I’ve just picked up the Xbox Series S and today I want to find out of it’s still worth
buying in 2022.
The Xbox series S is one of the few consoles you can pick up at retail price right now,
so If you are in a similar position or you’re thinking about picking one up as your main
console, hopefully, this video will help you out.
Moving straight on to the unboxing, as soon as we open the box we have the Series S itself,
a high-speed HDMI 2.0 cable, a power cable and finally one controller with some AA batteries.
Taking a look at the Series S it’s definitely heavier than I expected, however, I’m surprised
by how small this console is - for me personally it’s great and it would fit well even in
the smallest of setups.
In regards to the overall design, it features a minimal white look and would definitely
fit any desk or living room setup without standing out, and for someone like me where
I really appreciate the design of a console but don’t necessarily want it to be the
focal point of the room, it works well.
The black air vent on the top provides a nice contrast to the otherwise all-white design.
You also have two orientation options for the Series S with feet for either option being
located underneath and on the side of the console.
We have plenty of ports on the Series S a USB-A port on the front, and then over on
the back left to right, we have an ethernet port, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and the
storage expansion port and then finally the power cable port.
Talking of storage the Xbox Series S comes with 512GB of storage, however, only 364GB
of this is usable storage after installing the operating system and the latest updates.
If you’re a power user you’re going to reach capacity rather quickly which is something
to be aware of.
You may find yourself having to delete titles to make space for new ones or end up having
to buy an external hard drive to house the games you aren't playing whilst you install
new titles.
There is an option for an SSD storage expansion with the Series S, however, it costs just
as much as the console itself so again something to bear in mind.
The Series S for its size is really powerful and definitely contends with the other next-gen
consoles.
The console contains an eight-core 3.6ghz processor, 10GB RAM, up to 120fps framerate,
1440p with 4K upscaling and it also includes graphic features such as ray tracing.
I’m fortunate enough to own a 4K, 120fps capable TV which is the LG 55 CX.
When playing the Series S on this TV, I can tell you first-hand that playing this console,
along with an HDMI 2.1 cable which you would need to buy separately, really is an amazing
experience.
I would go as far as to say it rivals the other next-gen consoles.
Again you’re not getting true 4K but that is expected considering the price point of
the Series S.
The user interface provides a nice experience that as quick links to all of your favourite
destinations, it can feel a little cluttered at times which makes finding certain things
a little harder but I’m sure as time goes on I will get used to it at the menus will
make more sense.
You also have the option to customise the home screen to your preference which is also
a nice touch.
Gamepass for me is where this console shines.
The fact that you have access to over 100 games including day one releases is just mind-blowing
to me, and having not owned an Xbox since the 360, it’s a huge step up and to me makes
this Series S worth it alone.
I’ve had the chance to play titles such as Forza Horizon 5 and Halo Infinite on the
first day of bringing the Series S home.
I’ve always been half and half with buying discs or going fully digital, as I like that
with discs you can buy second hand and sell them when you’re done playing, and you’re
not at the mercy of the console stores where prices can be significantly higher when compared
to other large retailers.
For me, Gamepass gives me that middle ground of being able to play the latest titles on
the day of release for a reasonable monthly subscription.
Another great feature is the ability to stream games directly from the cloud.
Within gamepass certain titles will feature this cloud icon, and as long as you have a
fast enough internet connection, you can start the game without the need to install anything
at all.
Again this is going to depend on the quality of your connection but I tried Halo Infinite
multiplayer and the experience was amazing.
When you take this into account it almost makes the 512GB storage limit not so bad,
and is definitely a welcomed feature - I’m excited to see how cloud gaming advances in
the near future.
Overall I am absolutely blown away by the capabilities of the Series S.
If you enjoy this sort of content, please subscribe to the channel, and if you got any
value from this video, please consider giving it a like and dropping a comment down below
I reply to them all, and it helps with reaching more people.
Thank you again for watching, and I will see you in the next one.