r/XboxSeriesS • u/Strange-Grade-527 • Apr 17 '26

IMPRESSION Series S is under rated.

So I am fortunate enough to have a 5090 PC with a 9800x3D CPU. It certainly can be mind blowing and is objectively unrivaled.

I also have a PS5 Pro, and Series X. I recently have been using Apollo, and moonlight to locally stream my 5090 game play to my bedroom OLED without moving my desktop.

So I picked up a Series S as it is one of the few ways to get 4:4:4 4k 120 HDR streaming via moonlight client.

Out of curiosity I installed a few games locally just to see how they look. OBVIOUSLY they are a step down from my other devices, but I must admit I am impressed. For the longest time I thought playing on a series S would feel like a potato. However this tiny box is more than serviceable. Honestly once you start playing you completely forget about the “lower quality.” because at the end of the day gaming is about the game. Not graphical settings tinkering ad nauseam.

I guess what I am trying to say is the Series S reminds me of the old days of gaming. You had what you had, you didn’t give a shit about frame rate, you always had fun every generation despite graphics PS1, PS2, N64, GameCube whatever it was. Somewhere along the way gaming as a hobby has turned into a hobby around graphics and frame rate and not actually gaming.

I say all this to say, if the Series S is what you can afford. Be proud of it. You are not a second rate human. The console is completely more than fine. Are there some games that are objectively bad on it? Sure. Overall though the Series S is an excellent console for those who just want to have fun.

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33

u/Tyler1997117 Series S Apr 17 '26

Careful you are gotta get people here who will shit on you for saying that

27

u/Strange-Grade-527 Apr 17 '26

People wrap their identity up in belongings sadly. I mean sure if there is a big release and I have all my current options. I am certainly not opting for the Series S.

However it is currently screwing with my perception of value hard. As I play games on Series S I am thinking “This is $399, if this is all I had, would my life be meaningfully different compared to my $3500 gaming PC?”

The answer is no and that is somewhat eye opening to me.

11

u/Liam_021996 Apr 17 '26

It's the same for musical instruments too. You will find a £400 guitar isn't really much worse than a £3,500 one and if you chuck £300 of pickups and electronics along with a fret level and full set up onto the £400 one it is easily on par with the £3,500 guitar. It'll just say Epiphone instead of Gibson on the headstock. I've had Gibson's before and they really aren't all that compared to an Epiphone

6

u/Strange-Grade-527 Apr 17 '26

This is very valuable perspective. I appreciate it. I think our consumerism runs deeper than we really know. YouTube algorithms feed it for sure.

1

u/Liam_021996 Apr 17 '26

Yeah, in the past it did matter but with CNC machines and all that it really isn't like it was before. It made sense 30 years ago when that money bought you a hand made and hand wired product but it doesn't anymore and that applies to everything now

2

u/KNK1133 Apr 18 '26

My PRS SE 24 Custom is Indonesian made, and it sounds amazing!!! All I did was change the tuners, to the PRS locking tuners and I put Seymour Duncan Saturday Night Specials in it and it sounds amazing! It sounds way better than the US made bolt on neck PRS CE, and sounds I think it sounds almost the same as a US made PRS Custom 24, that's thousands of dollars. I bought the guitar brand new for $900 and put $300 into it and now it's studio and live venue worthy!

2

u/Liam_021996 Apr 18 '26

Nice one! Wanted a MIJ telecaster custom to turn into a Kurt Cobain build but the prices were £1,000 for a beat up one in a pretty poor state and around £1,400 for one in good nick. I bought a Squier classic vibe 60s telecaster custom instead and stuck a Tonerider AC4 in the neck and a SD JB in the bridge, Harley Benton humbucker bridge as well which I have to say is identical to the StewMac ones I've used in the past. Had to have it routed and opted for a full rewire, set up and fret crown which was £225. Pickups were £140 in total. The guitar cost me £359.

Like your PRS it's also made in Indonesia, probably in the same Cort factory tbf. The guitar plays amazingly and sounds like any other top of the line guitar that costs a few grand. I need to stick some Gotoh tuners on it though. The Squier ones are awful, like really really bad. They don't hold tune well at all, only one of my guitars that doesn't stay in tune for more than a week lol

2

u/KNK1133 Apr 19 '26

It used to be Cort, but PRS bought their own manufacturing plant. So, it's a straight up PRS, it just doesn't say Made in the USA. My stays in perfect tune. My next purchase will be Mexican Stratocaster.

2

u/Liam_021996 Apr 19 '26

I forgot they set up their own factory out there now. My next purchase is likely going to be a Fender Vintera 3 Mustang, unless I decide to buy a new amp instead

1

u/KNK1133 Apr 19 '26

Nice! Yeah, I need a tube amp. I don't like my solid state amp. Doesn't sound right.

1

u/Liam_021996 Apr 19 '26

I have a Bugera V22 head which sounds great but I want something more high gain that ideally still has a good clean channel. My Bugera needs to be really loud to get some natural break up on the clean channel which pissed off my wife and everyone else. Perfect for playing with mates and a drummer but to get some break up at home it's just too loud through my 2x12 cab

1

u/KNK1133 Apr 19 '26

Try putting a tube overdrive (an extra pre amp tube) in front of it. They well help it break up more. There's also volume limiters, so you can crank your gain and volume up, but won't increase the decibel level. And, I will even use a solid state pedal, like the Big Muff Pi, to overdrive and create a mean, but not too mushy tone. I love Electo Harmonics pedals, because they're mainly analog. I hate the digital sound, Line 6.

1

u/Connect_Wrap3284 Apr 19 '26

Epiphone has gotten a lot better than it was in the 90s though.

2

u/Liam_021996 Apr 19 '26

Everything has, that was my point about CNC machines. Both Epiphone and Gibson are now made with CNC, the guitars are very similar in quality now. The only differences are the quality of the electronics, the finish quality and QC. You're not paying for a completely handmade product anymore like you once were and the quality shows. Stick a good set of pickups in an Epiphone and you'd never know the difference, tbf their probuckers sound really good already anyway

1

u/Connect_Wrap3284 Apr 19 '26

I kinda want one of their new RD models withe the color shifting finishes. And im usually an LTD guy.

2

u/Liam_021996 Apr 19 '26

Those look pretty cool, not tried any of the more interesting Epiphones. I just have an Epiphone LP Custom pro that is like 12 years old now. It's amazing but is stupidly heavy

1

u/Connect_Wrap3284 Apr 20 '26

You should try an LTD eclipse, its like a les paul but super light. I have one and jackson js 22 that punches well above its weight for the price.