Xbox Series S vs Xbox One S: Which Is Better in 2026

Anyone hunting for a budget Xbox in 2026 has probably noticed that shopping for a console is more confusing than it used to be. The Xbox Series S, a small white box that launched in 2020 for $299, promised next-gen gaming without the next-gen price tag, while the older Xbox One S still lingers on second-hand listings at half the cost; this editorial comparison digs into the specs, real-world performance, and trade-offs to help you decide where your money belongs.

Console name: Xbox Series S ·
Resolution target: 1440p (upscales to 4K) ·
Storage options: 512 GB SSD or 1 TB SSD ·
Disc drive: No (all-digital) ·
Max frame rate: 120 FPS ·
Release year: 2020

The key specifications reveal the generation gap.

Three generations of Xbox hardware, one clear pattern: raw processing power triples from the One S (1.4 TFLOPS) to the Series S (4 TFLOPS), and the architecture jump from Jaguar to Zen 2 means games load in seconds rather than minutes — a difference you feel every time you press start.

Is the Xbox One Series S still good?

Performance in 2026

• The Xbox Series S runs every Xbox Series X|S optimized game, including Starfield, Forza Motorsport, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II — all at 1440p with up to 120 FPS (Microsoft official specs).
• Load times are dramatically reduced thanks to the 512 GB or 1 TB SSD, which delivers NVMe-level speeds compared to the mechanical HDD of the Xbox One S (Xbox.com).
• The disc-free design means no physical games, movies, or backwards-compatible discs — all purchases must be digital (Xbox.com).

Game library relevance

• All new Xbox first-party titles launch on Series S, including Fable and Perfect Dark in the pipeline (Microsoft).
• Xbox Game Pass continues to support Series S with day-one releases; the One S will also run Game Pass titles but at lower resolution and with longer load times (Wikipedia context).
• Backward compatibility is identical: both consoles play thousands of Xbox One, Xbox 360, and original Xbox games, but Series S does so with Auto HDR and faster loading (Xbox.com).

Value for money

• At roughly €299 for the 1 TB model in Ireland, the Series S costs about twice what a used One S goes for, but delivers roughly three times the GPU performance (Microsoft).
• The 512 GB model is cheaper but fills up fast — Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II alone takes over 100 GB (Xbox.com).
• No disc drive means no used-game market savings, which is a real loss for Irish gamers who rely on CEX or Adverts for bargains (community analysis).

What is better, Xbox One S or Xbox Series S?

Hardware and performance

• The Series S GPU (4 TFLOPS, RDNA 2) is nearly three times the raw compute of the One S GPU (1.4 TFLOPS, Radeon-based) (Xbox.com).
• The Zen 2 CPU in Series S is significantly faster than the Jaguar CPU in One S, which means snappier menus, faster quick resume, and stable frame rates in modern games (Microsoft).
• Xbox Series S supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing — a feature completely absent from Xbox One S (Xbox.com).

Game compatibility

• Both consoles play Xbox One, Xbox 360, and original Xbox games via backward compatibility (Xbox.com).
• Xbox Series S is a current-gen console and gets all new releases; Xbox One S is last-gen and receives fewer new titles each year (Wikipedia).
• Xbox One S plays physical discs and 4K Blu-ray movies; Series S cannot (Wikipedia).

Price difference

• A new Xbox Series S 1 TB costs around €299 in Ireland, while a used Xbox One S can be found for €100–150 at CEX or on Adverts (market observation).
• For the price gap, Series S buyers get SSD storage, ray tracing, and 120 FPS support — features the One S cannot offer at any price (Microsoft).
• The One S price advantage only matters if you plan to use the disc drive for cheap used games — otherwise the hardware gap is too wide to ignore (YouTube review).

Is the Xbox Series S out of date?

One spec comparison, one pattern: the Series S holds its ground against the Series X at a fraction of the cost, but the gap in storage and resolution is real.

Modern game performance

• Recent titles like Alan Wake 2 and Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty run at 1440p on Series S with stable 30 FPS, while Series X targets 4K at 60 FPS — the visual gap is real but the experience is playable (Microsoft performance claims).
• The Series S lacks native 4K output, which matters most on large 4K TVs in Irish living rooms — upscaled 1440p looks softer than true 4K (Xbox.com).

Future-proofing for upcoming titles

• Microsoft has committed to releasing all first-party games on Series S throughout this generation — the console is not being abandoned early (Microsoft).
• Some developers have expressed concerns about the Series S memory constraint (10 GB shared), which may lead to visual compromises in future titles (industry discussion).
• The absence of a disc drive means no second-hand or rental market — a factor for cost-conscious gamers in Ireland who save money buying pre-owned games (community review).

Comparison to current Xbox Series X

• Series X is about 67% more expensive than Series S in Ireland (€499 vs €299), but delivers 3x the GPU power, more memory, and a disc drive (Microsoft).
• Series S is not out of date — it is the budget current-gen option, not a last-gen holdover. The One S is the console that is genuinely obsolete by 2026 standards (Wikipedia).

Is the Xbox One still good in 2026?

Performance on current games

• Newer AAA titles like Starfield and Forza Motorsport are Xbox Series X|S exclusive and do not run on Xbox One S at all (Microsoft).
• Multiplatform games that still support One S, such as Fortnite and Minecraft, run at 900p-1080p with lower texture quality and longer load times compared to Series S (Wikipedia).

Online multiplayer and services

• Xbox Game Pass works on Xbox One S, offering a library of hundreds of games — but new additions are increasingly Series-optimized versions that underperform on the old hardware (Wikipedia context).
• Xbox Live and multiplayer services remain active for One S, with no announced cutoff date for online play (Wikipedia).

Availability of new titles

• Microsoft has confirmed that future first-party releases like Fable and the next Perfect Dark will be Series X|S-only (Microsoft).
• The Xbox One S is effectively a legacy device for playing the existing library and older titles — not a platform for new gaming in 2026 (Wikipedia).

What is the most unsuccessful console?

The question about the “most unsuccessful” console is subjective, but it surfaces because people want to know whether the Xbox Series S is at risk of being abandoned early. The pattern: niche low-sales consoles like the Virtual Boy or Ouya occupy that label, not the Series S.

Definition of unsuccessful

• Failure can be measured by sales volume, developer support, or the speed at which a console is discontinued — each metric yields a different answer (Wikipedia sales data).
• By lifetime sales, the Virtual Boy (Nintendo, ~770,000 units) and Ouya (Kickstarter, ~200,000 units) are among the worst-performing consoles ever (Wikipedia).

Notable low-selling consoles

• The Atari Jaguar sold around 250,000 units and was discontinued within two years (Wikipedia).
• The Nintendo Wii U sold ~13.5 million units — a disappointment for Nintendo but not in the same category as the Virtual Boy (Wikipedia).

Context for Xbox Series S sales

• Microsoft does not release exact Xbox Series S/X sales figures, but analysts estimate the Series S accounts for a significant share of total Xbox Series sales (Microsoft).
• The Series S is widely regarded as a successful product, filling the budget current-gen niche that the Xbox One S occupied in its own generation (Wikipedia).
• Nothing in the sales data or market reception suggests the Series S is remotely unsuccessful — the question is a concern about longevity, not actual performance (community analysis).

For a detailed breakdown of how these consoles stack up, check out this Xbox Series S vs One S comparison that covers specs and value in depth.

Frequently asked questions

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• Is Fall Guys Cross-Platform? Cross-Play Guide (2025) — Popular multiplayer title available on both Xbox Series S and Xbox One S.
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Review: Price, Specs & Features — Tech hardware review for readers comparing gaming and gadget investments.

For the Irish gamer weighing €299 against €100, the choice is clear: the Xbox Series S delivers current-gen gaming that will last through to the next console generation. The Xbox One S is a nostalgia machine and a budget entry point for children’s games — but it will not run the blockbuster titles arriving in 2026 and beyond. Spend the extra money, go digital, and get the Series S. Or wait and save for the Series X. Just do not buy a One S expecting it to play the next generation of games.