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The Xbox Series S and Nintendo Switch are two of the most popular consoles in this price bracket. However, they are two distinct types of beasts and target different groups of gamers. The Xbox console serves those who want to enjoy the best of modern gaming with photorealistic graphics. On the other hand, the Nintendo Switch suits those who adore Nintendo-exclusive games like Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Xenoblade, and more.
In this article, we are going to compare the two consoles and see which is the best for gaming and which one you should buy.
Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and solely reflect the writer's opinions.
Xbox Series S vs Nintendo Switch
The Xbox Series S is a home entertainment console that must be hooked to a TV or a monitor to play games. On the contrary, the Nintendo Switch is a handheld console with an integrated display, which allows it to be played anywhere. You can also connect it to your TV for a large-screen gaming experience.
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Let's compare the two consoles in detail, starting with their specs.
Specs comparison
Here are the specs of the Xbox Series S and Nintendo Switch:
The Xbox boasts 512GB of storage with the base model, while the Nintendo Switch only gives 32GB. If you buy the higher variant, the former will have 1TB of storage, while the latter will only have 64GB. The difference is day and night.
Graphics and performance comparison
The Xbox Series S and Nintendo Switch have different architectures and operating systems. Since these game consoles have no cross-platform benchmarking tools, it isn't easy to benchmark them.
Therefore, we will rely on the theoretical performance of the two consoles for comparison, which is provided below:
As you can see, the Xbox Series S is a beast of a device that will trump the Switch console in any game. The theoretical performance of its GPU is around 10 times more powerful than the Nintendo Switch. Games on the Xbox Series S generally tend to boast better graphics and performance than the Switch.
Let's consider the examples of Witcher 3 and Hogwarts Legacy since they are available on both consoles.
Here's how Witcher 3 looks on the two consoles:
We did an image analysis based on the game running on the Xbox Series S, and we believe the game could be running at 1080p natively or dynamically in some scenes. Since the game was running in performance mode, the Witcher 3 delivered 60 FPS or at least close on the Xbox console.
On the Switch, we believe The Witcher 3 was running at around 540 - 640p resolution based on our image analysis, and the framerate seemed close to 30 FPS or slightly lower in some scenes. Also, the graphical fidelity of the game was definitely lower on the Switch compared to Xbox Series S.
The case of Hogwarts Legacy is even worse. The game has significantly downgraded visuals on the Nintendo Switch compared to the visuals of the game running on the Xbox console.
Here's how Hogwarts Legacy looks on the two consoles:
The game provides around 30 FPS on the Switch but runs at 60 FPS on the Series S with the Performance mode.
This will be the case with most games since the Xbox Series S is a lot more powerful than the Switch console and even supports ray tracing.
Portability
The Nintendo Switch has a massive edge over the Xbox Series S in portability. You can take the Switch anywhere and play wherever you want. But when you are at home, you can hook it up to the TV and play games on the large screen.
With the Xbox, you are stuck playing it at home since it is not a portable console. However, depending on the kind of games you like, the actual gaming experience of the two consoles can be a whole lot different.
Longevity
The average life cycle of any console generation is around five years. The Xbox Series S launched in November 2020, so it is in the mid-cycle of its release, and more games will be released on this console for the next two years at least. However, a new version of the Xbox console may come out in 2016, and game support for the current Series S console could become limited.
On the contrary, the Nintendo Switch has almost reached the end of its life cycle. Nintendo is working on a Switch 2 version of the console, and it should launch later this year. The new version should have a decent performance upgrade over the original and may even support ray tracing.
Game library comparison
Before we explore the type of games available on the two, let's look at a few popular games on the two consoles:
As you can see, the kind of games you can play on the Switch and Xbox are vastly different from each other. The Series S console's library includes games like Death Stranding, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Cyberpunk 2077.
The Series S also supports backward compatibility with most of the games from previous generations of Xbox. However, it has no exclusive titles, and all of its games can be played on the PC.
On the contrary, the Nintendo Switch has exclusive games that are not available anywhere, and you will have to buy this console to play those games. The Nintendo Switch's game library includes games like Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of Kingdom, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Who should buy the Xbox Series S?
If you prefer games with rich graphics and realistic gameplay like Death Stranding, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Cyberpunk 2077, buy the Xbox console. A majority of these games are not available on the Switch. Also, most of the titles on the Xbox Series S provide two options: Fidelity mode and performance mode.
If you want the best graphics and ray tracing features, choose the Fidelity mode, but the games will run at 30 FPS. However, if you opt for Performance mode, then the graphics will be slightly lower, but the game will run at 60 FPS.
Who should buy the Nintendo Switch?
If you are a fan of Nintendo games and don't mind the lower graphical fidelity, then the Nintendo Switch is for you. But remember that this console is at the end of its life cycle, and once the Switch 2 arrives, which could happen by the end of 2024, the newer games may not be released on the original Nintendo Switch anymore.
Final Verdict
The Xbox Series S is the best for gaming. It runs most games at 60 FPS and delivers much higher graphical fidelity. It brings a huge library of supported games you can enjoy for a few more years.
However, if you are a fan of Nintendo games, you should buy the Nintendo Switch, but for everything else, the Xbox is the best.
