While Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X all remain in high demand, it seems that none of these systems were the one to get on Black Friday. Instead, it seems that a different winner was picked on November 26th, and that console was the Xbox Series S! According to the Adobe Digital Economy Index, Microsoft’s all-digital platform was one of this year’s best-selling items. There are many factors that likely played into the Xbox Series S’ success this year, but Business Insider attributes that strong performance to the console’s cheaper price point and just how easy it is to acquire.
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Of course, there are two other factors that could have played into the success of the Xbox Series S: Forza Horizon 5 and Halo Infinite. Forza Horizon 5 has been a huge critical success for Xbox since its debut earlier this month. Microsoft also made a smart move releasing Halo Infinite‘s multiplayer prior to Black Friday, and it’s not impossible to think positive word-of-mouth could have helped sell systems. After all, the buy-in price for the Xbox Series S is fairly cheap, and both of those games are available to play on Xbox Game Pass. Plus, $300 is a cheap way for gamers to experience other next-gen games, such as Resident Evil Village.
While Xbox Series S is fairly cheap for a video game console, there are some trade-offs in addition to its lack of disc drive. The system is slightly less powerful than the Xbox Series X, and it has a fairly limited storage capacity. Users can always opt to purchase a memory card, but they remain fairly expensive (nearly as much as the system itself). That said, Xbox Cloud Gaming is now available on consoles, and that feature eliminates the need for storage of those games.
It will be interesting to see how the Xbox Series S sells over the coming months and years! Right now, PS5 and Xbox Series X remain incredibly difficult to obtain thanks to the global shortage of semiconductors. If that situation doesn’t improve anytime soon, it could lead to more gamers flocking to Xbox Series S.
Did you purchase an Xbox Series S on Black Friday? What do you think of the system so far? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
