Customer Ratings & Reviews

perfect for 1080p couch gaming. Small compact and an excellent system for any non-4k display. This is the one you want if that's the case.

How does microsoft's entry level offering into the next gen realm stack up and is it worth it? Since I currently own all three of the xbox one x, series s and series x (seriously microsoft can you get any lazier with the naming?) I thought I would take a second to give my two cents on the series s console as it compares and relates to its xbox brethren. So first off what exactly is the Xbox Series S and where does it fit into the rest of the Xbox family? The Series S is one of microsoft's two new next gen (current gen by now?) consoles as it looks to phase out the older Xbox One models. Its serves as the entry level next gen console sorta like the little brother to the much more powerful, flagship Series X console. Basically an all digital, disc free upgrade to the older Xbox One family. It brings advancements such as ray tracing, 3d audio, nvme ssd and faster gpu at the cost of storage and performance. In all honesty, the little brother doesn't really play in the same league as its bigger brother so its actually much more logical to compare it to the One X since both price and performance falls into a much closer spectrum to see if its worth upgrading for you. PROS:- The new Xbox Series S brings a host of advancements over the previous console cycle. Primarily and most obviously noticeable is that it is faster. Like, much faster. In fact that is the first thing everyone that has used mine says within the first 5 minutes. The new console clocks in with a GPU that is 393Mhz faster than a One X as well as a CPU that is roughly 1.5x faster. Add to that advanced NVME SSD and load times are drastically cut down from older consoles, so much so that it is seriously hard to sit and stare at loading screens for more than 20 seconds anymore. Beyond that the Series S also offers support for ray tracing along with twice the refresh rate at 120hz. Another under appreciated upgrade is support for 3D spatial audio, if you haven't experienced Dolby Atmos yet you are missing out! You also get the newer version of the Xbox wireless controller and much improved app support for all your streaming needs. All of this at price that is much more palatable than the Series X and about that of a new One X (if you can find one). Add to that full backwards compatibility for both gaming and hardware and you can see the many benefits to upgrading. However, that price point does come at some compromises.. CONS:- There are some trade offs to having a reasonable price point and smaller profile. Primarily the Series S is not a true 4k console. Output resolution is limited 1440p compared to 4k capabilities of the One X. However don't forget you have a much faster refresh rate which leads to far smoother gameplay and that is going to be much noticeable than the dip in resolution which really requires a higher end tv to make a difference. Another big difference is the obvious lack of a disc drive. Given the push towards digital gaming this may or may not matter to you, but any older games you still have on disc are basically useless and forget about using it as your 4k blu ray player. Although you can still access streaming services such as Netflix etc. Lastly for a system that is all digital you are definitely going to run into memory storage issues. With 512Gb of internal storage off the shelf there is going to be constant shuffling of what games you keep installed on your system. Considering most games are now in the 50-75Gb range and can often be much higher this could be quite the issue. VERDICT:- In conclusion the Series S is definitely a step up and into the next console generation. Although the resolution is actually lower than an older One X model this is not truly noticeable unless you have a very good newer TV. What is very noticeable is the processing speed and 120Hz refresh rate which any gamer will tell you makes a much bigger difference to the overall experience and the Series S shines here. And until you actually experience it you can't imagine the huge difference the loading times make, it is like old school dial up compared to 5g internet. Once you get used to it you really can't go back. So depending on what your budget and requirements are the Series S is totally and upgrade to the One X and unless you have spent $1000+ on a tv that is no more than year old and have another $600+ to spend on the flagship Series X this might very well be the console for you! A great way to experience the benefits of next gen gaming without breaking the bank.

Great system. It runs smoothly and I haven’t had issues. Get the SD card to increase storage and you won’t be sorry

Amazing console, easy to use interface, excellent bargain

came on time, updated me with tracking, and overall was a good service. the console is excellent. i have had no problems and i have been camo grinding bo6.

I am an old school gamer who generally likes to own games on physical media. This is not the system for that purpose. If you have a lot of xb0/x360/xb1 disc games or BRD movies you want to play then you probably want to wait for an X. After somewhat mailing it in last generation, I really like the changes M$ Is making this generation. Last generation M$ went all in on backwards compatibility. Now they are carrying it forward giving us four generations of XBOX on the new platform. Taking this approach and then offering subscription software service with game pass was a smart move. This is where the value comes in. XSX for $300 is a great kit for the price. Its essentially a 1080p next gen console. GP is $15 month…..its an incredible value and for those without a large disc library or on a budget then this is a great way to have a huge library to play for far less than the cost of a game a month. M$ Is making more smart moves by acquiring major publishers meaning major exclusive games will come to GP day one and stay on GP. The next great move is the X/S optimization kit. Many publishers have been willing to take last gen games and use M$ tools to enhance them. Generally making FPS and load time improvements, some games that just fell short last gen are running great now. Ark Survival is a good example. Ran relatively crappy on everything but a high spec PC…runs great on little Series S with steady 60fps and fast load times. This can enhance some great favorites but better yet breaths new life into games held back by performance issues, So I just like the moves M$ is making and the S is a great entry point for next gen on a budget. The system is compact and sleek and very portable. If you have an older 1080p TV or play on a gaming monitor its a great fit. Personally I’ll get an X later but currently they are so hard to find and I wanted to be playing Forza5 and Halo by years end,

I purchased my Xbox Series S in September 2023 and have been thoroughly enjoying the experience. The console itself boasts a sleek, minimalist design that seamlessly blends with my entertainment setup, and it feels impressively durable. Performance-wise, the Series S exceeds expectations; games load rapidly, and I've never encountered lag or frame drops, even in graphically intensive scenarios. The game library is quite expansive, offering something for everyone, but my personal favorite has to be FIFA. Navigating the clean and intuitive user interface is a breeze, and additional features like the Xbox Game Pass provide incredible value, granting access to a broad variety of games each month. While the console might be considered pricey by some, the plethora of features and superior performance make it a worthy investment. On the downside, the limited stock availability can be a hurdle for potential buyers. All in all, if you're contemplating a gaming upgrade, the Xbox Series S comes highly recommended, offering a rich and seamless experience that justifies the price tag.

This is actually for me, I was on and off with Xbox. But this time, the digital version is actually pretty good. Controller feels great, Console is clean, no problems, whatsoever. Recommended for people who only like digital or have digital games only. I used to have disc-drive Xbox’s, but I sold them and finally got the chance to get my hands on a Series S. This is just fine for me. Thanks.

I was very happy to be able to purchase in light of low stock. This is my first all digital platform and I was unsure I would like it, but I do. Game Pass makes for a great playing experience and variety of games. The small profile of the console makes it easy to fit into any setup and the controller, while not vastly different than the previous generation, feels really good in the hand. All in all, I am happy with the Series S and look forward to the ease of access to a growing selection of games.

Not much different than our Series One S. Still has the occasional freeze, and Microsoft makes it more difficult than necessary to share games within the family, but the new generation games work with no issues, which is why we had to replace our older version. I added the expansion drive to make sure we didnt run out of space, but I have not had to use it yet.

The Series S is a fantastic little machine for the money Microsoft is asking for. It supports all new releases going forward in this upcoming generation of games (albeit with some minor graphical and performance cutbacks here and there), Xbox One titles, and select 360/OG xbox games via an incredible backwards compatibility program. You can rest assured that when you purchase this machine you'll have one of the most robust libraries of content available on any console bar none. You can also take advantage of Gamepass, a service that really is the closest you can get to the Netflix of games. With all that high praise, why did I give this a 4 star rating instead of 5? Here is where the concessions made in order to deliver a $300 box with built in ray tracing hardware, supports for 120fps output, SSD storage, all while being smaller than the previous generation's slim model come into play. The Series S does not have a disc drive. If you have a physical collection of Xbox One titles you were hoping to carry into the next generation, this is not the box for you. This is an all digital machine through and through. High frame rates come at the cost of lower resolutions. The Series S supports 4k HDR video streaming as well as HDR gaming, but most games forego higher resolutions for stable 60 or even 30 fps experiences in most cases. 120fps is on the plastered on the outside of the retail box, but apart from select multiplayer titles and provided you have a TV that even supports the frame rate, you likely won't be doing much gaming at 120fps. This machine is best played, and perhaps designed to be played, on 1080p screens. Lastly we come to storage. The internal SSD does wonders for the user experience. Menus, boot ups, and loading for optimized games are suitably quick. Problem is despite the packaging stating the console comes with 500GB of storage, the operating system takes up a large chunk of that leaving you with little more than 300GB of useable storage. Microsoft sells SSD expansion cards to alleviate this some, but at the current eye watering price of $220 for and extra 1TB of SSD storage you may be asking yourself, "why not save the money I would spend on the console plus the memory and instead get the Series X for $500 or better yet the PS5 Digital Edition for $400?" That leads to the conclusion and the biggest selling point for the Series S by far, availability. Both Series X & PS5s are expected to be hard to find products till at least 2023 due to the ongoing global chip supply shortage. If you want to play the newest releases, don't mind playing them at lower resolutions and frame rates, if having a fewer number of installed games isn't a huge inconvenience for you, then this could be the perfect console to buy right now and tide you over until availability for the more powerful machines gets better.

Like most everyone else, I have been waiting to to the Series X console, but after over 6 months of waiting and refusing to pay scalpers, I pulled the trigger on this. I originally had the X1X scorpio and I don't really notice any difference in graphics, although I have yet to play a current new gen game, however load times are insanely fast and the true saving grace over the X1X. Still have my eye out for the Series X and will replace this with that. Until then I am happy with this

I absolutely love this game. I love the Best Buy. My experience there is awesome. Never have any complaints.

Best Xbox made this far. I love the speed of system and it doesn't get real hot after being on for hours.

I like how its very affordable while being next gen. Very worth it id say.

Great system definitely worth the price this xbox is top of the line

As noted by those at Digital Foundry, it has an absolutely irresistible design aesthetic and it is even smaller than you would expect. It is quiet, versatile (lay flat or stand on its side with no additional standing plate or stand), and while it may not be the most powerful console on the market, it is the most competitively priced and outperforms the current gen systems in key ways. Since it has an SSD (unfortunately only 512GB which basically necessitates the expansion card), it boots up, installs, and loads games significantly faster than previous gen consoles. These loading improvements are also seen in loading sequences in games (respawns, fast travels, etc). The user interface is also significantly faster and feels much more enjoyable to navigate. The other key difference between this machine and the previous gen consoles is that it has Quick Resume. This allows you to save the state of multiple games at once and switch between them with only a few seconds of waiting for the splash screen. Gone are the days of having to wait minutes at a time for a new game to load every time you decide to switch to playing something else. The save states even stay after a reboot or system update! The only ways they are cleared are if the console is fully shutdown or the saved game has an update. This machine has incredible potential as its chipset has a full RDNA2 feature set. Unfortunately, it will be some time before devs are able to fully tap into those features so how games look or play on this machine can be less than ideal. Any backwards compatible title you launch will be the original Xbox One version of the game instead of the Xbox One X version. The biggest downside of this is that a lot of Xbox One X versions had additional features or modes (performance or quality) and allowed the user to determine which options they preferred. None of the original Xbox One versions had these options so a lot of old titles are stuck at poor resolutions and frame rate locks. This is a purpose built machine designed to play digital titles at 60fps up to 1440p resolutions (Usually 1080p 60fps or 1440p 30fps). It is also capable of playing supporting titles at 120Hz but this requires the correct monitor or TV set. Overall, this machine is for a more casual player or someone that doesn’t have a 4K TV or monitor. It’s responsive, nice to look at, and will play any titles you own, or plan to buy, better than previous gen consoles.

I've had consoles and PCs for many years but as of recent I had been a PC gamer primarily and found myself growing tired of the trouble shooting, launchers and other overall minor complaints of PC gaming. And found myself looking for a more pick up and play option the xbox series S has filled that role prefectly. An impressive little piece of hardware that runs almost any current gen game I can think of like a dream (while only costing as much as an above average graphics card that you may or may not be able to find in stock.) In conjunction with the surprisingly good value the game pass service provides I have been absolutely pleased with every aspect of the console. The controller being battery charged instead of using an internal rechargeable seems an odd choice but this can easily be remedied with a set of rechargeable double AAs. That is honestly my biggest and only complaint with the console. The unit is almost if not absolutely silent which was a nice change from the air port terminal that was the ps4 I owned a few years ago. I highly suggest if you are looking for a current generation console make this the one you get unless you particularly want the benefits that come from the stronger series X or a PS5 this is absolutely the console for you. It honestly reminds me of owning a PS2 back when they first came out and those vibes are hard to replicate. I'm having fun just playing games on my couch, dropping my jaw at pretty graphics and making friends and catching up with my brother online. So thanks Microsoft you really did good with this one!

For the price, it’s a nice console. I like the simplicity of downloading games, no loading discs.

Small and powerful, this might be the best piund for price console in history.