Xbox Series S Unboxing Review

On November 10th, Microsoft will launch the new Xbox Series X, the fastest and most powerful Xbox ever, alongside the new Xbox Series S, a smaller, cheaper version of the Xbox and the smallest ever.

The Xbox Series S is a compact model that enables next-generation gaming experiences, such as a custom SSD that supports high-speed loading of games, even though it is compact in size. It is an all-digital model that does not have an optical drive, and the price is as low as 29,980 yen (excluding tax), so it is recommended for casual gamers and families.

This time, I was able to participate in Microsoft's media preview program, and I was able to get the same hardware as soon as possible by providing the Xbox Series S for evaluation from Microsoft. I would like to send you an unboxing review.

By the way, this is an unboxing review, so I will introduce information about the appearance such as design, texture, size, etc., mainly with photos. We plan to publish a detailed review at a later date about the impressions of actually playing the game, so please look forward to that as well.

(Equipment provided by Microsoft)

Package & Housing Design

This is the Xbox Series S package. The same hardware is drawn large on the front, and many package graphics of game titles that can be played on the same hardware are lined up on the back.

It is relatively small as a package of game hardware, and it can be said that the size of the Xbox Series S body is already small.

This is what it looks like when I open the package. Inside, the Xbox Series S main unit, power cable, and controller were wrapped in vinyl.

A state in which everything is opened and the accessories are arranged.

And here is the Xbox Series S console (and controller). The Xbox Series X, which is scheduled to be released at the same time, has a relatively large housing size, while the Xbox Series S is the smallest Xbox ever, so it is quite small.

As for how small it is, it's about the size of a tissue box that's about one to two times bigger. It is a compact design that is smaller than the initial PS2 (which is easy to compare in terms of shape). By the way, in numbers, it measures 6.5cm x 15.1cm x 27.5cm and is less than 7cm thick. It weighs 1.93 kg, so it is easy to hold in your hand.

The top of the Xbox Series S is the most distinctive part of the hardware.

The black circle that looks like a speaker on the right side of the top (upper when placed vertically) has a mesh hole for cooling. Although it cannot be seen with the naked eye, it is expected that a cooling fan is installed inside.

By the way, a design similar to the predecessor model Xbox One S was adopted, but the Xbox One S had a mesh hole for exhaust heat on the entire right side of the top surface, whereas the Xbox Series S is circular.

Xbox logo on top left. This is also the same as the logo position of Xbox One S. However, there are differences such as the Xbox One S being written vertically (when viewed from the front), and the Xbox Series S being written horizontally.

When this is seen from the front. At the top right is the familiar power button, and at the bottom left is a USB Type-A port and a connection button for pairing with a controller.

Various ports are mounted on the back. From the left, Ethernet port, USB Type-A port x 2, HDMI port, slot for storage expansion. By connecting a dedicated expansion card to the storage expansion slot, the capacity can be expanded up to 1TB. The Xbox Series S does not have an optical drive, and game data is basically stored on the main unit, so if the capacity is insufficient, you may want to consider purchasing an expansion card.

However, since the USB Type-A port also supports the connection of external storage, it does not necessarily mean that you have to purchase expansion storage when increasing the storage capacity.

There are mesh holes for cooling on both the right and left sides. Since the left side becomes the bottom when placed vertically, rubber feet are provided at the four corners.

On the bottom, rubber feet are placed at the four corners to stabilize the main unit when placed horizontally, and mesh holes are also placed to release the generated heat.

Controller

Next is the design of the Xbox Wireless Controller.

The design of the "Xbox Wireless Controller" is basically the same as past controllers, but the major changes are the addition of a share button in the center of the controller, and the D-pad (cross key) being a complete cross. There are two things that changed from the circular design.

In addition, although it is a small part, the non-slip processing of the controller grip has become deeper, and at the same time, the grip processing has been newly applied to the trigger. It is easier to hold (I plan to talk about the changes when I actually play the game in a detailed review at a later date).

The back has a USB Type-C port for connecting to the main unit. The bottom has an expansion terminal and a 3.5mm earphone jack, similar to the Xbox One controller.

The controller is battery-powered and runs on two AA batteries. When the battery runs out, it is necessary to replace the battery as needed, but there is no need to worry about the deterioration of the battery, so there are advantages and disadvantages.

In addition, although the main body of the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X are different, both controllers have the same design.

Since the attached controllers use the same color as the main unit, the Series X controller is black and the Series S is white.

Compared with Xbox Series X and Xbox One S

In order to compare the size, the "Xbox Series X" released at the same time as the Xbox Series X and the "Xbox One S ” and tried to line it up. By the way, the opening review of "Xbox Series X" is done in a separate article, so if you are interested in that, please take a look.

First, a comparison with the Xbox Series X. There is a considerable size difference between the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S. The Xbox Series S is less than half the size of the Xbox Series X, and is much more compact than the Xbox Series X.

This difference seems to be due to the fact that the Xbox Series X has full specs, while the Xbox Series S does not have an optical drive. If you don't need the high graphics power of the Xbox Series X and want a more compact model, you might want to buy the Xbox Series S.

I also compared it with the Xbox One S. At the time of its release, the Xbox One S was talked about as being compact, but the Xbox Series S is even more compact. I wouldn't say half, but I think it's about two-thirds the size.

In addition to being able to be placed in a really small space such as under the display, it is not a design that makes a big statement, so it will hardly get in the way in your daily life. It may be said that it is a perfect design for those who occasionally play games to purchase.

Summary: First, just the appearance. A detailed review will be released at a later date

This time, we have delivered an unboxing review of the Xbox Series S. Although it was limited to the appearance only, I think that the atmosphere and characteristics of the Xbox Series S were conveyed a little because it was introduced with shooting of the actual machine.

The compactness of the Xbox Series S has been a big topic since it was announced, and I was actually quite worried about it, but when I saw the actual machine in this preview program, I was surprised by its smallness. Perhaps those who bought the Xbox Series S will feel the same surprise.

I plan to tell you more about the actual performance and impressions during gameplay in a review that will be released at a later date. I would like you to look forward to the ability of the same hardware and the game experience you can get.

Although it will be another guide, we have also released an unboxing review of the "Xbox Series X", which is scheduled to be released at the same time, so if you are interested, please take a look at it.

"Xbox Series X" and "Xbox Series S" will be released on November 10th. The price is 49,980 yen (excluding tax) for "Xbox Series X" and 29,980 yen (excluding tax) for "Xbox Series S".

Microsoft, Series X logo, Series S logo, Series X|S logo, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X|S are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.