This thing is so small and quiet that one might think he was a student at Milford School
One thing I’ve noticed with the latest console releases, which became quite evident the day I pre-ordered my Xbox Series S, is that I no longer feel the excitement I once had when I moved to a new generation. Even last week, when I managed to secure a fully digital PS5 a few minutes after swearing to stop testing until next year, it didn’t push me to jump for joy. I used to jump for joy picking up a new console. I remember being pretty dizzy queuing up at Walmart to buy the GameCube on a cold November morning.
Maybe it’s because the promise of better technology has led to a decline in performance in the last two generations of consoles. Maybe it’s because there’s no release title for the Xbox Series console or the PS5 that “I have to play now”. Or maybe, it’s because the game is so prolific now that it’s really about games rather than the hardware you choose to play.
Whatever it is, I miss the excitement of anticipating a new console. But with my Xbox Series S, that feeling has been replaced by something that might be just as satisfying: the satisfaction of knowing you’ve bought quality hardware. I love my S Series not because I managed to buy the “new theme,” but because this console is so damn good.
It’s also a lot smaller than I thought it would be. This little white box measures 10.8 “long, 5.9” deep and 2.5 “high when placed next to it. It weighs less than five pounds. It could fit two of these on an Xbox X Series with a few square inches left over.The current entertainment center is not suitable for multiple systems, so having a Wii U, a PS4 Slim and a Switch connected takes up a considerable amount of usable space. The S Series is so small that it sits comfortably next to my Wii U. And unlike my PS4 Slim, this one is quiet.
Setting it up took about five minutes to go through my phone’s Xbox app. All in sync with my Xbox account, the console scanned the TV and showed me what S-Series options I can and can’t use. I know this isn’t a new technology, as some of my co-writers were quick to tell me about Slack, but it did teach me more about my TV and how to access my HDR content. PS4. Getting 120 fps is beyond doubt, as my TV doesn’t support it, but I can experience 4K in video playback and with any game that supports it (and yes, some games support 4K in the S series).
If you’re looking for a power-hungry console, you should probably know what the S-Series wraps around your little body. Here are some of the specifications:
- CPU: 8x cores at 3.6 GHz (custom Zen 2 CPU)
- GPU: 4 TFLOPS, 20 CU @ 1,565 GHz
- Memory: 10 GB GDDDR6
- Internal storage: 512 GB (364 GB usable)
- Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby TrueHD with Atmos, DTS 5.1
Last month, I liked how quickly the Xbox Series S gets me into my games. The quick resume is an exceptional feature. For games that support it, it will get you back into action in a matter of seconds instead of having to wait for a game to load. And it does so through multiple titles at once, rather than having a single game in suspended state. The console itself is also quick to get started. If you follow the environmentally friendly route with Energy Saver mode, it will take about 22 seconds to boot. If you choose Instant-On, it will take about four seconds.
I’m also digging up the redesigned driver. I’ve always preferred the Xbox controller design over the PlayStation because I like it, but the changes here make it even better than before. Particularly, the directional pad has a good “clicky” quality and is a little more comfortable to use than my Xbox One controller.
Since the publication of this article, I haven’t actually bought any games for the console. Instead, I’ve been diving into Xbox Game Pass And it’s a deep dive because there is years of games and franchises I’ve missed not owning an Xbox. Games like Fable III i Halo 4 which before were not within reach, now I am within my reach. I liked new games with the service, such as Call of the sea, and the recent addition of EA Play will help fill the file Star Wars difference between seasons of The Mandalorian. At $ 15, it’s more expensive than PS Now. But it’s cheaper than Gamefly, which is good because, with the S Series and my soon-to-arrive digital PS5, I can no longer rent games.
And these games work beautifully. Most of what I’m playing is from the latest generation? Of course, but it’s good to have access to these titles without any problems they might have on previous consoles. The games optimized for the S and X series can be amazing, though this may have more to do with the incredible artistic direction employed in these titles. There are many chances that in the near future Xbox Game Pass will be streamed to your computer or TV like Stadia or Luna, but until that happens, the S Series is a great starting point for service.
Depending on what you want from your next-generation system, there are some drawbacks to consider before buying an S-Series. As stated above, it only has 364 GB of built-in usable space. If you enjoy playing AAA Games a lot, expect these file sizes to start around 45 GB. Some games, such as Final Fantasy XV: Royal Edition i Quantum Break, easily eclipses 100 GB each.
I have Phantasy Star Online 2, Yakuza 0, Planet Coaster: Console Edition, Alan Wake, Minecraft dungeons, Ori and the will of the warnings, i Carrion currently downloaded to my console, which takes up 39% of its usable space. I try to play each Game Pass title before moving on to the next, but there are some games I won’t remove from the system. PSO2 it was a 75GB download, and there’s no way in hell, with capital letters, I’ll go through it again.
I’ve also run into a weird problem repeatedly with streaming apps like Disney + and HBO Max. These apps will occasionally drop the image and the screen will appear in black and white before continuing with what you are viewing. While you enjoy Small shop of horrors, the problem persisted for more than half an hour until it finally ceased. And it does so whether I’m watching something or not. I can just browse the app itself and come across this problem. Now that HBO Max is accessible through my smartphone, I no longer have to worry about using these video apps. Still, it’s an incredibly strange and persistent problem.
I’ve seen some speculation that Microsoft might have made too many cuts to the Xbox Series S to actually move on to this whole generation of consoles. I don’t know if that’s true, but if that ends up being a “transition console,” I’m perfectly fine. Because it gives me exactly what I want right now: it’s an easy gateway to the games I lost in past generations, it’s a quiet whisper, it’s small enough to fit snugly in my current TV stand, and it lets me play throughout the games, without the X-series bells and whistles.
There really isn’t much else I can ask for here, other than some first-hand titles that are worth it. These will finally arrive, but until they arrive, I have three generations of games to keep me busy. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to download it Ghost pulse.
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