Launched in November 2020 alongside the more powerful Xbox Series X, the Series S features a custom AMD octa-core CPU clocked at 3.6 GHz alongside 10 GB of GDDR5 memory and a custom RDNA 2 GPU with 20 compute units. The entry-level Series S is clocked slower than the Xbox Series X, has less memory and a far less powerful GPU. What’s more, it has just half the storage space of its bigger brother - 512 GB of flash storage versus 1TB - and lacks an optical disc drive. Fortunately, there are provisions for expansion should you require more space.
The Series S is ideal for 1440p gaming, Microsoft claims. If you desire 4K resolution, the Series X is the better choice. Game support could become an issue down the road, but it’s not a problem right now. Both consoles can play the same games, so it really comes down to how much performance and eye candy you’re looking for. Image credit courtesy Louis-Philippe Poitras, Mika Baumeister