Can You Use An Xbox Series S As A Budget Gaming PC?

Here at GameNGuide, we have written numerous times about the Xbox Series S and how it presents an amazing value as a cheap next-gen gaming console. But this time around, we're going to look at it from another perspective: as a budget gaming PC alternative.

(Photo : Phil Barker/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
A Microsoft Xbox Series S home video game console, taken on October 27, 2020.

The YouTube channel Open Surprise tried this scenario out, and it is safe to say that the results were very telling. In their experiment, the channel paired the tiny Microsoft next-gen console with a cheap 4K 60 Hz monitor from a brand called InnoCN, a wired mouse and keyboard, and tested it out in games.

Here is their video:

As you can see there, setting up the Xbox Series S with their chosen peripherals was very straightforward. With a wired mouse and keyboard, all you have to do is plug it into the USB ports on the back of the console and they're plug-and-play. No extra complicated setup needed. The same thing went with the monitor, as connecting and powering the entire system up was super easy.

Open Surprise even mentioned how switching between the controller and keyboard/mouse can be done mid-game if you like. He showcased this seamless switching in Fortnite, where there's absolutely no hiccup when the controller input was changed mid-match.

They also mentioned how compared to the PS5 (and PS4), there are way more games on the Xbox Series S that support mouse and keyboard controls outright. Fortnite was again a good example, alongside Microsoft first-party title Halo Infinite and Activision Blizzard's Call of Duty Warzone - these are the best ones as mentioned in Open Surprise's video. But they're far from the only ones.

GetOnStream listed down all of the games that do support mouse and keyboard on the Xbox Series S, and the list itself is pretty good. It's pretty extensive, but among the most notable include Microsoft Flight Simulator, Sea of Thieves, The Medium, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and Metro Exodus.

Using The Xbox Series S As A Typical Computer

Just on its own, out of the box, the Xbox Series S already offers an insane value for money as a gaming PC. And we say "gaming PC" because technically, you can use the Series S as an actual desktop computer that you can use for something other than gaming.

Here's another video by YouTuber Ben Rowlands, which explored how the Series S will function as an actual desktop computer. That's because Microsoft built their own browser, Edge, into the console which will then allow people to visit sites as they would on a Windows desktop:

Using Edge, you can visit the likes of Google Docs and even use Microsoft Office if you need it. What this means is that if you're in a pinch, the Series S can even help you do work!

The Price-Performance Value Proposition

All of these things can be done by the Xbox Series S for a very, very low price compared to the PS5 and its bigger brother, the Series X. Just look at the street prices for the tiny Microsoft console, and you'll see just how insane of a value proposition it has. On sites like eBay, you can have a Series S for as little as $150 - sometimes even lower if you know where to look.

(Photo : Phil Barker/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Living room with a Microsoft Xbox Series S home video game console alongside a television and soundbar, taken on October 27, 2020.

Yes, you read that right. The most expensive Series S on eBay at the time of this writing is right around its MSRP of $299, with the price rarely going more than that. The Series X, in comparison, can set you back as much as $700.

But let's take stock for a moment and try to compare a Series S to an actual desktop gaming PC that you can build - with the parts being equivalent to what the Microsoft console has for its MSRP of $299. Can we replicate the price-performance value?

According to IGN, the Series S' hardware is as follows:

512GB NVMe SSD
10GB GDDR6 RAM
8-core, 16-thread Zen 2 CPU at 3.6 GHz
RDNA GPU with 4 TFLOPs and ray tracing support

Now, it's impossible to get extremely similar hardware to this, as all of these things are custom-made for the Series S. Here is a list of parts that come the closest:

AMD Ryzen 7 3700X: $360 on Amazon
NVIDIA GTX 1660 Super: $327.53 on Amazon
16GB 3200 MHz DDR4 RAM: Around $70 from major retailers
ADATA SU800 512GB SATA SSD: Around $70, according to GamingBolt
ASRock B450M Pro4 motherboard: Around $70
EVGA 500 BR 500 watt PSU: $59.95 on Amazon
Thermaltake Versa H15 case: $49.99 on Amazon

The grand total of all these parts is $1,007 - far, far more expensive than just getting an Xbox Series S at under $300. There's just no comparison there when it comes to value.

So there you have it. If you want a budget gaming PC alternative that's capable of setting you up for the entire current gaming generation, then go for the cheapest Microsoft console. The evidence is all here.

Story posted by GameNGuide

Written by RJ Pierce