You’re standing in the electronics aisle, or maybe you're doom-scrolling through a dozen open browser tabs, staring at that $299 price tag. It looks like a sleek, ventilated toaster. It's tiny. In a world where the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X look like futuristic skyscrapers, the little Series S feels like an underdog. You’ve probably heard the elitist whispers on Reddit or Twitter—people calling it a "potato" or claiming it’s holding back the current generation of gaming. But when you look at your bank account and then look at the price of a high-end PC, the question remains: Is the Xbox Series S worth it in 2026?
Honestly, the answer isn't a simple yes or no. It depends entirely on whether you value raw, face-melting teraflops or if you just want to play Halo after a long day at work without skipping a car payment.
The Series S was always a gamble for Microsoft. They bet that a huge chunk of the gaming population didn't actually care about 4K resolution or physical discs. They were right, mostly. But as we get deeper into this console cycle, the "worth it" factor has shifted. We aren't in 2020 anymore. Games are bigger, heavier, and more demanding.
The elephant in the room: Storage and that pesky 1440p promise
Let’s get real about the specs. Microsoft marketed this thing as a 1440p machine. In reality? Most big-budget, "AAA" games end up running at 1080p, and sometimes they even dip below that to maintain a steady frame rate. If you have a 65-inch 4K OLED TV, you will notice the softness. It’s just physics. You can’t squeeze blood from a stone, and you can’t squeeze native 4K out of a 4-teraflop GPU.
But here is the kicker.
On a standard 24-inch monitor or an older 1080p TV, the Series S looks fantastic. It uses the same Velocity Architecture as its big brother, meaning load times are nearly identical. You’re getting that "next-gen" feel—the ability to jump from the dashboard into a game in seconds—without paying the $500 premium. Quick Resume is arguably the best feature of this generation, and it works flawlessly here. Being able to suspend Forza, hop into Sea of Thieves, and then jump back to Forza exactly where you left off is magic. Pure magic.
Then there’s the storage. The original model came with 512GB. That was a mistake. After the OS takes its cut, you’re left with roughly 364GB of usable space. In an era where Call of Duty alone can eat up 200GB, that’s a disaster. Microsoft eventually wised up and released the Carbon Black 1TB version, which is basically mandatory if you don't want to spend your life deleting and re-downloading games.
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Game Pass is the only reason this console exists
If Xbox Game Pass didn't exist, the Series S would be a hard sell. But it does. And it’s the greatest deal in the history of the medium.
Think of the Series S as a Game Pass machine. It’s a digital-only gateway to hundreds of titles. For the price of a few pizzas a month, you get day-one access to everything Microsoft makes. Starfield, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Fable—they all land there immediately. For a casual gamer or a parent looking for a budget-friendly gift, the value proposition is unbeatable.
I’ve talked to people who bought a Series S just as a "secondary" console. They have a PS5 for the big Sony exclusives like God of War, but they want the Xbox for Gears or Halo or to play with friends on Xbox Live. In that context, is the Xbox Series S worth it? Absolutely. It’s the cheapest "second car" you can buy for your digital garage.
The "Holding Back the Generation" myth
There is a loud contingent of developers and tech enthusiasts who claim the Series S is a boat anchor. They argue that because developers must make their games work on the weaker hardware, they can’t push the PS5 and Series X to their limits.
Larian Studios famously struggled to get split-screen co-op working for Baldur’s Gate 3 on the Series S, which actually delayed the game's release on the entire Xbox platform. It was a mess.
However, looking at the broader picture, the Series S is often the most-sold Xbox in many markets. Developers want to sell games. If you ignore the millions of people owning a Series S, you’re leaving money on the table. We’ve seen technical wizards like the folks at Remedy (Alan Wake 2) or Playground Games (Forza Horizon 5) prove that you can scale a game down without losing its soul. It might run at 30fps instead of 60fps, and the shadows might be a bit blurrier, but the game is still there. The fun hasn't changed.
Who is this actually for?
Let’s break it down by person.
If you are a hardcore enthusiast who counts pixels and gets a headache if the frame rate drops to 58fps, stay away. You will hate this console. You’ll find yourself constantly wishing you’d just saved up the extra $200 for the Series X.
If you are a student in a dorm, a casual gamer who plays FIFA (now FC) and Madden, or a parent with a kid who just wants to play Minecraft and Roblox, this is the gold standard. It’s small enough to fit in a backpack. It’s quiet. It doesn't put a massive dent in the electricity bill.
The Series S also shines as an emulation box. If you're tech-savvy enough to put it into Developer Mode, it becomes one of the best ways to play classic games from the PS2, GameCube, and Wii eras. It’s a versatile little beast.
Real-world longevity: Will it last until 2028?
We are entering the twilight years of this generation. Mid-generation refreshes like the PS5 Pro have raised the bar for what "high-end" looks like. This makes the Series S look even older.
But here’s the thing about the "worth it" debate: price vs. time. If you buy a Series S today for $250 on sale, and you get two years of heavy use out of it before the next big thing comes out, you’ve paid about $10 a month for the hardware. That’s incredible.
The real danger isn't the CPU or the GPU; it's the RAM. The Series S has 10GB of RAM compared to the 16GB found in the bigger consoles. That is the tightest bottleneck. As games become more complex, we might see more titles skipping the Series S or launching with significant features missing (like that split-screen issue with Baldur's Gate 3).
Comparison: Series S vs. Series X vs. The World
To understand if it’s worth it, you have to look at the alternatives.
- Xbox Series X: You get a disc drive (huge for used games), 4K output, and much better performance. If you have a library of physical Xbox One or 360 discs, the Series S is useless to you.
- PlayStation 5 Digital: Usually costs $100 more than the S. You get Sony’s incredible exclusives, but you lose out on the sheer value of Game Pass.
- Nintendo Switch/Switch 2: Different vibe entirely. Great for portability, but the Series S wipes the floor with the Switch in terms of modern graphical power and loading speeds.
The hidden costs you aren't thinking about
One thing people forget is the "digital tax." Because the Series S has no disc drive, you are locked into the Microsoft Store. You can't go to a garage sale and buy a $5 copy of The Witcher 3. You can't borrow a game from a friend. You are at the mercy of digital sales.
Over the course of three or four years, those savings you made on the hardware might actually evaporate because you're paying higher prices for digital games. Unless, of course, you stay strictly within the Game Pass ecosystem. If you’re a "one game at a time" person who only plays the hits on Game Pass, this doesn't matter. If you like owning a massive library, it’s a problem.
The final verdict on the Series S
So, is the Xbox Series S worth it?
Yes, but only if you accept it for what it is: a budget-friendly, high-speed portal into the Xbox ecosystem. It is the best entry point for people who haven't played games in a decade. It’s the best secondary console for someone who already owns a PS5 or a Switch.
It is not a "forever" console for a primary gamer who wants the best experience possible. It’s a compromise. A brilliant, well-engineered, tiny compromise.
Actionable Next Steps
If you’re leaning toward buying one, don’t just hit "buy" on the first one you see. Follow these steps to make sure you don't regret the purchase:
- Check your TV: If you don't own a 4K TV and don't plan on buying one soon, the Series S is a perfect match. If you just bought a $1,500 4K/120Hz display, do yourself a favor and buy the Series X.
- Spring for the 1TB model: Avoid the 512GB white model unless you find it for under $200. The headache of managing storage is worth the extra $50 for the 1TB Carbon Black version.
- Evaluate your internet: Since this is a digital-only console, you'll be downloading everything. If you have a data cap or slow speeds, the Series S will be a frustrating experience.
- Look for bundles: Microsoft frequently bundles the Series S with three months of Game Pass Ultimate or "starter packs" that include currency for games like Fortnite or Rocket League. Never buy it at the full $299 MSRP if you can help it; it goes on sale constantly.
- Consider used or refurbished: Because many people buy these as secondary consoles and then realize they don't use them, the secondary market is flooded with "like new" units. You can often snag a bargain at local shops or through official Microsoft refurbished channels.
Ultimately, the Xbox Series S is the most honest console on the market. It doesn't pretend to be a supercomputer. It just wants to play games, and for a lot of people, that is more than enough.