Poll: *** Xbox Series X|S - General Discussion Thread ***

Which will you buy?

  • Series X

    Votes: 529 59.8%
  • Series S

    Votes: 104 11.8%
  • Not interested

    Votes: 230 26.0%
  • Both

    Votes: 22 2.5%

  • Total voters
    885
Soldato
Joined
19 Jun 2012
Posts
5,276
Mainly because the Xbox one X is 3 years old now. On paper the Xbox series s has better performance than the one X but it almost feels to me like Microsoft have intentionally nerfed the system so it doesn't match an Xbox one X? Microsoft should have bumped the price up slightly and added more memory so the series s could run existing titles in 4k.

I think what frustrates me personally is that if I bought a new Xbox series S I'd end up running existing titles like halo 5 and Forza horizon 4 at the same 900p they ran on my 2013 xbox one.

And while 1440p upscaled to 4k looks pretty reasonable 900p on a 50" 4k TV looks like garbage honestly! Clearly MS must figure that having the cheapest "next gen" system is their priority though and will work best for them. They might be right as many people are fearful for their jobs and probably don't have much disposable cash at the moment so perhaps it's the right system, right time at the right price.

Time, and Sony's imminent PS5 pricing announcement, will tell!

The architecture in the SS is a lot more up to date and it will perform well - but its optimised for 1080-1440p. Thats a design choice to have a more inclusive next gen.

I'm not sure expecting 4k support at this price point is reasonable. MS have made it as reasonable as possible to get a SX via All Access too.

Perhaps just get a SX if you need 4k? Or if you don't want to pay for it then just accept that you will need to live with the limitations of the SS.
 
Soldato
Joined
24 Dec 2004
Posts
18,858
Location
Telford
I cannot see any difference on my tv with games at 1440p or 4K. Been playing with laptop plugged into tv and cannot see any difference even when close to a 65” tv. It’s noticeable on the desktop as icons are bigger but in game it looks no different at all. 1080p is noticeable it looks softer like it needs some Extra anti aliasing.

I don’t see a problem with Series S rendering at 1440p if it looks like my laptop on tv does. Something to consider for those thinking of getting the S...
 
Associate
Joined
3 Oct 2014
Posts
1,755
I cannot see any difference on my tv with games at 1440p or 4K. Been playing with laptop plugged into tv and cannot see any difference even when close to a 65” tv. It’s noticeable on the desktop as icons are bigger but in game it looks no different at all. 1080p is noticeable it looks softer like it needs some Extra anti aliasing.

I don’t see a problem with Series S rendering at 1440p if it looks like my laptop on tv does. Something to consider for those thinking of getting the S...

I think the major advantage of Series X will be what it will run at 120fps. Cod is already said to support it.
 
Soldato
Joined
8 Oct 2003
Posts
2,843
Location
Glasgow
@MOOGLEYS snap, I use my xbox one x on a 1440 display and a new 4k telly really can't tell the difference when stuff is moving.

I'm leaning more towards the series s due to form factor nothing more, though will end up with both come pre order day ‍♂️
 
Soldato
Joined
10 Apr 2013
Posts
3,737
I'd agree with everyone that 1440p on a 4k TV looks fine. It's just the backward compatibility of the series S that's left me feeling disappointed as it means older games will only run at OG Xbox one 720p-900p.

Given the lack of launch titles I'd hoped to revisit some existing games but if it runs the same as my 2013 Xbox one there's literally no reason to buy one for me at launch now unless I'm willing to step up to the Xbox series X
 
Soldato
Joined
4 Apr 2003
Posts
7,964
And while 1440p upscaled to 4k looks pretty reasonable 900p on a 50" 4k TV looks like garbage honestly! Clearly MS must figure that having the cheapest "next gen" system is their priority though and will work best for them.

Time, and Sony's imminent PS5 pricing announcement, will tell!

Not just a financial decision but a lot of the multi regional gaming market don't have the tvs/monitors to take advantage of 4k gaming.

As always, forums like this are not broadly representative as are populated by enthusiasts.

I mentioned earlier in the thread that I’m always somewhat put off playing my Xbox because of the controller. I always find I have to mash the A button to get it to work 100% of the time. It doesn’t always register my lady like soft taps. It’s never dawned on me until just now that I might just have a duff controller!

Has anyone else experienced this? Or does it sound like I have a shonky donk controller?

Also, I did that game pass exploit and have Ultimate until some time in 2022 - can that still be used on the X?

I have the PlayStation Pro and the Xbox one X and one thing I will say is that the PlayStation is a noisy beast. That fan is ridiculous. It’s like a dreamcast! Hope they sort that out.

Yes, that's a dodgy controller. I've had that issue.

The PS4 Pro is to my ears unacceptably noisy, even the latest iterations.

I have moved away from the PS for that reason this gen despite trying on several occasions.

The PS5 design looks like it will suffer the same issue.

The Xbox has clearly been designed around efficient and silent cooling.
 
Associate
Joined
14 Apr 2018
Posts
6
I’ve got elite series 1 controller and the dpad on that needs some hard pressing sometimes. Not had any issues with abxy buttons on any of the controllers though.
 
Caporegime
OP
Joined
28 Oct 2003
Posts
31,841
Location
Chestershire
I think the key thing about lower resolutions on a 4K TV is to have the HUD at native 4K. When text and game are at 1440p, I can notice. But if the game is running at 1440p and the text is 2160p then I can't notice. As you know though, I do sit only 3ft away (50" TV is used as a PC monitor).
 
Soldato
Joined
17 Apr 2009
Posts
7,580
I read yesterday that the Xbox series X has no optical port and no support for IR. Which is a bit of a pain for me as I use both on my Xbox. The theatre kit I have is really good and the official Xbox remote control is really handy for Netflix!

I can live without the remote, but do you know how If its possible to connect my theatre kit to the Xbox seeing as it only uses a optical port?

Fixed with a <£20 adapter. Have a search fro "HDMI to Optical".

I think what frustrates me personally is that if I bought a new Xbox series S I'd end up running existing titles like halo 5 and Forza horizon 4 at the same 900p they ran on my 2013 xbox one.

This isn't quite the case.

The "Xbox One X Enhanced" programme brought enhancements to nearly 800 games. It is now being replaced by "Optimised for Series X" and "Optimised for Series S" for the new consoles. Many games are getting extensive enhancements, e.g. Gears 5, Forza Horizon 4, Sea of Thieves.

In addition to this, older games which used dynamic resolution scaling will run at their max resolution and games with unlocked frame rates will run at up to 120fps. And Series X and Series S can apply HDR and improved texture filtering to older titles in real time. More automatic enhancements were teased too (but aren't ready for market yet), inc. a software solution to allow older titles to run at double the original frame rate.

So yeah, it's disappointing that Series S owners won't be getting the "Xbox One X Enhanced" versions of games. In some titles, the enhancements were extensive (e.g. The Witcher 2). But the picture isn't quite as bleak as you make it seem.
 
Soldato
Joined
17 Apr 2009
Posts
7,580
Hot air rises so it makes sense to try have a design at the top and any fans suck air out of it.

Hot air rising is pretty irrelevant in the presence of a spinning fan. You could flip the Series X upside down and cut a hole in your desk (so airflow isn't impeded) and it would make next to no difference.
 
Permabanned
Joined
9 Aug 2008
Posts
35,707
Hot air rising is pretty irrelevant in the presence of a spinning fan. You could flip the Series X upside down and cut a hole in your desk (so airflow isn't impeded) and it would make next to no difference.

It's easier for the air to flow up than it is to be sucked down then out the bottom. Wouldn't make sense to cut a hole in the desk just for airflow. The X design is great for airflow.
 
Soldato
Joined
17 Apr 2009
Posts
7,580
It's easier for the air to flow up than it is to be sucked down then out the bottom. Wouldn't make sense to cut a hole in the desk just for airflow. The X design is great for airflow.

I think you missed the point; if you inverted the Series X without obstructing the fan, there would be essentially zero change in thermals because convection is a very weak force (at the safe operating temperatures for computer hardware).

The box has been designed for air to exit through the top. But this won't have anything to do with convection.

I'm just being pedantic :p The convection myth pops up a lot in PC building stuff.
 
Last edited:
Soldato
Joined
10 Apr 2013
Posts
3,737
So yeah, it's disappointing that Series S owners won't be getting the "Xbox One X Enhanced" versions of games. In some titles, the enhancements were extensive (e.g. The Witcher 2). But the picture isn't quite as bleak as you make it seem.

Fair point. Perhaps I'd built up the expectation that we'd have 4k Xbox one X versions of games with the new Series S which is why I'm frustrated it's not a thing.

I guess others may not have made that assumption though so aren't as disappointed as myself. This just means if I buy an Xbox it'll be the X for backwards compatibility as much as anything else. Maybe that's Microsoft's plan to push people towards the Xbox Series X!
 
Last edited:
Associate
Joined
30 Oct 2002
Posts
1,835
I currently have Xbox one S and Xbox one X, with 3 years of game pass ultimate.

I’m planning on selling both and buying series x outright and series s on monthly plan.

how will game pass ultimate work when I’m already stacked to max of 3 years?
 
Associate
Joined
7 May 2012
Posts
2,003
I currently have Xbox one S and Xbox one X, with 3 years of game pass ultimate.

I’m planning on selling both and buying series x outright and series s on monthly plan.

how will game pass ultimate work when I’m already stacked to max of 3 years?

Answered this a few pages back-the 2 years can be added via settings at any point.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Dec 2004
Posts
6,038
Location
North Wales
Answered this a few pages back-the 2 years can be added via settings at any point.

Brilliant, I'm good for GPU up until 2022 so this is great for me.

Will be getting the Series X on All access and buying the PS5 outright, I wouldn't have been able to get both this side of Christmas without the all access option.

Looking forward to seeing MS eventually revealing exactly what enhancements will be made to all previous games RE HDR .etc
 
Soldato
Joined
14 Sep 2009
Posts
9,200
Location
Northumberland
I read yesterday that the Xbox series X has no optical port and no support for IR. Which is a bit of a pain for me as I use both on my Xbox. The theatre kit I have is really good and the official Xbox remote control is really handy for Netflix!

I can live without the remote, but do you know how If its possible to connect my theatre kit to the Xbox seeing as it only uses a optical port?

I haven't noticed the lack of an optical port. That is a shame to be fair! I guess a workaround would be to run the cable from the TV rather than direct off the console.

HDMI-CEC is being implemented this generation though. So at least you won't require the use of IR remotes or blasters to control the console anymore. :)
 
Back
Top Bottom