Xbox Series S in pictures: Our first look at the 1440p Xbox
Source: Pocket-Lint added 28th Oct 2020
(Pocket-lint) – Although we can’t yet reveal what the Xbox Series S is like when switched on, we can share our own pictures of it out of the box and give you our first impressions on the size and build quality.
Microsoft claims that it is the smallest Xbox yet and that’s no exaggeration. If you’re worried about cabinet space, this is definitely the next-gen console to get – it’s got a tiny footprint.
We’d say it’s fractionally taller than an Xbox One S, but has less width. And, as there’s no disc drive, you can easily tuck it away and forget about the box itself.
We would say, however, that you’ll need to leave plenty of space above the Series S for airflow as, unlike its larger next-gen sibling, the heat grille is on the top, flat edge – showing that this is the only next-gen machine truly designed to lie flat.
We’re not entirely sure why the grille is black and the rest of the console white, but suspect it’s to distinguish it from the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition as it looks similar.
On the rear, you get an Ethernet port, two USB ports, a HDMI out, power (via figure of eight) and a storage expansion slot for the official SSD expansion card from Seagate. At present, only 1TB is available – to expand the 512GB in the console itself – and it’s quite pricey, but at least it’ll be available from launch.
You can also use external hard drives plugged into the USB ports (of which there is a third on the front), but you won’t get the benefits of faster loading, etc. We suggest that you store Xbox One games on an external drive and save the internal SSD for Xbox Series S titles.
The new Xbox Wireless Controller – which will also work with Xbox One – has an additional share button in the centre, plus a redesigned D-pad, but that’s about it. It’s very similar to the previous controller in shape and feel.
The plastic underneath is a little more tactile, but that’s about it. It does have a USB-C port on the top, should you want to wire it or use rechargable batteries. You get a couple of AAs in the box.
First Impressions
This is very much the console for families. As well as its more attractive price point, it is small and neat enough to tuck away – something that can’t be said about the Xbox Series X nor PlayStation 5.
Everything feels well built and made to last, while we already know that all Xbox One accessories are compatible, so you can add extra controllers you might already own.
In short, the Xbox Series S is a light, fun next-gen console that seems to fit in with the existing Xbox family of devices well.
Writing by Rik Henderson.