Xbox Series S - To whom, why and for how long..

It's been a few years since the Xbox Series S was released, but the console is still the subject of heated debate. Some elevate the Xbox Series S to the level of a $300 icon, while others have labeled it the worst console of our time. Surprisingly, both groups of people are right, the Xbox Series S did turn out to be an extremely ambiguous console and not for everyone. For whom, why, and how long the Xbox Series S will last - in this review...

Form Factor

There is a common perception that the Xbox Series S is very compact and light - this is half-true. Yes, the console takes up even less space than a keyboard without a numpad, but the console is 6.6 centimeters high, which is commensurate with a thick science textbook for PhD candidates. The Xbox Series S weighs about the same as a Ph.D. candidate - about two kilograms. Microsoft are no fools; in their commercials they showed the actual size of the console, but cleverly played with perspective, close-ups and backgrounds. In the picture the Xbox Series S appears slightly smaller than it really is.

Xbox Series S - World Premiere Reveal Trailer

The actual size of the console allows you to fit it in any briefcase, but not in a purse and certainly not in the internal pocket of outerwear. After all, this is a stationary gaming console, not a portable one. However, the Xbox Series S is indeed more compact than all of its competitors - that's true, but is it to the detriment...?

Complete set

The Xbox Series S arrives in the hands of the buyer in a rectangular, weighty box, pleasant to the touch. Inside the box, Microsoft has carefully packed all the components in sealed molds, so you can play basketball with the box and the console will not be damaged...

In addition to the Xbox Series S itself, the box included one HDMI cable, a power cord, a new Xbox gamepad, and two Duracell batteries for the gamepad itself. Here the soniboys laughed heartily, because in their opinion a gamepad with finger batteries is a vestige of the last century. Gamepad for SonyPlaystation 5, - DualSense, runs on the built-in battery, but not for Xbox, and not PlayStation. The gamepad from Xbox is well assembled: the buttons do not flutter and are perfectly sized; the gamepad does not turn into a rattle when you shake it; the allegedly infamous crossbar does not dig into your fingers. Mockery towards the work with the batteries is also useless, because these same batteries last at least 40 hours of work against 4 hours of DualSense with all the features turned on and 12 hours with just vibration. Another thing is that no charging gamepad the Xbox does not provide, the package is severely lacking a cable for wired connection to the console, the Sony in this regard the equipment is richer. SonyPlaystation 5 gamepad charger is already in the box, you do not need to buy anything.

If you hear any complaints about the Xbox gamepad, know this is said only by those who have never held the object of their disdain in their hands. Everything about the material, the paint, the fit, and the tactile feel is superbly done. As a bonus: the gamepad has an anti-slip textured back panel. Dropping the Xbox gamepad because your palm is sweating can only be done on purpose.

The HDMI cable and the power cable do not cause any complaints: the insulation is quite thick, not kinked, and the cables themselves are one meter long, which is enough. Everything is packed neatly, with brand labels and logos. The control of the first opening of the box deserves separate praise. If you are afraid that the mailman will open the box with the console, play, and then quietly pack it back - you can not worry, once you open the box, it will not return to its previous presentable appearance.

Manufacturer

But the Xbox Series S's performance is what the console has been lambasted for. Yes, the Xbox Series S is no competitor to the PlayStation 5, but it's hard to come to that conclusion right away. Much depends not only on the console itself, but also on the TV or monitor to which the buyer will connect the console. The Xbox Series S is perfect for those who bought a TV once upon a time when 4K resolution was something unattainable, utopian. The Xbox Series S and Full HD TVs are best friends: the Xbox Series S squeezes all the graphical beauty out of 1080p resolution, and the TV (or monitor) with Full HD resolution does not load the console's graphics gas pedals.

There have been many complaints that the Xbox Series S, you see, warms up a lot - this is also a myth. The top GPU temperature is 57° - numbers seem impressive... Now remember how people praised the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti for the fact that the graphics card only heats up to 88° - everything falls into place. The Xbox Series S does get warm while pumping something and playing at the same time. "Warming," not "boiling," not "glowing," and not making a cosplay of the fourth power unit on an April night. To reduce the already acceptable heat, the turned on console should be placed horizontally, not as in the first screenshot in this article.

The weakest aspect of the Xbox Series S is catering to the needs of pretentious gamers. If you are used to playing with RTX enabled in 4K resolution, the Xbox Series S is not your console. In fact, the console adequately handles almost all games, but in demanding projects the picture will be a little easier than it was intended by the developers. For example: the vegetation on the face of the game characters will not be as detailed, will go under the knife some sunlight, drawing grainy dust. But the biggest trouble is the low range of object drawing. The buyer will 100% face the problem that some objects in the distance will be blurred until the player gets closer to them.

Microsoft has done a good job on the optimization, but the thoughtful consumer will immediately realize that some of the games have been optimized to the detriment of image quality. The observation concerns only the range of drawing, the facial animations and the pixelation of the picture in some projects. Pixelation can be noticed only when looking at the screen, or on a screen with a 65-inch diagonal or larger.

We got the general outline, now to specific projects. Mortal Kombat 11 pulls in 2.5K (1600p) at 60 FPS in game sessions, and in the cut-scenes resolution rises to 1900p, but at 30 FPS, if the TV supports this resolution. Ori and the Will of the Wisps puts out all 60 FPS in 4K and 120 FPS in Full HD resolution. Crysis, a classic and the forgotten scourge of graphics cards, works in 4K only at 30 FPS, the stable 60 frames are seen only in Full HD. If you want a half of the 60 FPS can be sacrificed for the sake of RTX. Mass Effect Legendary Edition shows approximately the same picture: in 2160p (4K) we see 30 FPS, getting upset, but then we see 60fps in 1440p (2,5K), and it is not so sad - the result is satisfactory. The holiday came to indie fans too: the signature RPG Hades in 2160p (4K) steadily produces 60 fps.

From the sample above we conclude: Xbox Series S can work in 4K resolution, and even supports RTX technology, but for the graphical beauty will have to pay for frames per second. For the most part, the console automatically strikes the perfect balance between quality and performance and produces playable values. The average FPS the buyer can expect is 48-50 fps, which is the level of a budget PC. But there is the Xbox Series S and Achilles heel; unfortunately, very tangible - it is Cyberpunk 2077.It looks and plays Cyberpunk 2077 on the Xbox Series S bad. For example, the game refuses to deliver more than 30 frames per second on 4K, whatever manipulation with the settings the user would not take. Even worse are the perennial graphical artifacts and sharp pixels on the screen.

Ray Tracing... Ray Tracing on the Xbox Series S is like Bigfoot: it was once seen, but out of the corner of your eye, and anyway, it was long ago and not true. Here's the full list of RTX technology support on the Xbox Series S/X:

This list is in no hurry to expand. In addition, RTX on the Xbox Series S works, if at all, with great limitations and at full power. After reading the above criticism, you might get the impression that the Xbox Series S is an under-console, but that criticism has one goal in mind: to prevent customers from expecting graphic wonders and a million frames per second from the Xbox Series S. And for those who are indifferent to new games, the Xbox Series S will be a real boon. Xbox's backward compatibility is something to behold. Not only do all past console games run flawlessly at 60 FPS, but they also support HDR, even though this technology wasn't even in its infancy when those games were created. That is, the Xbox Series S itself renders games, making them more beautiful simply because technology has stepped forward, not because developers upgraded all these games individually.

Are GamePass and Quick Resume motivators to buy?

Many people have heard about Microsoft's GamePass subscription. They say it's a huge library with hundreds of games...and it's true. But don't elevate GamePass to the level of the best solution for gamers. Yes, it sometimes has fresh, expensive projects with million-dollar budgets. Yes, those games can be endlessly good and beloved by gamers, but don't think of GamePass as a gaming El Dorado. This glorious subscription once had The Witcher III, then it was removed for some reason, and instead they added a game about Peppa the pig...

...You can't have it every time. Perhaps, as you read these lines, GamePass has gotten even better, because competition with Sony prompts Microsoft to regularly revise its policy with games, there is a charade for the title of best console. It is in the case of Xbox and Sony that capitalism works perfectly, their subscriptions are forever trying to outshine each other, and the end consumer is only better off for it. But the best thing about GamePass is that a subscription can include a game that costs $50-100 in other stores, including Sony with its con game prices...

Quick Resume is the second reason for Microsoft to be proud. The technology allows you to turn on up to five games simultaneously and switch between them without subloading and exactly where the player left off. That is, playing in the multiplayer project, the player can lose and go to the observers, waiting for the revival. In order not to get bored, the player can press 3 buttons and run, say, Doom Eternal, to pass the time waiting. The technology is really revolutionary, even top-end computers will start bumping already with two games running, and a budget console for $300 is able to juggle 5 games at once, even if these 5 games are demanding. Another issue: Quick Resume can not be removed, and the price of adding technology - minus 148 gig of memory on your hard drive. The Xbox Series S already can't boast a roomy SSD drive, and because of Quick Resume there's enough memory for 2-3 heavy games, 2-4 easier games, and in return a couple of pixel indie games. On the other hand, is there even one person who plays at least three games in parallel and on a regular basis?

Other nice little things worth mentioning

If you've heard complaints about the Xbox interface that it's awkward, cumbersome, and unintuitive, you know that's nonsense. The Xbox interface is as easy to understand as the interface of any launcher, not to mention the interfaces of PC browsers. The console control panel is somewhat reminiscent of the Steam site, but without the promotions and discounts that are forever being poked in your face. The sounds, the power-up screen, the size of the icons, and their customization are all for people.

Steam comes to mind for a reason, the Xbox is generally the console for those who have decided to switch from PCs to gaming consoles. The interface, the setup, the control mechanics - all this will be familiar to those who once had the palm of their hand attached to a computer mouse. For PC-boys the Xbox has one small, but very nice pseudo-reference: when you turn it on the Xbox makes a sound. The sound immediately brings to mind deja vu. Digging around in my memory, the sound comes to mind - the sound from the Inscription game menu. It's unknown if Daniel Mullins intentionally took this sound for his acclaimed game, or if it's a coincidence, but such an Easter egg would please any indie game lover. YouTube, Netflix, the Edge browser all come bundled with the Xbox, not just the Xbox Series S. The functionality isn't astounding, and the game selection interface on the Xbox does pale in comparison to the SonyPlaystation 5 interface, but one thing you can't take away from the Xbox interface is that it's ascetic...

Conclusions

The Xbox Series S is perfect as a gift; good for familiarizing yourself with Microsoft's policies, for getting a feel for GamePass; bad for those for whom graphics are paramount. Expecting something more from a $300 console, though, is like checking into a three-star hotel and complaining that the hotel doesn't have smoking booths with automatic exhaust. The Xbox Series S also synergizes perfectly with last-generation TVs, and as a bonus, access to those games that even on PCs won't run without an emulator. Don't count on long years of support for the console, however. The Xbox Series S came out in 2020 and will be a vintage console by 2025.