Key Takeaways
- Game Pass is needed for streaming Xbox games.
- Series S has better image quality than game streaming.
- Series S supports high frame rates and advanced TV features.
Microsoft is pushing its “no console required” marketing campaign pretty hard, and Amazon even sells a bundle that includes an Amazon Fire Stick, a controller, and a Game Pass voucher. However, before you jump in on this Xbox streaming deal, consider the Xbox Series S instead.
I really think the negative opinions of the Series S are a little overblown, and although I can’t really recommend the Series S in broad terms anymore, when compared to this Xbox streaming arrangement, there are a few reasons picking up the plucky little console that could make a lot of sense.
Game Pass Is Necessary for Streaming
If you want to stream Xbox games using Microsoft’s streaming service, you need to be a Game Pass subscriber. This is likely something you want to subscribe to whether you have a console or not, but at least with the Series S, you can choose not to subscribe and simply buy your games and play them at your leisure.
Series S Has Better Image Quality
Despite the Series S targeting an internal resolution for games usually between 1080p and 1440p, you’ll find that the actual image quality looks better than even a 4K game stream in most cases. This is because of bandwidth and compression. Unlike video streaming services, game streaming doesn’t have the luxury of pre-compressing and optimizing video data. The video output of the remote console has to be compressed in almost real-time for the game to be playable, and you’re just never going to get the same overall quality as an uncompressed local feed direct from an HDMI port.
Streaming games tend to have various compression artifacts that make the image look smeary or lacking in detail, and that’s before you factor in varying internet speeds and the general unpredictability of the internet as network infrastructure.
Series S Supports High Frame Rates and Advanced TV Features
Despite it’s relatively lower specs, you can play some games at 120Hz and if you have a modern TV with VRR, HDR, or support for Dolby Vision, the Series S can take advantage of those features. You’re not going to get the full benefit of your TV when streaming games over the internet, and many of these features go a long way to make games more attractive, even when it’s “only” a Series S.
No Internet? No Problem!
While the Series S is an all-digital console that requires an internet connection to buy and download games, you don’t actually have to be connected to the internet to play once your games are downloaded. As long as the Xbox is set as your primary console, it doesn’t matter if the internet is down. Obviously, if there’s no internet or the connection is spotty, you can’t play using the cloud.
You Have Access to a Much Bigger Selection of Games
As of this writing, you can only stream games that are part of the Game Pass collection. So that includes Xbox first-party games, and then a rotating selection of titles that make up part of the game library. If you have a Series S, you have full access to every game for Xbox Series, Xbox One, and numerous backward-compatible titles. This may not always be the case, as Microsoft may let users stream any games they’ve bought at some point in 2024
Getting A Good Deal Is Critical
As I write this, the basic Fire Stick and Xbox Controller bundle sells for around $110, with a steep discount to around $70 if you are a Prime member. However, the Prime discount may not be valid anymore by the time you read this, so the regular list price applies here.
The list price of a Series S is about $350, but you absolutely should not buy one at that price! You may as well just spring for the $500 Series X in that case. No, to compete with the streaming bundle, the Series S needs to be much cheaper, but the good news is that various retailers often sell the little console for well below that recommended price.
At around $200 for a new model, I’d say it’s definitely worth getting over the streaming bundle. Perhaps most importantly, a used Series S can go for around the same price as the streaming bundle, and then it’s a complete no-brainer in my opinion. The Series S is a great used console, because there’s really not much that can go wrong with these machines. However you manage it, if the price is right, a Series S is the superior option in this matchup, no matter which way you look at it.
