The latest generation of Xbox consoles will turn four years old on November 10. Both models have their strengths, but the low price of the Xbox Series S (200-230 dollars used) gives it a certain appeal. In fact, when the hardware shortage hit hardest, many users chose this console to access popular titles, and others explored its potential as a desktop computer. Ozi from OzTalksHW decided to analyze that possibility recently, highlighting the most positive aspects... and all its limitations.
If we have to talk about an "open secret" in the current generation of consoles, it is that their hardware does not meet expectations... or at least that's the feeling it conveys. Users think about higher resolutions and frame rates, but the numbers simply are not what was expected. Now, this may seem contradictory when we closely examine its specifications: Without going too far, even the Xbox Series S has an 8C/16T chip, 10 GB of shared memory, and half a terabyte of solid-state storage.
If we compare it to a low-end computer, the truth is that the Xbox Series S doesn't sound bad at all, but the question is: What must the user sacrifice to use it as a PC? What are the most important compromises? Ozi from OzTalksHW helps us answer both questions with his latest video:
The Xbox Series S as a PC: Good Strategy, or Guaranteed Suffering?
The first point in favor of the Xbox Series S is its price. Many used units on eBay average 200-230 dollars, and there is never a shortage of online deals that make new units more attractive. Second, the console has no issues when it comes to connecting a keyboard, a mouse, and a webcam. Ozi also mentions details like the aesthetics (it looks great on a desk), the volume (it's not a giant totem), and its acoustic profile.
On the software side, the list of applications available in the official store leaves much to be desired, but the console includes Edge, and that allows access to multiple services, from Google Docs to Photopea, through Matlab and GeForce Now. With the help of that platform, PC games enter the Xbox Series S equation, as long as the user accepts the inevitable bit of lag, and the occasional isolated hang.
The problem is... everything else. Ozi explains that when trying to type in Edge, every time he clicks on a word or a box to enter text, the on-screen keyboard appears, and the only way to hide it is by pressing B on the gamepad. Webcam functionality is more robust in native apps, but it fails a lot in online versions (Google Meet and Microsoft Teams are two examples). What is the most serious thing? Microsoft blocks access to local storage. The only workaround is to rely on the cloud, and even something as simple as changing the wallpaper requires an additional application.
Add to this login problems in certain games (Warframe), desynchronized cursors, and certain gamepad quirks that don't always work 100 percent. In summary: Possible? Yes. Recommended? Not really. The potential is there, but it would be necessary for Microsoft to enable a "Windows mode" to take advantage of it. Of course, it is more likely to find a unicorn with the cold fusion formula stuck on its horn than for that to happen...
Visit OzTalksHW on YouTube: Click here
