoft wanted to do something bold for its next-gen design, and assuming that was their goal, it’s certainly worked.
Despite sharing a similarly large exhaust, the cooling systems appear to work much differently in the Series X and Series S. Microsoft previously confirmed their dedication to creating a next-gen console that matches the same noise levels as the Xbox One X, which is impressively quiet. This was a challenge due to the more powerful components of the Xbox Series X compared to earlier generations. But a bottom intake cooling system is advantageous for this. Thanks to natural convection, an upright top exhaust typically allows for a quieter, slower speed fan, explaining the Series X’s unique tower design.
The Series S features different completely hardware than the Series X, making it a much less powerful console. But this means noise levels are easier to control, so Microsoft didn’t necessarily need to use an upright top exhaust to achieve the same level of cooling as the Xbox’s earlier model, thus allowing them to incorporate the circular cut-out grille. "Assuming that the fan exhausts, it certainly seems to use much less of a chimney effect because the case is much slimmer, so it probably relies much more on forced convection rather than natural convection,” Noctua's Jakob Dellinger explained to PC Gamer. “Even if the fan exhausts to the top, fresh air needs to be drawn in from the sides rather than from the bottom, so the fan will have to do all the work."
The Xbox Series S’s bold design is unlike anything ever done before, and though it remains unclear if it serves any specific advantage besides cooling and heat distribution or is simply a matter of aesthetics, its unique look and low price point have certainly stolen the stage.
Source: PC Gamer