But if you choose to spring for those savings, how much are you actually giving up?

Related:Xbox Series X vs. Xbox Series S: Which Should You Buy?

Under the hood, both consoles use the same fundamental technology and have the same features.

A white Xbox Series X with a black controller.

Mr.Mikla/Shutterstock.com

The Series S is, therefore, a cut-down version of the X.

What’s the Series S Experience Like?

Still, those benefits are diminished asviewing distancesincrease.

Xbox Series X and Xbox Series X consoles.

ALDECA studio/Shutterstock.com

Related:What’s the Best TV Viewing Distance?

It’s important to note that games are meant to be played and not pixel-peeped.

It’s not how the experience was designed, so it’s not particularly relevant.

Xbox Series S in front of a screen showing Xbox Game Pass menu.

Miguel Lagoa/Shutterstock.com

The Series S brings all of the most important next-generation quality-of-life features along for the ride.

You get support forDolby Vision, variablerefresh ratedisplays, backward compatibility with older generation titles, and more.

Whatever the Series X offers outside of GPU power, you get with the Series X.

A Seagate Xbox Expansion Drive

Seagate

Giving Up Physical Games

One major compromise is the lack of a physical drive.

Related:Why Aren’t Digital Games Cheaper Than Physical Ones?

Game Pass and Backward Compatibility

The strongest argument for the Series S is as a dedicatedGame Passbox.

31ezuidaaeL.<em>SL500</em>

These expansion cards are the only way to increase the main storage of your Xbox Series S or X, allowing you to play more current generation games without re-downloading and deleting them.

However, you’ll most likely not need the expansion for several reasons.

This has not yet happened, but it’s a distinct possibility.

Who Should Buy a Series S?

41YzPePn9iL.<em>SL500</em>

Microsoft’s smaller current-gen console has it where it counts, and if you’re not too fussed about 4K graphics or physical games, it’s a real bargain.

In the right place, for the right purpose, the Series S has no competition at all.

It also doubles as a UHD Blu-Ray player!

21sdyqUxkKL.<em>SL500</em>

The Series X is the most powerful current-generation console and offers access to Microsoft Game Pass for a large library of subscription games out of the box. It also doubles as a UHD Blu-Ray player!