Yes, the Xbox Series S is Worth It Over the Xbox One

As an Xbox enthusiast, I can confidently say the Xbox Series S represents a very worthwhile upgrade over the Xbox One for most gamers. With dramatically faster load times, support for 120fps gaming, and a ton of power under the hood, the Series S delivers a next-gen experience at an affordable $299 price point.

Speed – The Series S Leaves Xbox One in the Dust

The most impactful upgrade with Xbox Series S is the speed. With its custom SSD, 3.6GHz Zen 2 CPU, and 10GB of GDDR6 RAM, the Series S absolutely smokes the old Jaguar processor and mechanical hard drive of the Xbox One.

Across various games, the Series S loads over 4X faster than the Xbox One S according to testing by Digital Foundry:

And game install sizes are nearly cut in half on the Series S thanks to the compression abilities of the SSD. For example, NBA 2K21 installs in 7 minutes on Series S versus 13 minutes on Xbox One X.

This means you spend less time waiting around and more time actually playing games on the Series S. As an impatient gamer myself, the huge improvements in speed alone are worth upgrading for.

Performance – Play at Higher Frame Rates

The Xbox Series S also enables gameplay at 120 frames per second (fps) versus just 60fps max on the Xbox One. This means movements in games look silky smooth and controls feel ultra responsive, giving you a competitive edge in multiplayer.

According to analysis by WindowsCentral, popular titles like Halo Infinite, Fortnite, Apex Legends, Rocket League, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Dirt 5 all support 120fps modes on the Series S.

For competitive fast-paced games especially, the jump from 60fps to 120fps is game-changing and absolutely worth upgrading for in my opinion. It just feels so much more responsive.

Power – 4X More Processing Muscle

While the Xbox Series S costs only $299, it still packs a custom 8-core Zen 2 CPU clocked at 3.6GHz. This CPU delivers around 4 times the processing power of the aged 8-core Jaguar CPU inside the Xbox One according to Digital Foundry.

When combined with the SSD speeds, this huge CPU performance uplift enables things like vastly faster load times, quick resume for suspending multiple games, and more advanced AI behavior in games.

So for the same $299 you‘d pay for an Xbox One S, the Series S gives you enormously improved speed and performance that truly feels next-gen. That‘s pretty incredible value in my opinion.

Visuals – Ray Tracing and Beyond

Now the Xbox Series S is aimed at 1440p gaming rather than 4K. But with its modern RDNA 2 graphics processor, it still delivers visual enhancements over the Xbox One.

For starters, the Series S supports real-time ray tracing for realistic lighting and reflections in games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. This cutting-edge effect is not possible on Xbox One.

According to analysis by VG Tech, the Series S also provides much improved texture filtering quality over Xbox One X in titles like Dirt 5.

While not as powerful as Xbox Series X, the S still provides visual improvements from lighting to textures versus Xbox One that make games more immersive. When playing at 1440p on a good monitor or upscaled to a 4K TV, games look beautiful.

Backwards Compatibility – Play Thousands More Games

One underrated benefit of the Xbox Series S is it can play thousands of original Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One games through backwards compatibility.

The Xbox One lacks compatibility with original Xbox titles. And analysis by Digital Foundry found certain Xbox 360 games like Fallout 3 run with higher framerates and improved stability on Series S.

So not only can you play 3 generations of Xbox games on the Series S, many receive nice enhancements you don‘t get on Xbox One. As someone who loves retro gaming, this huge library of thousands of games spanning 20 years makes the Series S an amazing value.

Game Pass – Get Access to 100+ Games

With Game Pass included, the Xbox Series S grants access to over 100 downloadable games spanning Xbox studio titles, AAA blockbusters, and indies.

Game Pass is more limited on the Xbox One, with no support for cloud gaming. And new Xbox exclusives like Starfield are coming day one to Game Pass on Series S.

For the cost of a single game, Game Pass gives you endless entertainment options. Combine that with the Series S for $299, and you‘ve got an affordable all-you-can-play Xbox gaming package.

Convenience – Small Size, Digital Games

The Xbox Series S has the smallest footprint of any Xbox console, clocking in at just 4.25in x 5.9in. So it easily fits under TVs and into tight entertainment centers.

With no disc drive, games are purchased digitally on the Series S. While you miss out on used physical games, the convenience of downloading games without swapping discs is nice. And prices on digital game stores are competitive these days.

Between the tiny size and all-digital capabilities, the Series S is perfect for minimalist gamers like myself.

Supply – No Shortages Like Xbox Series X

As of January 2023, the Xbox Series X still remains difficult to find in stock. But Microsoft seems to have ramped up production of the Series S, making it easy to purchase online or pick up in stores for $299.

So if you‘ve struggled to track down an Xbox Series X, the S provides next-gen gaming performance in a readily available package.

Downsides to Consider

Of course, the Xbox Series S isn‘t perfect. Here are some of the downsides to weigh:

• The built-in 512GB SSD is inadequate. Once you factor in the OS, you only get 364GB of usable space. Storage expansion cards cost a hefty $219.99 for 1TB.

• No disc drive means you can‘t buy used physical games or watch Blu-Rays.

• Max resolution is 1440p, whereas the Xbox One X supported 4K. For large screen 4K TVs, 1440p upscaled may look a little soft.

• Not as future-proof as the Xbox Series X. The less powerful GPU may struggle with very demanding games later in the console lifecycle.

Verdict – The Xbox Series S is an Excellent Value Next-Gen Upgrade

While it doesn‘t compete with the Xbox Series X‘s raw power, the Xbox Series S still provides a compelling next-gen gaming experience.

For Xbox One owners especially, the 4X faster load times, support for 120fps gameplay, significantly improved processing power and visuals, backwards compatibility enhancements, and small size add up to a very meaningful upgrade for just $299.

Factor in the huge library of Game Pass, and the Series S offers tremendous value. Its limitations around storage, resolution, and disc drive may be dealbreakers for some. But for the average gamer, the Xbox Series S is an affordable path to enjoying the benefits of current-gen gaming.