How Much Worse Is the Xbox Series S, Really?

howtogeek.com:

The Xbox Series S was a bold move by Microsoft, offering a next-generation console at an enticing price, at $200 below the Series X. But if you choose to spring for those savings, how much are you actually giving up?

While the console siblings do differ, you should keep in mind an important commonality: Series S and X both play the same games. Any game for the Series X is also available for the Series S, and this will always be the case, as they are part of the same console generation and platform.

Under the hood, both consoles use the same fundamental technology and have the same features. The Series S is, therefore, a cut-down version of the X. Specifically, these are the key differences:

These technical differences may paint Series S in an unfavorable light on paper, but they don’t tell the whole story.

We used a Series S with a 70-inch 4K television sitting at the recommended viewing distance for a set of that size, and taken in isolation, it is an excellent experience. Switching to the same title on a much more powerful system (in this case, a PS5) significantly improves sharpness if you look for it. Still, those benefits are diminished as viewing distances increase. So depending on how far you sit from your television, the differences may be less visible than the specifications would suggest.

Playing console-exclusive titles such as Forza Horizon 5 or Halo Infinite, there’s never a sense that you’re getting a compromised experience. It’s important to note that games are meant to be played and not pixel-peeped. This is like freeze framing a movie to point out that you can tell the set is on a sound stage or that you can see the stunt double. It’s not how the experience was designed, so it’s not particularly relevant.

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