We’re now four years into this generation of video game consoles (…christ), which means we’re entering into a period of mid-generation upgrades. The PS5 Pro is right around the corner, offering a slew of new technological features, while the Xbox Series is – for now at least – aiming for a more modest approach. It’s offering upgrades to internal storage as a priority, and saving the “big” upgrades for… well, perhaps next year sometime?
Regardless of the marketing and timing tactics, the new Xbox Series lineup offers three compelling new additions to the collection – the Xbox Series X – 2 TB Galaxy Black Special Edition, the Xbox Series X – 1 TB Digital Edition, and the Xbox Series S – 1 TB. This means there are now essentially five different options on the market for those looking to join the Xbox Series family.
Our mates at Xbox ANZ were kind enough to send over an Xbox Series S – 1 TB for us to test out, and it still manages to pack a punch; I’d go as far as to say that it’s the best value entry-level console on the market.
It’s worth mentioning that the guts of the Xbox Series S – 1 TB remain the same; other than the increased SSD, you’ll get the same machine that was already available, complete with all the swanky Xbox Series features you’d want. As a reminder, the core difference between the Xbox Series S and its big monolithic brother is the reduced resolution, hitting a maximum of 1440p and only 4 Teraflops of processing power (compared with 12). Everything else – the Xbox Velocity Architecture (allowing games to load faster), Quick Resume (so you can easily pick up multiple games where you left off), DirectX Raytracing, and access to the ridiculously good value that is Xbox Game Pass – is included, as per normal.
“…in the cost-of-living times we find ourselves in, investing in a game console is a massive commitment.”
It’s also $150 cheaper than the Xbox Series X 1 TB Digital Edition and $250 cheaper than the Xbox Series X OG with the disc drive. That’s no small amount; in the cost-of-living times we find ourselves in, investing in a game console is a massive commitment. It’s fair to say that this is targeting two camps; the first is those who already have a PS5 or Nintendo Switch and want to add a high-value Xbox Game Pass machine to their lineup, and the second is casual folk who want to get into video games but don’t want to spend over $750 just to get some skin in the game.
In my initial review of the Xbox Series X four years ago, I said “Games load faster, look better, feel smoother with more consistent frame rates and overall make for the slickest, easiest gaming I’ve ever experienced. When you pair all of that with the always-inspiring line-up of Xbox Game Pass and thinking about the potential exclusives that Xbox has up their sleeve, this generation is set to be the most competitive one to date. To put it bluntly: for Xbox One owners, it’s absolutely worth the upgrade. If you’ve never owned an Xbox before? Now is the perfect time to jump in.”
This sentiment still rings true. Even though the Xbox Series S is technically less powerful than the Xbox Series X, I didn’t find this to be noticeable to the naked eye. Sure, you can look at side-by-side comparisons, split hairs over resolution and argue that the Xbox Series X is better… but if that’s you, the Xbox Series S probably wouldn’t be your first choice to begin with. For everybody else, it does the trick nicely.
That does sort of confuse the argument when it comes to needing more storage. Casual entry-level gamer folk surely aren’t fussed over an extra 500GB, right?
Well, that may be true, except for the fact that some truly amazing current-gen titles that are being heavily promoted on Xbox Game Pass require a tonne of storage space just to exist on your device. For example, if you’re keen to check out the buzz of one of the biggest gaming franchises in the entire world, downloading and installing the newly released Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and everything it has to offer easily sets you back 150-200GB, depending on if you want to take on the battlefield in Warzone.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is a beast at over 100GB, considering all of its real-world data it includes, and we expect the 2024 edition will be the same, even if you just want to be a tourist and not a pilot. If you’re looking at tackling some of the bigger loved brands in Xbox’s first-party catalogue, Gears, Halo and Forza are also storage hogs. Then, you have Elder Scrolls Online for the MMORPG fans, weighing in at over 100GB, plus Fortnite and Destiny 2 upping the free-to-play stakes with similar sizes. TLDR; pretty much only four of these games fill up a whole Xbox Series S 512 GB, without even blinking.
The Xbox Series S – 1 TB is only $50 more, and it doubles this storage size, meaning those big games aren’t going to cause so much of an issue. Of course, the argument can be made that you can uninstall and reinstall whenever you like, but when you’re home from a long day in the office and you have a craving, nobody has time to sit through a 100GB+ download. It’s unreasonable, and bloody cruel.
For me, the Xbox Series S has made for a nice addition to my home office, nestled under my second TV (it’s still a bit cute, fitting in the palm of my hand), offering a new place in my home to get some game-time in. That saves me from leaving my desk on a busy day, getting a quick round of Black Ops 6 in to clear my head between meetings, or even giving me an alternative to game on when my husband is in the loungeroom watching a home reno show. I’ve loaded it with indies from my shame pile, and it’s been lovely to have the opportunity to work through them. I guess that’s the third target audience; gamer nerds like me who want to have current-gen gaming in another spot in the house, but don’t want to drop close to a grand to do it.
With more than enough room for some hefty downloads and the ability to be part of this console generation at a cheaper entry price, the Xbox Series S – 1 TB makes for a lovely middle ground, and comes with a strong recommendation from me if you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option to play some truly epic games.
You can check out the full line-up of Xbox Series consoles here.
Xbox ANZ provided Checkpoint Gaming with an Xbox Series S – 1 TB for the purpose of this review.
About the Author
Luke Mitchell
he/him
Luke spends his time making radio, playing video games, binge-watching TV, getting unreasonably invested in wrestling, hosting bear events and hanging out with his beautiful pets.
