Should You Buy an Xbox Series S in 2025?

At $299, the Xbox Series S is the cheapest gateway into the next generation of gaming. But in 2024, is Microsoft‘s budget console still a smart buy compared to rival offerings? Let‘s dig into the key facts to determine if the Series S should be your next-gen pick.

Xbox Series S Report Card: Key Specs and Features

• CPU: 8-core 3.6 GHz (Zen 2)
• GPU: 4 TFLOPS, 20 CUs @ 1.55 GHz (RDNA 2)
• Resolution Target: 1440p @ 60-120 fps
• Memory: 10GB GDDR6
• Storage: 512GB SSD
• Disc drive: None (digital only)
• Size: 275 x 151 x 63.5 mm
• Weight: 1.93kg
• Ports: USB 3.2, HDMI 2.1, WiFi 5, Ethernet
• Price: $299

I‘ll be giving the Series S a report card grade across several categories to evaluate where it shines and falls short compared to rivals.

Performance – A

Thanks to its Zen 2 / RDNA 2 architecture and fast SSD, the Series S delivers buttery smooth 60-120 fps gameplay even in demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077. The CPU is nearly identical to the Series X, allowing high framerates to persist.

In Fortnite, Digital Foundry recorded 138 fps on the Series S at ‘Epic‘ settings based on in-game benchmarks. That massively exceeds the 58 fps measured on Xbox One X, and even beats the 108 fps of the RTX 2060 GPU.

Resolution – B

1440p is a slight compromise from 4K, but provides good image quality on affordable 27" monitors. According to Steam‘s hardware survey, over 67% of PC gamers are still gaming at 1080p or lower. So 1440p is an upgrade for many.

The Series S uses intelligent upscaling tech to output at 4K resolution on supported TVs. While it won‘t match native 4K, the image reconstruction minimizes jaggies and blur.

Ray Tracing – A

Despite its relatively modest GPU power, the Series S is capable of real-time ray tracing just like the Series X. Titles like Watch Dogs: Legion and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War have implemented ray traced shadows and reflections on the S.

While RT effects may need to be dialed back compared to the Series X, their inclusion at this price range remains seriously impressive.

Storage – C

The small 512GB SSD is the Series S‘ Achilles‘ heel. The average next-gen game occupies 30-50GB, allowing storage of just 10-15 titles. Many users will need to invest in $220 1TB expansion cards to increase capacity.

However, the blazing fast NVMe SSD reduces loading times to seconds. Quick Resume enables suspending multiple games for near-instant startup. The storage is pricier to expand, but high performance for its size.

Backwards Compatibility – A+

One of the Series S‘ biggest strengths is playing four generations of Xbox games spanning 2001-2020. It runs thousands of last-gen Xbox One, 360 and original Xbox titles at boosted framerates and resolution.

The FPS Boost program has also doubled framerates for games like Fallout 4 and Mirror‘s Edge Catalyst to 60 fps or higher. And Auto HDR adds HDR visuals to older games.

Ecosystem & Services – A

As part of the Xbox ecosystem, the Series S offers gamer-friendly perks like Smart Delivery (free next-gen game upgrades), cross-saves between Xbox consoles & PC, Quick Resume (suspending multiple games instantly) and Remote Play streaming over the cloud.

Integration with Xbox Game Pass and xCloud game streaming provide loads of software value. Game Pass in particular makes it easy to access 100+ games for a flat monthly fee.

Direct Verdict: Best Budget Next-Gen Console

Given its features, power and limitations summarized above, the Xbox Series S wins out as the best budget next-gen console to buy in 2024. Here‘s why:

Beats Xbox One X for Just $299

Despite a weaker GPU, the Series S provides a superior experience to 2017‘s $499 Xbox One X:

• Far faster load times from SSD vs HDD
• Higher sustained framerates from Zen 2 CPU
• New features like ray tracing and FPS Boost
• Full next-gen optimizations on new games

You‘re getting an overall more advanced machine for 40% lower cost. And Xbox is bridging the performance gap by adding One X enhancements to select Series S games like Dirt 5.

Game Pass Value Cannot Be Beat

An Xbox Game Pass subscription alone costs $120/year. But it provides access to over 100 full downloadable games spanning Xbox exclusives, RPGs, shooters, indies and more.

New releases like Starfield launch into Game Pass day one. When you factor in this Netflix-style software value, the $299 hardware cost shrinks dramatically. No competing platform offers this utility.

Digital-Only Design Enables $299 Price

The Series S achieves its ultra-affordable price point by using a custom all-digital design. While the omission of a disc drive and smaller SSD are controversial, they‘re worthwhile trade-offs.

Users still have access to game downloads, backups and unlimited cloud storage. And Microsoft‘s constant backward compatibility enhancements soften the blow of losing disc support.

Outperforms PS4 Pro Despite Lower Cost

The Xbox Series S outruns 2016‘s $399 PS4 Pro in nearly every metric: loading times, frame rates, ray tracing support and new-gen optimizations. And it comes in $100 cheaper than Sony‘s last high-end PS4 model.

If choosing between current-generation consoles, the Series S beats out the now aging PlayStation 4 Pro while costing 25% less upfront.

Is the Series S Right For You?

The Xbox Series S makes the most sense for gamers matching the following profiles:

Budget-focused: If getting into next-gen for the lowest possible cost is priority one, the Series S is your best bet at $299. This saves over $200 versus the premium consoles.

Casual gamers: For those who care more about fun gameplay than cutting-edge graphics, the Series S delivers smooth 60+ fps without breaking the bank.

Patient players: If you don‘t need to play all new releases immediately, Game Pass provides a huge catalog of games for cheap.

Second console buyers: For PlayStation or PC owners seeking a solid Xbox complement, the Series S is a smart sidekick.

Xbox fans: Existing Xbox gamers gain affordable access to new exclusives and backward compatible titles.

Non-4K display owners: If playing on a 1440p monitor or 1080p TV, the cheaper Series S isn‘t sacrificing much graphical fidelity.

However, the Series S is harder to recommend for:

Visual quality obsessives: If you demand cutting-edge 4K/60fps performance and ultra fidelity, get the Xbox Series X or high-end gaming PC instead.

Hardcore gamers: For 200GB game library completists or those wanting consistent 4K, the small 512GB SSD is very limiting.

Physical media faithful: If you only buy disc-based games and want to resell titles after finishing them, the discless Series S won‘t suffice.

The Verdict

The Xbox Series S brings legitimate next-generation gaming performance into an affordable $299 package. For budget-minded gamers, or those seeking a Game Pass-fueled Xbox companion console, it‘s a superb value. While graphical capabilities and storage don‘t match the premium consoles, the experience dramatically leapfrogs the aging Xbox One generation.

In 2023 and beyond, the Xbox Series S stands tall as the little budget console that could. If you‘re seeking the lowest cost way to enjoy faster loading, higher framerates, quick resume and Xbox exclusives, it gets a full recommendation. But hardcore gamers wanting uncompromised 4K gaming and storage should still set their sights on the Xbox Series X or PC space.