If I am being completely honest with you, I wasn't particularly keen on the Xbox Series S at launch. As a big physical media nerd - ask anyone that knows me about my movie collection - with shelves full of discs and cartridges, the idea of a digital-only future terrifies me. But needs must, and the Xbox Series X was all sold out when I was looking to upgrade. This also means that a nice little chunk off a 1TB Xbox Series X console is suddenly very appealing as we head into Amazon's big Prime Day sale.
You'll currently find the console available for $449.99 (was $499.99) at Best Buy - but that's not all, there's also a free $50 gift card included.
If you're even somewhat interested in physical Xbox games, the Xbox Series X is really your only option in that arena, so $50 off isn't anything to sneeze at. Taking into account the fact that Microsoft so rarely puts first-party consoles on sale at all for any amount, and that when it does there is relatively low stock, it makes for a terribly tempting option ahead of official Prime Day gaming deals.
$449.99 is admittedly still a solid chunk of change to spend on what is ostensibly an entertainment purchase. If you're not as huge into physical media or otherwise aren't as invested in gaming, it's hard to imagine dropping that much dough if, for example, you already have a PS5 or even a Nintendo Switch OLED. (Let alone a gaming PC.) But if you've been waiting for the right time to upgrade from the Xbox One, for example, this moment right here seems like a perfectly good one.
Should you buy the Xbox Series X?
Whether it's the right thing for you to buy is ultimately going to be a matter of personal preference, but the Xbox Series X does have some tidbits going for it that its competitors don't. Even among the Xbox family of consoles, the Xbox Series X is the only one that will play physical games compatible with the Xbox Series X/S.
Notoriously, the Series X is also the more powerful console from the modern Xbox family. Developers have said for years that the Series S is somewhat troublesome given Xbox's compatibility requirement, and Baldur's Gate 3 famously had to ditch splitscreen just to make it work on the lower-end machine. The Xbox Series X is simply a beefier machine.
I am, admittedly, likely an outlier here as a Series S owner that still wants a Series X, but there is an argument to be made that anyone that is a serious gamer is likely going to want to upgrade to the Series X in the future as bigger and better games continue to require bigger and better hardware. At some point, the Xbox Series S is just going to hold people (like me) back from the hottest games. Personally, I'd rather upgrade now than wait to find out that I'm not able to play a game I've been drooling over in the way I want to, and $449.99 is a solid price for that peace of mind.
We're also rounding up all the best Prime Day PS5 deals and the best Prime Day PC deals for more options. Or take a look at the latest Prime Day gaming laptop deals for more portable play.
