Why is the Xbox Series S so much easier to buy than the Series X or PS5?

One-and-a-half years since their release, both the Xbox Series X and the PS5 are still frustratingly difficult to find. Considering the impact that global supply chains issues and chip shortages have had on console production, this is hardly a surprise as both consoles are in high demand.

And yet somehow, the Xbox Series S has managed to evade the same troubles of its more expensive counterparts, given how it almost always seems to be in stock at major online retailers such as Amazon.

The Xbox Series S has even gone on sale multiple times, with its price dropping as low as $249.99, which is $50 off its usual retail price. And now, according to GamesIndustry.biz , its widespread availability has even helped Xbox’s latest generation of consoles outsell the PS5 in Europe for the first time ever – not bad for a box that seemingly no one wants.

If you’re anything like me, you might have been wondering why the Xbox Series S appears to be significantly easier to buy than the Xbox Series X, the PS5, the Nintendo Switch OLED and even the PS4 . We’re here to break down the reasons as to why that is.

Simpler manufacturing process

Ultimately, the reason why the Xbox Series S is so much easier to obtain than the Xbox Series X or the PS5 boils down to differences in their manufacturing processes. Each packs a semi-custom AMD accelerated processing unit (APU) that consists of an octa-core Zen 2-based CPU and RDNA 2 GPU, which supply the consoles with the power needed to push 4K resolution at 120 frames per second.

According to industry insider Daniel Ahmad, these powerful chipsets make both the PS5 and the Xbox Series X similarly difficult to manufacture. Meanwhile, the production process behind the Series S is significantly less resource-heavy - so much so that Xbox system architect Andrew Goossen confirmed to Eurogamer that its chipset was even more simple and cost-efficient to produce than that of the previous-gen Xbox One X.

Microsoft is understandably still quite secretive about the difference in how the Xbox Series X and S are made. But even taking a look at their tech specifications, we can see that the Xbox Series S’s APU is half the size of that of the Series X and contains half as many transistors (8 million vs. 15.3 million). This could translate to mean that the APU featured in the S model could be twice as easy to produce.

When you consider the fact that the Series S doesn’t have a disk drive, uses less RAM, has a smaller SSD , and comes in a smaller plastic chassis, it becomes clear as to why Microsoft’s entry-level console is easier to manufacture quicker and in greater quantities than its more premium sibling.

Scalpers aren’t targeting the Series S

It’s fair to say that the Xbox Series S may not tempt some consumers, despite its affordability and widespread availability. Although $250 is a bargain for a next-gen console, skeptics may still be holding out for more expensive options such as the Series X and the PS5, which they believe would arguably serve them better in the long run.

Thankfully, scalpers and resellers don’t seem to be very interested in the Xbox Series S due to the relatively low markup they can put on the console, and the fact it’s in plentiful supply. A quick Internet search shows that on websites like eBay, there are significantly fewer Series S models being sold than the Series X. To be exact, at the time of writing there were three times as many listings for the X than the S in the UK.

Not only is the S model being resold less frequently, but it’s also going for less than its original price. By contrast, the Xbox Series X can often be spotted on sale for approximately $750 (£600), which is significantly higher than its MSRP of $499 / £449.

The Series S still has a bright future

None of this is to say that the Xbox Series S isn’t worth buying, though. It’s a great choice and a relatively affordable gaming console that’s more than capable of handling modern games. And at the end of the day, a less flashy console that you have is always better than a premium one that you can’t get ahold of. The console has also helped Microsoft’s sales in Japan , a market that it has notoriously struggled to compete in.

Compared to all other options available on the market - including other consoles and even the best budget gaming PCs - the Xbox Series S is a great entry point into the vast world of gaming. With the Series S, you can take advantage of Microsoft’s great selection of games via Xbox Game Pass, including Forza Horizon 5 , Halo Infinite , and Psychonauts 2. According to our gaming hardware editor Adam Vjestica, it even makes for a great travel companion.

Even prior to the release of the latest generation of Xbox consoles, Phil Spencer himself expects that the Series S will sell more in the long run.

“I think, over the generation, our expectation would be that price really matters and that you would see the Series S sell more,” Spencer told Kotaku .

This sounds highly plausible too, particularly as gamers continue to grow impatient and opt for the Series S instead of waiting around for new waves of PS5 and Xbox Series X restocks .

Holopresence means never having to say, ‘Sorry, I can’t be there’

In Holopresence land you can be two places at once. One is sitting on a director’s chair in front of a green screen, sweating under a half dozen stage lights. The other is half a world away on a semi-translucent screen, addressing an audience who almost believes you’re sitting right there with them.

I walked across midtown Manhattan in the soaking rain to see ARHT Media’s Holopresence experience in person earlier this week. (And with water dripping off my hat and coat, I found myself wishing I’d done this meeting as a hologram.)

To be clear, what ARHT provides is not, technically, a hologram. It’s a canny projection system that employs mostly off-the-shelf technology, a proprietary screen, and special software to make people believe someone is sitting in front of you, as opposed to – in my case – Toronto.

He was never really there

ARHT Media is a Toronto, Canada, telepresence company that just opened its first Holopresence studio in a WeWork building in midtown Manhattan. They invited me for a look.

As I walked into the WeWork space, basically a vast, mostly unfurnished office floor, I was greeted by ARHT Media SVP Terry Davis and company CEO Larry O’Reilly, who was standing off to the side looking at his phone. O’Reilly looked a little odd, as though he was standing before a bright light that I couldn’t see. Suddenly he abruptly dematerialized and was gone -- my first experience with this Holopresence technology.

I wanted to try this for myself, but before anyone could transform me into a Holopresence, Davis walked me through the technology's fundamentals.

“We’re a projection system,” Davis told me. Gesturing toward the cube-like set up in a semi-darkened space on the far side of a cavernous WeWork room, where O’Reilly had “stood” just moments ago, Davis explained that the entire system is portable and “breaks down into a couple of duffle bags. We go anywhere in the world.”

The cube that "virtual you" beam in and out from consists of poles, black curtains on the back and sides, and a special screen stretched across the front. Unlike a standard movie screen, this one is a nylon-like mesh with a high-gain reflective coating. “It’s transparent and reflective at the same time,” explained Davis.

Aside from ARHT’s matrixed software (handling multi-channel communication for various holopresences in real-time), the screen is the company’s only other piece of proprietary technology. Still, it is effective.

Behind the screen, I note a few props, including a pair of plants and some floor lighting. These and the distance to the back curtain create the illusion of a depth of field behind a Holopresence. “You have to have a certain degree of depth of field in order for your brain and eyes to perceive that parallax,” said Davis.

A world of Holograms

AHRT is by no means the only company creating virtual people for events, concerts, panels, exhibits, and families. There’s Epic HoloPortl , for example. It has white, booth-like boxes, called PORTLs, in which people appear to materialize. The effect is arresting. Davis, while not wanting to criticize Epic HoloPortls, called them “white coffins with no depth of field.”

He also noted that his product can accommodate multiple people from multiple locations on one screen, while PORTL fits one in a box.

Plus there’s the portability factor. A Holopresence system, which would include the screen, curtain, poles, an off-the-shelf projector (they were using a Panasonic DLP for my demonstration), and microphones and speakers, can fit in a large bag. It’s not clear how portable the PORTL boxes are.

Still, on the other side of a Holopresence presentation is someone sitting in front of a green, black, or white screen. They’re mic-ed-up, facing a camera, and, in my case, hunkered down under substantial lighting. Meaning that for a live Holopresence event, there are always two sides to the technology equation.

Davis told me that the technology they use to create these hologram-like presences is not much different than what we’ve seen with virtual Michael Jackson in Concert or Tupac Shakur at Coachella . In those instances, the projection was from the ground up to a reflective surface that bounces it off a giant screen. Holopresence’s projector is outside the curtained area, facing the screen.

Most of ARHT Media’s clients are businesses, enterprises, and billionaires (there was an Antarctic yacht cruise where people like Malcolm Gladwell beamed in to talk to a select audience). Davis described multiple panels where they beamed people in from around the world. Back at each of their studios, panelists are surrounded by screens that stand in place of other panelists. If someone is seated to the left of you, that’s where the screen will be. They even try to accommodate height differences. If the speaker on the left is much short than you or, say, on a different level on the stage, they adjust the screen height accordingly. A feed of the audience is usually placed in front of the speaker. What they see is holo-panelists looking back and forth at other holo-panelists.

To accommodate large panels or events with large audiences, ARHT offers a range of screen sizes that can be as small as 5 feet and as large as, well, a stage.

ARHT does have some consumer impact. During COVID travel restrictions, the company helped a bridesmaid in England virtually attend a wedding in America. In New Jersey’s Hall of Fame , the company has built a kiosk where visitors can “speak” to life-sized video versions of Bon Jovi and Little Steven.

Still, ARHT is not priced for your average consumer. A single-person Holopresence can run you $15,000. For more people on the screen, it could cost as much as $30,000.

Beaming in

After a power outage at the Toronto headquarters (no amount of tech magic can overcome a lack of electricity), we finally got ARHT’s CEO back for a quick virtual chat. The roughly 6ft tall O’Reilly looked solid. As we talked and he reiterated many of the points Davis and I covered, I found myself focusing on the image quality. Dead-on, it was perfect. From O’Reilly’s white hair down to his shoes, he appeared to be standing before me (on a slightly raised stage). I shifted to the left and right and found the effect holding up pretty well. Davis claims the projection doesn’t flatten out until you hit between 120 -to-140-degree off-axis. I’d argue the viewport is a bit narrower.

As we conversed, though, I experience another key part of ARHT’s Holopresence secret sauce: latency. The conversation between the two of us was free-flowing. Even when we did a counting test (we counted to ten with each of us alternating numbers), there was, perhaps, a sub-second delay.

To achieve this effect, ARHT uses low packet bursting transmission to create a smooth, conversational experience between people in Hong Kong and Australia or a reporter in New York City and a CEO in Toronto.

One thing I noted throughout the demo were the references to Star Trek transporter technology. There was even a screen in the space showing a loop from the original Star Trek series where the team beams down to an alien planet. When you start a Holopresence experience, people “beam in” with a very Star Trek-like graphic flourish and sound effect. I asked O’Reilly if he's a Star Trek fan and what he thought about the connection. He didn’t answer directly and instead pointed out how the sound and graphics are completely customizable.

Finally, it was my turn. I sat in the green screen space and tried to look like I wasn’t about to experience a lifetime dream of mine. My beam-in moment was, initially, a little underwhelming. I couldn’t see myself; the Holopresence space was across the room.

When it was over, I walked over, and Davis replayed my big moment. Seeing myself teleport into the room like a bald Captain Kirk was everything I hoped it would be.

Beam me up, Scotty.

This wireless PS5 headset can last up to 12 days on a single charge

If you’re tired of charging your gaming headset every night, the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless should be on your radar. The headset can reach up to 300 hours of battery life, which means you could complete Elden Ring 10 times over before reaching for the charging cable.

Available now for $199.99 / £189.99, HyperX’s latest headset goes well beyond what most high-value wireless headphones offer. Rival products tend to offer around 20 to 40 hours of battery charge, which makes the Cloud Alpha Wireless a potential industry leader.

It’s worth nothing HyperX says “up to,” as this figure was reached with the headset at 50% volume and can vary depending on usage. Charge time takes around 4.5 hours as well, which is to be expected considering how long they last. Even if you like your volume a little louder, then, you probably won’t need to charge the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless for quite some time.

Compatible with PC, PS4 , and PS5 , the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless connects wirelessly using a 2.4Ghz dongle. Unfortunately, there’s no option for a wired connection because it doesn’t include a 3.5mm headphone jack, limiting its use elsewhere. If you’re hoping for Bluetooth compatibility, then we’ve got bad news as that’s also unsupported.

Beyond having an impressive battery life, the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless continues the black and red design we’ve previously seen with Cloud Alpha headsets. There’s a detachable microphone with an LED indicator if you’re not worried about voice chat, dual-chamber audio drivers, and DTS Headphone:X spatial audio, which provides pinpoint audio precision for supported PC games . However, if you’re playing on PS5, DTS Headphone:X isn’t supported. Instead, you can take advantage of Sony’s proprietary 3D audio .

Elden Charge

Having a headset that can last for hundreds of hours isn’t just convenient, but it means you could realistically play a game to completion several times before charging. Elden Ring, for example, takes an average of 49 ½ hours to beat according to howlongtobeaom , a site that polls players on average playtime.

Naturally, mileage significantly varies depending on the skill of a player, as this figure jumps up to 90 hours if you do most of the extras, meaning the Cloud Alpha Wireless should last at least three playthroughs. If you’re going for a completionist run though, Elden Ring takes around 120 hours to complete, so two and a half.

If you’re still the type of gamer who doesn’t use a headset, we’ve rounded up the best PS5 headsets and best Xbox Series X headsets available right now. From microphone quality to comfort and spatial audio, these headphones should satisfy every budget. You can also check out the best wired gaming headsets if you’re not a fan of wireless cans.