There it is, the long-awaited new generation of consoles that should finally bring us enough power for smooth 4K. Stop, not quite, because the smaller Xbox Series S appeals to a less demanding audience than its big brother, the Xbox Series X. For whom which console is the right choice, what the two devices have on the pan and what else you like expected for the console launch, we have summarized for you.
A console launch could hardly be more exciting. The new Microsoft consoles come on the market almost at the same time as Sony’s PlayStation 5 and one thing is clear: Sony has an advantage. After the pretty messy launch of the Xbox One, Microsoft hasn’t really been able to catch up to this day. The PS4 has sold over 110 million times and it is very likely that quite a few buyers will remain loyal to its brand. So Microsoft has to do a lot right to catch up.
It quickly becomes clear that Microsoft and Sony have quite different concepts. While Sony traditionally relies on exclusive titles and is currently focusing on the fast SSD in particular, Microsoft is taking a different approach. Sure, the consoles are eagerly advertised – the Xbox Series X as currently the most powerful console, the Series S as an inexpensive alternative for players who don’t care about 4K. The latter was clearly at a disadvantage in the pre-sales, but that doesn’t mean anything, as it is mostly the enthusiasts who rush to the first copies and of course they want the best of the best.
But what is clearly in the foreground at Microsoft is less the console than the service. The Xbox Game Pass is moving more and more into the spotlight. Subscription service a la Netflix instead of pure exclusive titles seems to be the premise, and that on as many platforms as possible. In addition to the Xbox family, the PC and, thanks to xCloud, also the mobile devices are operated with an all-round happy service.
The new consoles are still in the spotlight for many and we now want to focus on the new hardware. Who is the Xbox Series X for? Is the Series S obsolete? Is the new gamepad still as good as the previous ones? How loud is the cooling, how hot is the console? We will try to cover all of this as best we can on the following pages.
Everyone should have noticed by now that Microsoft is bringing out two consoles. The Xbox Series X is aimed at 4K gamers, while the Series S, as a lower-performance, but inexpensive variant, is intended for casual gamers or those who are not interested in 4K resolution. It remains to be seen whether the concept will work. Quite a few criticize the Series S for holding up the next-gen development to the extent that developers have to take the weaker console into consideration again and again, in addition to the existing inventory of “old consoles”.
