Microsoft's game plan this console cycle is a strange and ambitious one. They're leading the charge with two systems, and offering up a subscription model for customers who can't justify buying one outright. It's an interesting strategy, to be sure.
Today, another fascinating little wrinkle came to light. According to Microsoft, the Xbox Series S won't make use of any Xbox One X enhancements made to current Xbox titles. That means that if you're getting a Series S in hopes of getting that souped-up One X experience for less cash, you're out of luck.
To their credit, Microsoft's explanation to Gamespew makes total sense.
“Xbox Series S was designed to be the most affordable next generation console and play next generation games at 1440P at 60fps," stated a Microsoft spokesperson. "To deliver the highest quality backwards compatible experience consistent with the developer’s original intent, the Xbox Series S runs the Xbox One S version of backward compatible games while applying improved texture filtering, higher and more consistent frame rates, faster load times and Auto HDR.”
Well, there you have it. The Series S was envisioned as an entry level console, so some costs naturally had to be cut. That said, this isn't a sign that the Series S is a weak system - in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. The fact remains that there will still be marked improvements to these games, as the guts of this thing are still a good deal more powerful than an Xbox One S.
However, this is a fair warning to Series S adopters. If you're hoping to get a next-gen console that offers all the bells and whistles of the previous model, the Series X will undoubtedly be the stronger choice.