Super Saver Xbox Review

Xbox: Civil War

Whenever the latest console generation arrives, people immediately start arguing about which is best. What’s different this time, however, is that Microsoft has lobbed two grenades into the mix. WILD. 

If you’re torn for which console best suits your needs, read the inspirational story of why I ended up with a shiny new Xbox Series S – and a lot more left of my paycheque – instead of the all-singing, all-dancing, Series X. 

Price vs. Performance? 

The Xbox Series S comes in at a frankly unbelievable £249.99 RRP – paid in full, that’s £200 cheaper than its bigger brother. So how can Microsoft justify the massive price gap? Well, the X is definitely a higher-end proposition – it’s more powerful, it has more inbuilt memory, and it has a disc drive. Here’s how those key differences will (or won’t) affect your gaming experience:

• Xbox Series X
• Xbox Series S

Power 

Both consoles are capable of running at 120 frames-per-second (fps) but the S aims for 1440p resolution while the X shoots for 4k. If you go looking for one, there is a noticeable difference in visuals between the two boxes but it’s the difference between great and fantastic. The S looks better than any console I’d played… until the X.

Memory 

With 512GB SSD to play with, you should be able to get five games installed on your Series S at the same time provided they aren’t all gargantuan sandbox sagas like Red Dead Redemption 2. That’s not a whole lot if you like jumping around between titles. Conversely, the X has 1TB of room and that can hold north of 15 games at once. Personally, I had no problems with the smaller memory. I don’t like to play more than a couple of story-driven games concurrently, so I was happy to swap games out week to week. That left plenty of space for online staples as multiplayer shooters and sports games are typically a little smaller.

Disc vs no disc

If you have your eye on future bargains, this is where the X comes out on top. Because the Series S has no disc drive, you won’t ever be able to buy games second-hand. That means buying them exclusively through the online store, where you’ll be at the mercy of Bill Gates’ discount policy or going through subscription services like Game Pass. More on that below.

Subscribe and Save

Xbox Game Pass is absurdly good value for money. For a paltry £7.99 a month(!), at time of writing, you get access to 350+ games ready for download at any time. It’s not just stuff they can’t shift, either. In my first week, I played enough Dishonored 2 and Skyrim that my electricity bill probably outstripped my gaming per hour. With EA Play thrown into the mix, you can play all of last year’s massive sports franchises alongside the best of the recent Star Wars games and many others.

Verdict

Don’t worry, I haven’t changed my mind since four paragraphs back. The Xbox Series X is definitely better overall. HOWEVER, for my £449.99, I’ve got a console that takes up less room and more than two years of HD gaming ahead of me. The Xbox Series S is by far the best affordable gaming option out there. Besides, if you were in the market for the most powerful and ground-breaking gaming experience possible, you’d be reading a blog about PC gaming.

Where to buy

I got my Series S from Very.co.uk as part of a package deal that featured 2 controllers, 2 years of insurance cover, and 3 months free access to Game Pass Ultimate. I’d strongly recommend checking out their deals and other ones like it. A lot of retailers have struggled for stock due to overwhelming demand.

A great way to find the best deal is to use a price comparison service, such as PriceSpy, finding the best deals in real time. You’re smart about shopping for an Xbox, so be smart about how much you pay as well.