What are the disadvantages of Xbox Series S?

The Xbox Series S offers next-gen gaming at an affordable $299 price point. But this budget-friendly option does come with some significant downsides to weigh before you buy.

In this comprehensive guide from an avid gamer and tech specialist, I‘ll outline the key disadvantages of the Xbox Series S to help you decide if it‘s truly worth it for your needs.

In a Nutshell: The 5 Biggest Weaknesses

If I had to sum up the Xbox Series S‘s main flaws in a few words, I‘d say:

• Not enough storage space
• Lower 1440p resolution
• No disc drive
• Less power than the Xbox Series X
• Concerns over its longevity

Let‘s dive deeper into each of these limitations so you can buy with confidence.

1. The Tiny 364GB of Storage Fills Up Quickly

The Xbox Series S ships with a 512GB solid state drive (SSD), but you only get 364GB of usable storage out of the box. That‘s because the operating system and system files take up space.

This paltry amount of usable storage is one of the biggest pitfalls of the Series S. Next-gen games often exceed 50GB, some even hitting 100GB+. With only 364GB available, you‘ll likely fit between 6-10 full games before needing to delete or offload some.

To give you an idea of how limited this is:

• Xbox Series X has 802GB usable – over double the storage.
• PS5 has 667GB usable – 83% more storage.
• Even the 4 year old Xbox One X had more usable storage at 580GB.

Filling up your Series S quickly is pretty much inevitable if you play more than a handful of games. And expanding the storage isn‘t cheap – the 1TB Seagate expansion card costs a hefty $220.

You‘ll Need to Juggle Games Constantly

Once you fill up that measly 364GB, you‘ll have to juggle what games you keep installed. I hope you like redownloading and deleting games constantly as you switch between them!

An external hard drive can help, but you can only store Xbox One and older games on external drives. Next-gen Series S/X games must run on the internal SSD or expansion card.

For Comparison, Here‘s How Many Games Fit on Each Console:

Console	Usable Storage	Approx. Games Capacity
Xbox Series S	364GB	6-10 games
Xbox Series X	802GB	16-20 games
PS5	667GB	14-18 games

As you can see, the Series S can hold far fewer games before you‘ll need to start making sacrifices. For context, my PS5 currently has 15 downloaded games sitting at around 50% full. That same library would overwhelm the Series S!

2. 1440p Resolution is a Step Down from 4K

The Xbox Series X boasts native 4K gaming, while the cheaper Series S maxes out at 1440p resolution. Some games do support upscaling to 4K on the Series S, but you won‘t get the full benefit of your 4K TV.

Here‘s how the graphics compare between Xbox and PlayStation‘s latest consoles:

• Xbox Series X: Native 4K at 60FPS
• Xbox Series S: Max 1440p at 60FPS, can upscale to 4K
• PlayStation 5: Native 4K at up to 120FPS

Make no mistake, 1440p is still a big step up from the Xbox One‘s 1080p. But the Series S doesn‘t fully unlock the visual potential of today‘s high-end 4K displays.

You‘ll Notice Lower Details and Textures

The drop to 1440p also means you‘ll get lower resolution textures compared to the 4K-ready consoles. Developers may cut back on details and effects on the Series S versions of games.

Digital Foundry found that games like Dirt 5 have worse reflections and smoke effects on the Series S. While not dealbreakers, it shows the visual compromises of its weaker specs.

% of TV Households with 4K TVs Reached Over 35% in 2021

4K TV adoption keeps growing exponentially. Per Statista, over 35% of U.S. households owned a 4K TV as of 2021. Chances are your living room is 4K-ready for the Series X or PS5, but not the Series S.

3. Having No Disc Drive Can be Limiting

The Xbox Series S ditches physical media entirely as a 100% digital console. You have to download and purchase all your games digitally.

Going all-digital may sound convenient. But losing the disc drive means:

• No reselling/trading in games
• No buying cheap used games
• No borrowing games from friends
• No watching Blu-rays or DVDs

Microsoft wants to push gamers towards digital. But for those of us who still buy used games or like collecting physical copies, the Series S removes those options.

You Could Resell a $60 Game for $30, But Not Digitally

When I finish a $60 physical game, I can trade it in to GameStop and get $20-30 back, effectively reducing the cost. That‘s impossible on the all-digital Series S – you‘re stuck with every game you buy forever.

4. It‘s Nowhere Near as Powerful as the Series X

For $200 more than the Series S, the Xbox Series X is a true gaming beast. It leaves the Series S in the dust in terms of raw power and performance.

Here‘s how the specs compare between Microsoft‘s two new consoles:

Component	Xbox Series X	Xbox Series S
Processor	3.8 GHz	3.6 GHz
Graphics	12.15 TFLOPS	4 TFLOPS
Memory	16GB	10GB

The Series S is still a major step up from the Xbox One. But on paper the Series X is in another league for just $200 more.

The Series X Has 3X the Graphics Processing Power

Looking at the specs above, the area where the Series S falls far behind the X is its 4 TFLOP graphics processor. The Series X pumps out over 3X the processing power at 12 TFLOPS.

Such a massive difference in graphics muscle understandably worried some reviewers about the S falling behind visually – especially later in its lifespan.

5. It‘s Unclear How "Future Proof" the Series S Is

Between the budget price, lower resolution, and less power, questions linger over how well the Xbox Series S will hold up over time. There are concerns about:

• New games eventually struggling to run on it
• Short 364GB of storage being unable to fit large next-gen games in a few years
• Weak GPU quickly becoming outdated

Developers have already said they may need to cut back texture quality on Series S over time. So how will it cope with super demanding games 3-4 years from now?

The PS4 Pro Has Aged Better Than the Base PS4

As a point of reference, the PS4 Pro with its stronger specs has aged noticeably better than the base PS4. The Pro maintains 60FPS and visual effects in newer games that push the regular PS4 to its limits.

This demonstrates how underpowered specs can struggle quicker as developers only optimize so much for weaker hardware.

My Advice – It Depends on Your Needs as a Gamer

I hope this detailed breakdown gives you a better understanding of the Xbox Series S‘s limitations compared to the Series X and PS5.

Ultimately, is the Series S worth it? That depends on your needs:

• Casual gamers on a budget – Worth considering
• Hardcore gamers wanting top performance – Go with Series X or PS5
• Those with large physical game libraries – Probably not ideal due to no disc drive
• Players who value 4K visuals – Series S won‘t benefit your 4K TV

I recommend the Xbox Series S primarily for casual gamers who don‘t need the highest end performance and are fine with digital-only. For everyone else, it‘s probably worth spending more on the Xbox Series X or PS5 to get the full next-gen experience.

Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m happy to offer my insight as an avid gamer and tech enthusiast to help you make the right choice.