Xbox Series S: Specs, 4K, loads. Our final verdict

The difference of € 200 between the two Xbox Next-Gen is important (€ 150 if we count the Xbox Series S 1TO), and it will be up to everyone to weigh the pros and cons of these two machines to find out if this difference is justified To pass the CAP from the purchase.

Xbox Series X VS Xbox Series S: which console to choose ?

Two new Xbox consoles have been available since the end of 2020: Xbox Series X and Xbox Series Sries. One is offered at a very affordable price and the other was created to satisfy players looking for the best performance. What are the differences between Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S ? Which console to choose according to your needs ? We had time to enjoy the two Xboxes for two years now, and we help you make your choice with this complete guide !

Summary

• Xbox Series X VS Xbox Series S: two different targets
• Xbox Series S: advantages and disadvantages
• Xbox Series X: advantages and disadvantages
• What is the best Xbox to chose in the end ?

Xbox Series X VS Xbox Series S: two different targets

The Xbox Series X is the most powerful Xbox. It has all the components necessary to run as many games as possible in native 4K resolution in 60 images per second (or even 120) with many additional technologies to make games ever more pretty and immersive.

The Xbox Series S is also an Xbox Next-Gen but less powerful, cut to run the games in 1440p resolution. The latter does not include a disk player and is entirely dedicated to dematerialized content.

Both consoles have SSD storage allowing very fast loading. The Xbox Series X has a storage space of 1TO while the Xbox Series S offers half less, 512 GB. Only the Xbox Series S, sold more expensive, offers a storage of 1TB.

XBOX SERIES XBOX SERIES SERIES S: The TECHNICAL SPECS Table

Here are the characteristics of the two Xbox consoles and their differences. We note that it is above all the power that distinguishes them, and that the main visual difference is at the level of the absence of disc reader on the Xbox Series Sries.

Xbox Series X	Xbox Series S
CPU	8 Cores AMD Zen 2 @ 3.8 GHz	8 Cores AMD Zen 2 @ 3.8 GHz
Gpu	AMD RDNA 2 52 CUS @ 1.825 GHz	AMD RDNA 2 20 CUS @ 1.565 GHz
GPU power	12.15 Tflops	4 tflops
Sock	Custom Soc engraved in 7nm	Custom Soc engraved in 7nm
Ram	16GB – 10GB at 560gb/s and 6GB at 336 GB/S	10GB 8GB at 224gb/s and 2GB at 56GB/s
Target	4K in 60fps, up to 120 fps	1440p in 60fps, up to 120 fps
Audio	Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, Dolby Truehd with Atmos, L-PCM, up to 7.1	Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, Dolby Truehd with Atmos, L-PCM, up to 7.1
Storage	SSD PCIe Gen 4 of 1TO	SSD PCIe Gen 4 of 512 GB or 1TO
Extension	Memory card 512GB/1TO/2TO	Memory card 512GB/1TO/2TO
Can read games in disk format	Yes	No
Can read movies Blu Ray	Yes	No
Stream and 4K 60 FPS recording	Yes	No
HDMI output	HDMI 2.1	HDMI 2.1
HDMI 2 possibilities.1	Auto low latency mode, variable refresh rais, AMD freesync	Auto low latency mode, variable refresh rais, AMD freesync
Internal food	Yes	Yes
Xbox Game Pass compatible	Yes	Yes
Ray Tracing Hardware	Yes	Yes
Auto low latency mode	Yes	Yes
Variable Refresh Rate	Yes	Yes
Variable Rate Shading	Yes	Yes
Xbox One Retrocmpatibility	Yes	Yes
Xbox 360 Retrocompatibility	Yes	Yes
Original Xbox Retrocompatibility	Yes	Yes
Accessories retrocmpatibility	Yes	Yes
Function Quick Resume in play	Yes	Yes
Smart Delivery support	Yes	Yes
Dolby Vision compatible	Yes	Yes
Dolby True HD compatible with Atmos	Yes	Yes
Cloud backups	Yes	Yes
Stream 4K Netflix, Amazon, Disney, etc	Yes	Yes
Its space	Yes	Yes
8K HDR video	Yes	Yes
Eligible for the Xbox All Access	Yes	Yes
Ports	3x USB 3.1 Gen 1, 1x HDMI 2.1, ethernet. 802.3 10/100/1000	3x USB 3.1 Gen 1, 1x HDMI 2.1, ethernet. 802.3 10/100/1000
Wireless	Wi-Fi 5 802.11ac Dual Band	Wi-Fi 5 802.11ac Dual Band
Size	301mm x151mm x 151mm	275mm x151mm x 63.5 mm
Pack content	Console + controller + HDMI cable + power cable	Console + controller + HDMI cable + power cable
Weight	4.44 kg	1.92 kg
Exit	November 10, 2020	November 10, 2020
Price with Xbox All Access	€ 32.99/month for 2 years	€ 24.99/month for 2 years
Price	€ 499.99	€ 299.99

Different powers for different graphics rendering

On paper, the Xbox Series has been able to run Next-Gen games with technologies such as Ray Tracing or the Refresh variable rates up to 120 Hz since it is designed on the same architecture as the Xbox Series X, called Xbox Velocity Architecture.

As the painting shows, it is above all the resolution supported in play which is different between the two Xboxes. This means that the same game benefits from more “fine” graphics on Xbox Series X compared to the same game on Xbox Series S since Xbox Series X is able to manage more detailed textures. This is what we were able to confirm in our tests. According to Microsoft, the Xbox Series X is even able to manage an 8K resolution, even if no game supporting this resolution has yet been announced at the moment.

The fact remains that the Xbox Series will provide anywhere a video signal at the outlet in 1440p definition, which means that it will make a scale (UPSCAL) to the TV from an image of lower resolution. The Xbox Series S upscal seemed to us effective in our tests.

The Xbox Series S is therefore positioned with a power lower than the Xbox Series X, but greater than an Xbox One X thanks to its RDNA 2 architecture allowing it a much better efficiency of these components than under the old Xbox One architecture. The two consoles also have a definite advantage that the Xbox One X does not have: SSD storage in direct communication with the GPU and unprecedented transfer rates on console.

Xbox Velocity Architecture Xbox Vault, this SSD allows Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S to support all exclusive games to the new generation taking advantage of this technology, in addition to considerably reducing the loading times of games. While we arrive at the end of the Xbox One generation, it is necessary today to change our console to continue to enjoy the new games on Xbox, game in the cloud apart.

Xbox Series S: advantages and disadvantages

Here we read the assets and weaknesses of the Xbox Series S after spending almost two years with the smallest Xbox never designed. For more details and comparisons on the console, do not hesitate to read our Xbox Series S tests, released at the launch of the machine, which remains much more complete.

Advantages of the Xbox Series S

The price

First very visible advantage of the Xbox Series S: its price. The console is officially sold at the public price of € 299.99 in version 512 GB, or € 200 less than the Xbox Series X. If you do not need more storage space, this price is really attractive from a purely financial point of view, especially since it is now possible to find the console at a rate even lower in a way very regular. Version 1TO is sold € 349.99.

SSD type storage

The type of storage of the Xbox Series S is exactly the same as that of the Series X. Whether for the start of the console, navigation in its interface or the loading time of games, the performance will be identical from one machine to another.

His design goes everywhere

At the end of the cardboard, the Xbox Series impressed by its compactness, and it can be an advantage for some, because it becomes de facto easier to place in any piece of furniture, whether in a vertical or horizontal position.

We have also noticed, the white console is also much less sensitive to fingerprints if it is compared to the Xbox Series Xbox. The machine is also very silent and is more like a multimedia box sober than a product dedicated to gaming.

VRR, 120 FPS and other technical advantages

The Xbox Series S is less powerful than the Xbox Series X, but with its processor, its SSD and its similar architecture, it still manages to manage the technical innovations such as the 120 FPS, the VRR or the Ray Tracing, at least on paper, because all the games do not support it.

Disadvantages of the Xbox Series S

Ray Tracing and 60 FPS often inaccessible on Xbox Series S

If Microsoft promised an identical gaming experience on Xbox Series S, but only at a lower resolution, it is clear that more than two years later, the basic promise is not held. As we saw in our dedicated article, the Xbox Series has often devoid of features such as Ray Tracing, 60 FPS or 120 FPS on the latest games released.

Deathloop, GTA V Next-Gen, Saints Row, Gotham Knights, The Callisto Protocol, Hogwarts Legacy, The Witcher 3 or Elden Ring, are among the titles released in recent months not allowing the Ray Tracing on Xbox Series S, While it is meaning on Xbox Series X.

Regarding the 60 or 120 FPS modes available on many games, the observation is generally the same. Most of the latest games do not offer performance modes on Xbox Series S. Among the latest examples, we find Star Wars Jedi: Survivor or even Plague Tale: Requiem.

No disk player

Although this makes it possible to lower its price, the absence of disc reader of the Xbox Series Ss should not be overlooked if you want to reuse the physical games that you have today, but also the games in disk format that You will not be able to buy tomorrow.

It will be necessary to buy games in digital online format, and it will therefore be impossible to take advantage of the promotions that for example large areas on games when they release.

A digital game sold on the Xbox Store when it comes out is generally displayed at € 69.99 when it is easily found at € 10 or 15 € cheaper at other merchants in physical format. Many games are also now sold € 79.99, such as Xbox exclusives like Redfall, which represents a hell of a difference in the budget just for the purchase of 5 games.

Of course, it is also impossible to use a used game on Xbox Series S.

A small storage space

The storage space of the classic Xbox Series is half as important as that of the Xbox Series X since it is 512 GB instead of 1 to. By subtracting the part reserved for the console operating system, only 364 GB of free remains to install games and applications, which is not huge. You can install 7 50 GB games each. To benefit from a storage of 1TB, you must buy the Xbox Series S Black at € 349.99.

Some games are obviously less large, but others are much more so, as we advance in the generation. For example, Forza Horizon 5 weighs more than 100 GB on Xbox Series S, or almost a third of the console storage space.

To increase the SSD storage of the machine, you will have to buy a very expensive SSD Xbox memory card, even if the arrival of competing cards has slightly drops the prices. Today, it takes at least 165 € to add 1TB of storage on Xbox. The invoice rises right away at once, especially if you plan to install many games with an Xbox Game Pass subscription.

Retrocompatible Xbox games less beautiful than on the previous Xbox

Retrocompatible games optimized for Xbox Series X | S are prettier than on Xbox One. Nevertheless, for all those who do not have dedicated optimization, it is the version of the very first Xbox One which is playable on Xbox Series S, and not the Xbox One X version.

This means little detailed textures and fewer effects on the screen. If you play games optimized for Xbox One X today and which are not specifically optimized for Series S, they will be less pretty on the latter than on your current console.

Xbox Series X: advantages and disadvantages

Here we read the assets and weaknesses of the Xbox Series X after spending more than two years with the most powerful of the Xbox available ! For more details on what the console is capable of, do not hesitate to read our Xbox Series X test which remains much more complete, and which has comparative images.

Advantages of Xbox Series X

A powerful console

If you are looking for the best Xbox console, it is simply to Xbox Series X that you have to turn. This is the most powerful of Next-Gen consoles. It has 12 tflops of power to run the games in native 4K resolution up to 120 Hz, in HDR and with Ray Tracing and other technological new features to make games ever more beautiful and fluid.

Coupled with a 4K HDMI 2 TV.1, you can fully enjoy all the technical innovations offered by the console.

A silent console

The Xbox Series X may be very powerful, it is nonetheless a silent console. The console makes no noise and is completely inaudible when you are on the sofa. It can be heard slightly only when it reads a disc since it is a mechanical action, but no embarrassing noise is noticeable, even two years after the output of the machine.

The disk player

Unlike the Xbox Series S, you can read your films in Blu-Ray 4K format on Xbox Series X, continue to enjoy your digital and physical games, and enjoy the often more interesting promotions when the new physical games are released.

As we saw above, with these promotions, you can save between € 10 and 15 € on each big new release and resell your game please.

SSD type storage

The type of storage of the Xbox Series X is exactly the same as that of the Series S. It allows equally fast loads, whether it is the start of the console, navigation in its interface or the loading time of games.

Disadvantages of Xbox Series X

Games are missing to demonstrate its power

Difficult to find a drawback today at Xbox Series X as a console. If there is, however, a point that grieves for the moment, it is clearly the lack of play that sends us a graphic slap in the face. Microsoft is still struggling to keep a satisfactory outing pace of his AAA games, and we sometimes feel a certain frustration of having invested in a “Next-Gen” console without play First Party operating its capacity.

Third party games less well optimized than on PS5

If the lack of exclusivity is felt over the years, we also often notice that the games of third -party publishers are less well optimized on Xbox Series X compared to the PS5, its direct competitor.

As we can see in the technical analyzes of Digital Foundry, Hogwarts Legacy, Atomic Heart or Resident Evil 4 run in particular better on PS5 than on Xbox Series X.

It is the same for Ghostwire: Tokyo which nevertheless released on Xbox Series X after the acquisition of the studio by Microsoft.

Xbox Series X VS Xbox Series S: What is the best Xbox to choose ?

If you have read this entire article, we now hope you are able to make your own mind about the best Xbox Choosing according to your needs and habits of playing.

Buy the Xbox Series X If you play used games or if you plan to continue playing and buying games in physical format. Choose the Xbox Series X if you also want to have maximum power to get the most out of future video games, and take full view with the best graphics, without any compromise.

Buy the Xbox Series S If you want above all to take advantage of the Xbox Game Pass games, which you do not have physical games and do not plan to buy a lot of games at full price on the Microsoft Store.

If the quality of the retrocompatibility does not matter to you and the graphics are not your priority, this Xbox Series S could seduce you, because it still improves the games that are optimized, allows you to run all the available games on the market , and have a new generation console at low prices.

The difference of € 200 between the two Xbox Next-Gen is important (€ 150 if we count the Xbox Series S 1TO), and it will be up to everyone to weigh the pros and cons of these two machines to find out if this difference is justified To pass the CAP from the purchase.

Also remember that Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S can be purchased via Xbox All Access, which allows you to offer an Xbox Series X | S via a monthly payment spread over 24 months. This program also includes the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.

Do not hesitate to share in comment the reason why you preferred one or the other of these two Xbox Next-Gen, and what is your balance sheet more two years after the console, in order to refer to the better other readers !

Xboxygen Xbox Series S

Xbox Serie S 4K

After having pierced the mysteries of the Xbox Series X for several thematic articles, we can finally lift the veil on the mysterious series S. Capable of holding in any backpack, the Next-Gen console sold at 299.99 euros has the promise to deliver experiences turned towards the future without displaying them in Ultra High Definition. A positioning that can challenge core gamers as much as it has the opportunity to seduce the general public. It is still necessary that the system manages to keep its initial commitment: to give the thrill of the new generation by ignoring only on 4K.

Our final verdict of the Xbox Series S

For the official release of the Xbox Series S, we update our opinion originally released on November 5, 2020. We recall that certain elements of the console can still change with future updates.

Xbox Series S: Our opinion on the little Next-Gen of Microsoft before its launch.

In conquered terrain

During the minutes following the first ignition of the small console, nothing seems to distinguish on the screen the Xbox Series S of the Xbox Series Xbox Series. The initial configuration requires the same steps, the interface is identical and the options do not move. The two systems are however very different, starting with their FORM FACTOR. Like the Xbox One S, the new Microsoft entry -level machine has a white dress that effectively absorbs fingerprints. Its facade reveals a rounded black grid covering the fan. This design, which should be integrated into most interiors thanks to its discretion, recalls that of the adaptive controller. 60 % more compact than series X, The series is enjoyed by dimensions Passe-Partout (27.5 cm x 15.1 cm x 6.5 cm) for a weight making it easy to transport (1.9 kg, against 4.45 kg for the premium model). If the Xbox One controllers work well on the machine, Kinect is not recognized. Softs using the accessory cannot therefore be launched, unless they have a playable mode without the sensor, like D4 .

Deprived of optical readers, the system is above all designed for those who have no problem with the download of games. In other words, an audience ready to indulge in the joys of the Game Pass and the XCloud (which could soon happen on the system). Thanks to its HDMI 2 output.1, its three USB 3 ports.1, its Ethernet port as well as its extension port for external SSD NVME storage, the machine has the same connection (on the front as at the rear) as the X series. Be careful however, the HDMI cable provided in the box is in 2.0, unlike 2.1 Delivered in the Series X box. If you want to benefit from the refresh variable miss on your compatible television, you will have to think about finding another cable. The power cord is strictly identical to that of Series X (a length of 150 cm). Finally, the Xbox Series controller offered in the cardboard has a nice seasonal white. Contrary to what we had known with the One in 2013, no micro-cashe is included in the box. As a reminder, The Xbox Series thought to benefit from the advantages of its big sister draped in black, such as shortened loading times and welcome features linked to the Quick Resume.

Xbox Series S	Xbox Series X
Boot time (after stirring)	21S	19s
Forza Horizon 4 launch time (up to the home screen)	18s	20s
Gears Tactics launch time (up to the home screen)	15s	16s
Gears 5 launch time (up to the home screen)	42s	40s
The launch time of The Falconeer (up to the home screen)	14s	12s
Dirt 5 launch time (up to the home screen)	16s	20s
Sea of ​​Thieves launch time (up to the home screen)	19s	21S
Time of Quick Resume The Falconeer> Gears Tactics	14s	14.5S
Time of Quick Resume Gears Tactics> Gears 5	7.5s	9s

The times calculated in the table above include the moment when we press the game icon until we arrive on the home screen (passing the introductory screens when this is possible).

Little but strong ?

Sold below 300 euros, the Xbox Series S does not embark on its entrails the same technology as a X series sold 200 euros more expensive. Unlike a PlayStation 5 Digital Edition which sees only its optical reader disappear in favor of a milder price, the small Next-Gen of Microsoft also cuts in the power of its GPU and in the capacity of its SSD disc Internal nvme. The latter has only 364 GB usable, against 802 GB usable for that of the Series X. In other words, you can install between 7 and 11 “AAA”On your console (or 2 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War), if you do not fall for the expensive external ssd card 1TO sold at 270 euros. The Xbox Series S editions of most launch games nevertheless benefit from a lightened weight compared to the Xbox Series versions.

Xbox Series S	Xbox Series X
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla	46.8 GB	48.7 GB
Dirt 5	44.2 GB	72.5 GB
Forza Horizon 4	72 GB	82.5 GB
Gears 5	55.7 GB	72.4 GB
Gears Tactics	28.1 GB	28.1 GB
Sea of ​​Thieves	17 GB	46.6 GB
The Falconeer	1.6 GB	1.6 GB
Watch Dogs Legion	42.7 GB	42.7 GB
Yakuza: Like A Dragon	37.2 GB	74.3 GB

The promise of the Xbox Series s was to bring “The same Next-Gen experience and the same features as allowed by Xbox Series X, with only a lower resolution“According to Jason Ronald, one of the thinking heads of the project. The Microsoft machine would indeed aim to display 1440p (at 120fps maximum) in the absence of native 4K (2160p). The 4K display option remains selectable in the settings: the upscaling is content to stretch the image in order to display the content in full screen. The media, they are visualizable in UHD. A game like Ori and the Will of the Wisps still gives the opportunity to contemplate 4K on Xbox Series Sries.

Equipped with a Zen CPU 2 8 cores (turning at 3.6 GHz and 3.4 GHz) very close to that of Series X, the series S prefers to put aside the gross graphic power. The GPU of Series s delivers only 4 teraflops, against 6 teraflops for the one x and 12.15 teraflops for the series x. On paper, the configuration is able to support the RDNA 2 features such as Ray Tracing. The Sample Fedback Streaming, technology that allows you to calculate only what is useful on the screen, is also functional. The only software of this launch integrating Ray Tracing is none other than Watch Dogs Legion. In the streets of London, the objects and characters are reflected in the puddles of water, the bodywork, the windows. The challenge is therefore won: the series S and indeed capable of producing expensive Next-Gen effects.

Technical characteristics	Xbox Series S	Xbox Series X
CPU	8 cores AMD Zen 2 CPU @ 3.6GHz 3.4GHz with SMT Activated	8 AMD Zen 2 CPU @ 3.8GHz 3.6GHz with SMT activated
Gpu	AMD RDNA 2 GPU – 20 CUS @ 1.565GHz	AMD RDNA 2 GPU – 52 CUS @ 1.825GHz
GPU power	4 tflops (constant frequency)	12.15 Tflops (constant frequency)
Sock	7NM (Custom)	7NM (Custom)
Ram	10GB GDDR6 RAM – 8GB @ 224gb/s – 2GB @ 56gb/s	16GB GDDR6 RAM – 10GB @ 560 GB/S – 6GB @ 336 GB/S
Storage	512GB PCIe Gen 4 NVME SSD, 364 GB usable – 2.4GB/SEC UNT -compressed – 4.8GB/SEC compressed	1TB PCIe Gen 4 NVME SSD, 802 GB Usable – 2.4GB/SEC UNT -compressed – 4.8GB/SEC compressed
External storage	Seagate 1TB card. USB hard drive	Seagate 1TB card. USB hard drive
HDMI output	HDMI 2.1 (HDMI 2 cable.0 in the box)	HDMI 2.1 (HDMI 2 cable.1 in the box)
Optical reader	None	4K UHD compatible Blu-ray
Wi-Fi, USB	Wi-Fi 5, USB 3.1 Gen 1	Wi-Fi 5, USB 3.1 Gen 1

Despite the reassuring remarks of Jason Ronald regarding the capabilities of the machine, our tests show differences that do not only affect resolution. In Gears 5 First of all, the kinematic scenes are in 30 frames per second (against 60 on Series X), the shadows are less precise while the level of detail (LOD) is more perceptible. Regarding forza Horizon 4, the Xbox Series S optimization makes it possible to reach the sacrosanct 60FPS. Except that here, the projected shadows have been removed when the night falls. The Xbox Series S version of Playground’s work actually resembles the Xbox One S edition in much more fluid. This is not surprising since the Redmond firm has confirmed that the Retrocompatibles One Turning on Series S games in fact based on the One S Editions of the Games, enjoying different improvements (improved filtering texture, better Framerate, shortened loads, HDR). Sea of ​​Thieves works very well by displaying naval battles in 60FPS, while The Falconeer shines with a thousand lights in 120fps/1080p (or 60FPS/1800P).

The launching games of the Xbox Series S

• Assassins Creed Valhalla (Smart Delivery)
• Borderlands 3 (Smart Delivery)
• Bright Memory 1.0
• Royal cuisine (Smart Delivery)
• Dead by daylight (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
• Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition
• DIRT 5 (Smart Delivery)
• Enlisted
• Evergate
• The Falconeer (Smart Delivery)
• Fortnite
• Forza Horizon 4 (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
• Gears 5 (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
• Gears Tactics (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
• Grounded (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
• King Oddball (Smart Delivery)
• Maneater (Smart Delivery)
• Manifold Garden (Smart Delivery)
• NBA 2K21
• Observe: System Redux
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
• Planet Coaster (Smart Delivery)
• Sea of ​​Thieves (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
• Tetris Effect: Connected (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
• The Touryst (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
• War Thunder (Smart Delivery)
• Warhammer: Chaosbane Slayer Edition
• Watch Dogs: Legion (Smart Delivery)
• WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship (Smart Delivery)
• Yakuza: Like A Dragon (Smart Delivery)
• Yes, your grace (smart deliverry)

Xbox Series S VS Xbox Series X: our comparison in games.

Although we insisted on graphics and fluidity, reduced loading times greatly improve the general experience. Having to wait until 19 seconds instead of more than a minute to go to sea in Sea of ​​Thieves is very appreciable. We would have liked to have access to more games designed for the Xbox Series S, like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Watch Dogs Legion, rather than retrocompatible titles with simple optimization. We were still able to do some missions on Gears Tactics, the only First Party title of this launch not to have already been released on Xbox. It must be recognized that the work done by The Coalition is remarkable: it is not easy to find differences between the two versions. Of course, the genre of the title tends to lessen disparities with its camera far from the action. We have also perceived differences in framerate, which is more annoying. https: // www.video games.Com/Games/Xbox-series/Game-1219074/Assassin’s Creed Valhalla] For example from 4K/60FPS on Xbox Series X to a lower definition in 30 images per second on Xbox Series Sries. Regarding the retrocompatibility, Blair Witch of the Blooder Team runs in 60 images per second. A feat that we could not accomplish neither the one s nor the one x. The observation is not the same for Sekiro Shadows Die Twice and its Xbox Series S Retrocompatible version similar to that of the One S.

Despite an on -board equipment less efficient than that of the Xbox Series X, the Xbox Series gives up an almost equivalent heat in terms of its ventilation grid. After several hours of play, we recorded a heating up up to 61 ° C, which is correct. The rest of the console is surprisingly cold (27 ° C on average) with the exception of the part that hides the GPU (45 ° C). Regarding noise, the console is as silent as the Xbox Series.

A console for whom, for what ?

On the first games tested from the launch, we have indeed noted notable differences with what the Xbox Series X offers. It is clear that a native 4K game connected to a good screen changes the appreciation we have of “Next-Gen». Yes, the sharpness of the ultra high definition brings visual comfort that it is difficult to minimize when two screens connected to a different Xbox series expose the same game, side by side. The UPSCALE does not miracle: content that is not UHD but which is broadcast on a 4K TV logically displays more blurred textures and alliases edges. However, on some softs such as Gears 5 and Gears Tactics, the illusion of playing on Series X is there. You would have understood it, If you do not have a state -of -the -art monitor, if you do not want to get one in the medium term, or if you are one of the players who favor fluidity rather than the definition, this Xbox series S can be a possible entry point in the new generation. Its small size makes it a machine that can be easily taken to the desk, to be connected to a 1440p screen.

However, despite the total support for the RDNA 2 architecture brandished by Jason Ronald and his teams, the doubts are not all dissipated. Several developers have already made their questions heard about this entry -level machine with technical characteristics lower than those of the Xbox Series X – PlayStation 5 duo – PlayStation 5. At the dawn of the launch of new consoles, we know that Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition will not offer Ray Tracing on Series S, unlike the X/PS5 SERIA versions. As for Fortnite, it will only be 1080p/60fps despite its fairly basic technique. What be wary of the real capacities of the system to run imagined titles for a whole new generation without ignoring complex calculation techniques or on the fluidity.

After several hours spent in the company of Series S, we are rather won over by Microsoft’s full HD proposal, from the moment we agree to see less clear and/or less fluid games. It will however be necessary to wait for the arrival of The Medium, exclusive Xbox Series X | s pushed back to January 28, 2021, to know the extent of differences on softs which are neither crossgen nor retrocompatible. It will also be necessary to observe how third -party publishers will optimize their works on this entry -level hardware. For the moment, we observe good (Dirt 5) as the less good (Assassin’s Creed Valhalla in 30FPS).

Xbox Series S: the presentation trailer.