Xbox Series S vs Xbox One S: Which smaller Xbox console should you buy?
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The next generation of Xbox is on the way - or, rather, the
next generation of Xboxes, as it turns out. Microsoft is embracing the
multi-tiered model it started with the Xbox One X, it seems.
That means that this November we'll get the choice between
the Xbox Series X and slimmer Series S. It's a choice that
mirrors the current models, the Xbox One X and One S, which have stopped being
manufactured but are still widely on sale. If you've got an Xbox One S, whether
with a disc drive or the digital-only version, you might be wondering how the
new slim console stacks up.
Read on to find out how the Xbox One S and Xbox Series S compare across a range of
categories.
Design
As you can see, there are some somewhat obvious differences
in the look of the Xbox Series S and Xbox One S, but the closer you get the
more you realise they come from a very similar design background.
The Series S might have a big black grille for ventilation,
but that same grille was very much present on the One S, just covered in white
to make it stand out less. In fact, the Series S is in many ways a One S that's
managed to shrink down even further in a few dimensions, letting Microsoft call
it the smallest Xbox ever.
That said, though, the One S is hardly massive itself in either version, so the reality is that this is about as small as home consoles get for now (ignoring the many variations on the Nintendo Switch, which has a minute footprint). Both the One S and Series S are impressive on the design front, then, provided you can get over that black circle on the newer model.
Graphics
The difference in graphical output between the Xbox One S
and Xbox Series S will be pretty significant, even if they look like similar
bits of hardware. The older console can't output in 4K other than on menus,
instead using 1080p, and while it runs most games whisper-quiet, is coming to
the end of its lifetime in development terms.
The Xbox Series S, by contrast, will be able to support 4K
output using upscaling, and apparently targets 120FPS performance at 1440p,
which is a big step up. You'll get ray tracing support, too, reportedly, and
much faster performance - in the video above a developer from The Coalition
says the Series S is more than four times as powerful as the One S.
That's a big step up, although the Series S still won't be
able to match the power of the Xbox Series X, which will have native 4K support
and more power to call on.
CPU and memory
The Xbox Series S has the same CPU as the Series X, an
eight-core chip that runs at 3.6GHz, or 3.4GHz with multithreading. That's a
big bump over the One S, which has a custom eight core processor running at
1.75GHz.
On the RAM side of things, the Xbox One S and All-Digital
Edition each have 8GB of DDR3 RAM and 32MB of ESRAM, with bandwidth of 68GB/s
and 219GB/s respectively.
By contrast, the Series S has 10GB of GDDR6 memory running
at 224GB/s, scaling according the resolution being targeted, which is a little
boost on paper.
Storage
We have a little more to go on when it comes to storage
space, though. The Xbox One S in both versions came with a 1TB hard drive,
which was really handy for being able to download plenty of games without
needing to delete things.
Things are quite different for the new Xbox Series S, which
upgrades the hard drive to a solid state drive for way faster loading speeds
and transfers, whether on older games or new ones.
However, to keep costs down (we presume), Microsoft has had
to slash the drive down to 512GB, halving the amount of space you get. That's
not ideal, but understandable given the price, as we'll cover later. However,
it does mean that you might have to resort to external storage earlier than
you'd like.
Controller
The Xbox Series will come with the newest version of
Microsoft's Xbox controller, with some subtle improvements covering better
grip, tweaked analog sticks and a new finish for the buttons to make them
easier to press.
However, all controllers from the Xbox One era onward will
work with all Xbox consoles going forward, meaning that your existing Xbox One
S controllers will work on the new console, and that the new controller would
also work on the older tech. That means picking up extra controllers for
split-screen action isn't something to worry about yet.
Games and accessories
Microsoft is making a really interesting play with the
launch of the Xbox Series X and Series S, and it's all centred around the idea
that all of its new games will work across the whole range of recent Xbox
consoles.
It's adamant that people shouldn't feel they have to upgrade
to a new console to play the latest games, at least for a few years. That's why
games like the recently-delayed Halo Infinite will be releasing on both the new Xbox
Series X and S, but also for the One S and One X.
The crown jewel of this system is Game Pass, which will
ensure that you have a big library of game that will work on whatever hardware
you have access to, including through streaming, so you shouldn't need to worry
about new exclusives on the Xbox Series S and X for a little while yet.
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| Xbox Series S vs Xbox One S |
Price
As we said up top, the Xbox One S has ceased production on
Microsoft's end, so new models aren't being made, but it's still widely
available. You can pick it up for around £250 or $250, although deals
frequently lower this price.
We check 1,000s of prices on 1,000s of retailers to get you
the lowest new price we can find. Pocket-lint may get a commission from these
offers. Read more here.
The One S All-Digital Edition, meanwhile, can be found even
more cheaply at times, but starting from £200 or $200.
We check 1,000s of prices on 1,000s of retailers to get you
the lowest new price we can find. Pocket-lint may get a commission from these
offers. Read more here.
For a good while these have looked like solid prices to get
you into console gaming, but the newly-confirmed launch price for the Xbox Series
S makes them look like bad investments now. It'll launch for £250 or $299,
immediately blowing the One S out of the water.
Xbox Series S vs Xbox One S: Conclusion
With the Xbox Series S (and Series X) launching on 10
November 2020, we'd strongly recommend holding off on a purchase until then,
even if the Xbox One S is tempting you for now.
You'll get a much more powerful bit of kit if you can wait
for the newer hardware to launch, for the same price - it's that simple. Once
the Series S launches, it'll be come the default choice for a more affordable
Xbox.
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