With rumors surrounding a PS5 Pro and new Xbox Series S and X in what's being called generation 9.5, game aficionados are waiting with bated breath to see what the two companies have in store. By the end of 2020, the world officially entered the ninth generation of gaming when SONY released the PlayStation 5 and Microsoft launched the Xbox Series X and S. While PlayStation dominated Xbox in the seventh and eighth generations, Xbox has held its own pretty well in this new generation, in big part thanks to their new Series S console.
The Xbox S is the slightly less powerful, smaller, and all-digital counterpart to Microsoft's new Xbox X. However, it's also become a huge hit and is selling incredibly well. The Xbox S has become the unexpected hero of gaming's ninth-generation and here's why.
It's Cheap
In general, the Xbox S can be found for $299.99, and can sometimes even be found on sale for as low as $250. This makes the Xbox S the cheapest next-gen console available and puts it at the same price point as the Nintendo Switch.
Despite being the same price, however, the Xbox S is massively more powerful, coming complete with next-gen features like ray tracing, quick resume, and a 120 Hz refresh rate.
It's In Stock
After a full year of supply issues, chip shortages, and more, the gaming climate is finally starting to get better, with consoles being found more readily in stock. However, The PS5 is still annoyingly hard to find and requires searching websites numerous times a day to hopefully be online the second a new shipment comes in.
Even the Xbox X still regularly sells out in stores across the United States. This means the Xbox S is the easiest and fastest way for gamers to actually enter the ninth generation since it's easier to find than other consoles.
It's Perfect For Travelers
One of the biggest advantages of the Xbox S is its size and weight. While the Xbox X weighs 9.8 lbs, the S is only 4.25 lbs. This means the S is literally half the weight of the X. Plus, the X is a thick machine, with a width of 15.1 cm, whereas the S is only 6.5 cm.
Its smaller size and lighter weight make it perfect for anyone who travels a lot or who finds themselves moving around often. Though certainly less travel-friendly than the Switch, it's the most travel-friendly next-gen console out there.
Games You Can't Get on Nintendo
Thanks to its cheaper price and smaller size, many often compare the Xbox S to the Nintendo Switch. However, the S offers so much more than the Switch can, with its games library being the most noticeable. Naturally, the S gets all the Xbox-exclusive games that no other console does, like Halo and Gears of War.
On top of that, it can support numerous third-party titles that the Switch simply isn't powerful enough to handle. Players will certainly notice that games like Borderlands 3, Call of Duty, and Red Dead Redemption have never been made available on the Switch. The S is a great (and cheaper) way to play expansive and visually stunning games.
Game Pass
The Xbox S has been called the "Game Pass Machine," with many reviewers saying it's the perfect way for players to utilize Xbox's Game Pass subscription.
The Xbox S is a fully-digital console, meaning gamers don't need to buy physical disks. They can either purchase games digitally or subscribe to Xbox's Game Pass, which provides over 100 rotating titles, allowing players to pay a low monthly price (starting at $9.99 a month) to get unlimited access to a huge library of games. From Halo Infinite to Back 4 Blood, Game Pass on the Xbox S is the perfect way for players to have access to tons of titles at a great price.
It's A Great Secondary Console
Thanks to its cheaper price, many gamers have discovered that the Xbox S is a fantastic secondary console. Lots of players actually own more than one console, and the S's price and impressive performance abilities have helped sustain strong sales numbers.
Tons of gamers who are mainly Nintendo or PlayStation fans have come to love having the option to play Halo and Sea of Thieves with their friends without breaking the bank.
Xbox's Backward Compatibility
Xbox has done a great job of ensuring that older games and last-gen accessories remain alive and well. On the Xbox digital store, players can download not only new X/S optimized games, but also games from the Xbox One, the 360, and even games from the original Xbox console.
On top of that, Microsoft made all of the Xbox One's accessories compatible with the X/S, so anyone who purchases an S can still use their favorite controllers and microphones without any problem. This has helped gamers feel like the S has an added value, as they can keep playing the games they love with accessories they already own.
It's Aesthetically Pleasing
The Xbox X has been called "The Mini Fridge" and the PS5 is a noticeable and eye-grabbing piece of hardware that can't easily fit in with a room's decor, thanks to its space-age design. The Xbox S, however, has a subtle, classic, and sleek design that's made many players and critics fall in love with it.
A review by The Verge even stated "Unlike the larger Series X, I think the Xbox Series S looks great in both orientations...it feels like it has been designed to fit a normal person’s living room, rather than taking it over like the PS5 and Xbox Series X do."
Most Gamers Don't Care About What's Lacking
Hardcore gamers tend to bash the Xbox S, citing that the Xbox X and PS 5 have better framerates and higher resolutions. But the reality is that, for many gamers, those kinds of features don't matter much.
For anyone without a 4K TV, the S's lack of native 4K means nothing, and for a lot of casual gamers, the term "native 4K" doesn't mean anything anyway, nor does teraflops or high dynamic range. The fact is, for the everyday player, the Xbox X and PS5 have lots of features that simply don't mean much.
It's The Perfect Casual Gamer's Machine
Though not as powerful as the Xbox X, the Xbox S is still very powerful, making it a true ninth-gen console. On top of its great performance, it's also cheaper than the other consoles. This combo has led many casual gamers to choose the Xbox S, because, for the needs of normal players who aren't in competitive play, or who are using it for games like Stardew Valley and Minecraft, the differences between the X and S are virtually unnoticeable.
Many have realized that, though the S isn't the most powerful, it's plenty powerful enough, and at a great cost. The Xbox S has proven to be the console of choice for many gamers around the world.