I was excited to get my Acer Chromebook 515 review unit - one which skews the Chromebook formula by stirring in the adjective ‘big’. After all, Acer and Chromebooks go hand in hand. The company has probably the widest catalogue of ChromeOS devices and isn’t afraid to apply slightly more adventurous designs, like that of the Chromebook Spin line, to a product category that’s usually pretty dull.
We’re even more excited (and a little surprised, too) to find out it’s actually decent. Part of that quality comes from its internals. Yes, a package of 11th-gen Core i3, 128GB SSD, and 8GB RAM might seem a little lacking in a regular £449 (around $550 / AU$790) laptop, but put it to work powered by the ChromeOS, and it’s enough to make it really fly. This is a machine that rarely feels like it’s trying too hard, and there’s a Core i5 version (which may even be available for a very similar price) if you feel you’re going to need to push it harder.
Then there’s the 15.3” screen that, while probably at the bottom of the pile as far as IPS displays go, is plenty visible, can be dialled up to a decent brightness, and is one of the largest you’ll find on a Chromebook - at least until Acer decides the bananas 17” Chromebook 715 is due a refresh.
The full-sized keyboard is a luxury even if it’s squashed enough to make acclimatisation a little tricky. The battery is huge and will easily see you through an entire day’s work. It’s solidly built, feels sturdy on the lap or on the desk, its speakers are absolutely fine, and the hinge is basically wobble-free. The Acer Chromebook 515 is just a good laptop that happens to run ChromeOS, which somehow makes it better.
I won’t claim that it comes without annoyances. It’s great having a pair of USB 3.2 Type-C ports, one on either side of the chassis, but the omission of an Ethernet socket on a machine that’s very much aimed towards business deployment seems pretty bone-headed. The Chromebook 515’s webcam is absolutely terrible, a similarly confusing choice on a machine that’ll presumably be used for video conferences. Its screen struggles with colour reproduction and can feel a little fuzzy on the eyes. And it’s big (which is kind of the point) but heavy with it, meaning it’ll make an impact on your bag.
Still, as Chromebooks go - and it’s a bar that’s rising ever higher - this is a very solid option.
Acer Chromebook 515: Price and availability
Cheap enough in the UK - but the Core i5 version might be just as cheap
Pricier in the US
Tricky to find in Australia
Acer Chromebook 515: SPECS
Here is the Acer Chromebook 515 configuration sent to TechRadar for review: CPU: Intel Core i3-1115G4 Processor (Dual core, 3.0 GHz) Graphics: Intel Iris Xe RAM: 8GB LPDDR4X Screen: 15.6" IPS Full HD (1920x1080) non-touch Storage: 128GB SSD Optical drive: None Ports: 2x USB Type-C (Thunderbolt 4), 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, HDMI, audio combo jack, microSD reader, fingerprint sensor Connectivity: 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6), Bluetooth 5.0 Camera: 720p webcam Weight: 3.02 pounds (1.37 kg) Size: 8.7 x 12.7 x 0.7 inches (22 x 32.3 x 1.9 cm; W x D x H)
In the UK, the Core i3 version of the Acer Chromebook 515 appears to be exclusive to Currys’ business vertical, priced at £449. Its upgraded Core i5 cousin is also a Currys exclusive, with an MSRP of £549, though you’ll likely find it cheaper - as I write it’s discounted to £457.50, and given the processor upgrade and doubled storage, we’d probably lean in that direction if the price is still right.
US readers won’t find these precise specs in local stores; Amazon and the like stock an otherwise identical Core i5 spin, which starts at a probably-too-expensive $729. In Australia, you may be able to find a Core i3 version for AU$727, though it’s not clear whether Acer officially stocks it on southern shores.
Larger Chromebooks like this are a rarity, so it’s hard to compare the Acer Chromebook 515 against a direct competitor. If you can cope with a little less screen real estate, Acer’s own Chromebook Spin 713 offers significantly more luxury and flexibility for $699 / £599 / around AU$980; in the US, it’s absolutely a better option. There’s also the slightly smaller Acer Chromebook 514, which cuts screen size and excises the numerical pad, but otherwise offers a similar level of specs.
Value: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Future / Alex Cox)
Acer Chromebook 515: Design
Large screen leaves room for a big keyboard
Ports aren’t perfect
The Acer Chromebook 515 is an unashamedly business-focused machine and has the design to match. There’s a full-sized keyboard (with an asterisk) featuring a number pad perfect for long days spent battling Google Sheets; that asterisk, at least on the UK version reviewed here, refers to its tiny Return key and slightly narrowed numpad. Neither are deal breakers, and one’s fingers get used to them quickly. But the transition from a proper keyboard can be slightly jarring.
(Image credit: Future / Alex Cox)
Thankfully, the typing action is consistent and, if not deep, at least very definite. The off-centre positioning of the Gorilla Glass-covered trackpad means there’s plenty of space to rest one’s palms. As Chromebooks go (and they usually go far smaller), this may be the most comfortable keyboard experience going.
Obviously, the size of a laptop base tends to be proportional to the size of its screen, and the Acer Chromebook 515 doesn’t skimp on panel inches nor on the size of its chin bezel - it’s a chunky one, and reasonably heavy with it.
Whether you’ll love its 15.3” 1080p display, though, is dependent on how accurately you need to be able to interpret colours. I’s an IPS panel, though one with a relatively limited golden viewing angle and a slightly fizzy, washed-out look to it. I found it, again, comfortable - at least in the intended context of work - but disappointing when watching video.
Looks-wise, as befits a business machine, this is almost entirely unexciting, though Acer has tucked in a couple of pretty concessions. The chassis is a dark muted grey, but hold it at the right angle, and you’ll spot just a hint of glittery sparkle. A white backlight picks out the keyboard beautifully as well. Plus, there’s a fingerprint reader and a physical slide-over cover to block the webcam - though it should be noted that it doesn’t actually disable the camera itself.
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(Image credit: Future / Alex Cox)
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(Image credit: Future / Alex Cox)
Port distribution is clever with a USB 3.2 Type-C port on either side, even though you’re restricted to a single Type-A port, and you’ll need to rely on a dongle for Ethernet as there’s no built-in network port.
Design: 3.5 / 5
Acer Chromebook 515: Performance
Smooth performance that barely stutters
Android apps are functional but not fantastic
Benchmarks
Here's how the Acer Chromebook 515 performed in our suite of benchmark tests: Mozilla Kraken: 647.7ms Speedometer: 280 runs/minute JetStream 2: 162.031
Running ChromeOS isn’t the biggest challenge for a laptop, but Google’s web-first OS is often paired with some less-than-capable budget hardware - a combination which somehow makes it look a lot more difficult than it is and leaves a bad taste in many mouths.
No such bitterness here: at no point did the 11th-gen Core i3 inside my review unit feel lacking in desktop use. An SSD as opposed to eMMC is a treat - file manipulation here is far swifter than on some lesser Chromebooks. Its generous-enough 8GB RAM keeps up even with a large number of tabs open, and Wi-Fi 6 ensures connectivity stays speedy and the Chromebook 515’s wireless reach is very decent.
The benchmark results back this up – while they’re not the very highest we’ve seen, they’re more than acceptable. This is a machine, which crosses the line between power and price, that somehow scores on both fronts. It’s a pleasure to use. Even the speakers keep up - they’re not mind-blowing, and the fact that they’re downfirers means they won’t work well on every surface, but they’re perfectly competent.
(Image credit: Future / Alex Cox)
That said, it’s maybe not quite meaty enough to convincingly deal with Android translation. The games I tried were mostly slick, though suffered from occasional hitches and slowdown - ironically, you’ll want to go for the kind of ARM hardware that makes ChromeOS feel terrible (or use something like BlueStacks on a Windows machine) if you’re really looking for a laptop which can run Android.
Given its supposed business credentials, it’s hard to forgive the Chromebook 515’s 720p webcam. It’s awful. At least its fuzzy, dark image smooths out your rough edges, I suppose.
Now, there’s not really a way to get through a Chromebook review without a critique of ChromeOS itself, and so I must (by law) include one here. Being confined to what is essentially a limited walled garden of software may not suit every use case. This isn’t a machine for gaming; it’s not one that can run full-fat Windows apps or (at least without a little tinkering) Linux software. It’s a web browser in a box.
But heck, if your business runs Google apps by default, this might be one of the most easy-to-manage laptop platforms there is. If you just want a machine to help you thumb through Twitter, Reddit and TechRadar while you’re sat on the couch, the massive screen of the Acer Chromebook 515 makes it a comfortable option. ChromeOS isn’t the barrier it once was.
Performance: 4.5 / 5
Acer Chromebook 515: Battery life
Lasts a decent amount of time…
…though ChromeOS seems to have no idea how long that’ll be
To say the Chromebook 515 has shockingly good battery life would be a little disingenuous. I was surprised it lasted as long as it did, but it’s not the kind of twelve-hour performer you might find elsewhere in the Chromebook world.
While it’s obviously going vary depending on the kind of work you’re doing - and tasks like video playback do tend to drain it a little quicker - there’s almost no way that this won’t see you through a full day, particularly if you can convince yourself to dial down the brightness a little. Acer claims it should reach up to ten hours on a charge; expect eight and a half.
Do bear in mind that ChromeOS’ battery life estimations are wildly inaccurate, seeming to vary by the minute and may in fact be entirely fictitious. But even if you never quite have a clue how long you have remaining, the battery here is entirely acceptable. USB Type-C charging just seals the deal.
Battery life: 4 / 5
Should I buy the Acer Chromebook 515?
(Image credit: Future / Alex Cox)
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Also consider
If our Acer Chromebook 515 review has you considering other options, here are two more to consider...
Acer Chromebook 515: Report card
First reviewedFebruary 2023
How I tested the Acer Chromebook 515
We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.
Visme serves up an interesting concept: make information interesting and visually engaging. But the platform’s scope stretches far beyond social media-friendly infographics, with graphic design software, a video maker, mockup software, and tools for building attractive documents and presentations that stay on-brand.
Visme: Pricing & plans
Free option, subscription plans with heavily discounted yearly fees
Visme is subscription-based, with tiered plans offering more features as the price rises. All subscriptions are discounted when paying upfront for the year over the monthly charge.
Basic is the free plan, which gives you more than enough to get a feel for what Visme is about, and what it can do for your business. Even better, there’s no time limit. Use it for however long you need. It offers 100MB of cloud storage, limited access to templates and assets, and what Visme refers to as “regular” support.
The Starter plan is $29 a month (approx. £24 / AU$44) or $147 a year (approx. £122 / AU$219). You get access to all templates and assets, download projects as JPG, PNG or PDF, and receive email and chat support.
Pro is $59 a month (approx. £49 / AU$88) or $297 a year (approx. £246 / AU$442). Storage is increased to 3GB, with the ability to export your work as a PowerPoint presentation, HTML5, video or gif. It also comes with analytics and privacy controls.
Visme for Teams, a strictly commercial offering with bespoke pricing, is geared around online collaboration. ..
Pricing & plans: 4/5
Visme: Getting started
Visme has hundreds of templates for all kinds of designs and formats (Image credit: Visme)
A vast array of templates, ordered by category, help you find the perfect starting point for your project
Once you’ve signed up and signed in, you’ll find yourself at the template selection stage. And there’s a lot of them. Thankfully, they’re broken down by category - Presentations, Documents, Social Media, Videos, Web Graphics and more.
Each category is subdivided into genres. So, infographics are split into Statistical, Timeline, Location, and so on. There’s also a search field at the top to help.
If all this is too much, each category has a blank template for you to use, and ‘Custom Size’ lets you create canvas dimensions down to the pixel.
An interesting function is ‘Branded Templates’. This lets Visme explore your existing website, and extract your logo and current color palette, to base custom templates off of it. It’s a neat idea, but we were sadly unable to get it to work - even pointing Visme towards techradar.com yielded no result, and the PNG logo we tried to upload, wouldn’t work.
Getting started: 3/5
Visme: Online designer
Once in a document, your customisation options are vast (Image credit: Visme)
Extremely versatile, customisable and responsive interface, allows you to do pretty much anything you’d like with ease
If you’ve used Canva, then Visme's overall layout will be familiar territory. The tools at your disposal will depend on the template you’ve chosen, but on the whole they are very well-organized. All elements you add to your project are easy to customize. You’ll find a template is linked to a particular style and color palette - this is to make it easy to create a consistent look, but of course, this is more a guideline; you have the freedom to create what you like..
The left-hand sidebar contains all your elements, from shapes and stock photos and videos to any media you upload yourself. Replacing an existing image with a similar one is even easier. Select it and choose ‘replace’ from the popup menu, top-left of the canvas. This will take you to the same category where the original was located. That pop up menu is also where you get to change the object’s default color, so it can better match the design you’re creating.
The right-hand sidebar is where you create, reorder, duplicate and delete pages and sections. All in all, it’s pretty much everything you’d expect from a document creation tool. What we greatly appreciated though - beyond the creative freedom and customization options - was the platform’s speed and responsiveness. We didn’t see any noticeable lag from adding an object, to moving it around, to editing text - we actually quickly forgot we were working in a web browser. But if you prefer to use a computer or laptop for graphic design, Visme has desktop apps for Windows and Mac
Online designer: 5/5
Visme: Video maker
A video maker that's surprisingly fully featured(Image credit: Visme)
Simple online video maker for rapidly building explainers, promos, and social media ads
Visme’s video maker is just as straightforward to use. To the top of the screen, you’ll find various formats like explainer videos, adverts, testimonials. It’s a fairly exhaustive list, and clicking into each one opens up a series of associated templates.
Select the template the best fits your project, choose the aspect ratio - super-important if you’re publishing to mobile platforms, although free users can only opt for the 16:9 or widescreen canvas.
From here, the design process is more or less identical to using the platform’s digital art tools. You’re free to alter (or swap out) text and images to fit your organization’s branding.
The timeline, a familiar sight to those working with video editing software, is located at the foot of the screen. By default, it’s set to the basic view - ideal video editing software for beginners, as it compounds all elements into a single clip. More experienced creators can switch to advanced view, which lets you see and precisely control each individual element.
It’s important to emphasize that this is a video maker in the same vein as Canva Video. It lacks the professional toolkit you’ll find in the likes of Adobe Premiere Pro. Having said that, the video maker is surprisingly full featured, letting you work with multiple layers, trimming them and modifying them with ease
Overall, it’s a helpful content marketing tool built to let you make simple videos quickly, to promote your brand, products, and promotions.
Video maker: 4/5
Visme: Help & support
The guides designed to help you learn features of the platform are built as Visme documents (Image credit: Visme)
Documentation, and tutorials are provided to help you get the most out of Visme
Despite the ease of creating and modifying a project, it’s always far too easy to get lost in a new service. To that end, Visme has created a series of training guides to help you understand how things work. Most interesting of all, these guides are created as Visme documents which you can not only browse on the platform itself, but also alter. We found this a fun way to learn.
If this isn’t enough, click on the question mark icon in the lower right. This unlocks video tutorials, and documents explaining different aspects of the service.
And if you’re still lost after that, there’s always the option of chatting with technical support with actual humans (what a novel idea).
Help & support: 5/5
Visme: Share & export
Each category is broken down into numerous genres, showing you Visme's versatility (Image credit: Visme)
Multiple export and download options - for subscribers only
Your sharing and download options are dependent on your subscription level. They are all available under the Download and Share buttons.
One downside we found - it isn’t obvious which options are allowed and which are restricted until you select one, and face an Upgrade popup. The free plan doesn’t allow any download options, not even JPG.
On the plus side, Visme gives you a lot of information as to what your chosen export option offers. For instance, PNG is “Recommended for projects with logos, illustrations and charts”, while PDFs lets you choose to export your document with bleed marks, showing professional printers the areas that will be trimmed.
The Share options lets you publish your files to Visme’s site. Once that’s done, you can get ready-made code to embed it into another webpage, or just share the link with others. It’s worth noting that this is a public space accessible to all. If you want to make your document private, you need to purchase the appropriate subscription plan.
Share & export: 3/5
Visme: Scoreboard
Should I buy?
If you feel lost, Visme has a wealth of tutorials, and documents to help answer your queries, with online support if you need to talk to a rep(Image credit: Visme)
Buy it if...
You demand design and brand consistency across all designs, you need a simple online design app, or you enjoy versatility and customization features
Don't buy it if...
You need an industry-standard creative tools for large, complex video and design projects.
The EarFun Air Pro 3 are the latest affordable noise-cancelling buds from a company that makes some of the best budget wireless earbuds around. EarFun has released several pairs of earbuds that we rated highly, including the original EarFun Air Pro and EarFun Air S, all delivering decent sound and fantastic value.
The EarFun Air Pro 3 build on this further, all for under $100 / £100. In terms of design, they're more elegant-looking than their predecessors, and although they feel a little cheap, that means a light and comfortable fit that stayed put throughout the day when I tested them… with one notable exception that I'll come to.
The EarFun Air Pro 3's ANC (active noise cancellation) isn't on par with the best noise-cancelling earbuds available today, but they cost less than half as much as most, and the decent level of quiet offered here should be good enough to focus at work or keep most sounds dampened down when you’re travelling. It's impressive for the price.
The same goes for audio. If you’re after detailed and audiophile-grade sound, look to rivals instead. The EarFun Air Pro 3 won’t beat the top-performing buds in our best wireless earbuds guide, but I liked their punchy sound and found them fun to listen to.
There’s a great battery life on offer here – nine hours from the buds and an additional 36 from the case – as well as multipoint pairing. There are also some next-gen features available that we couldn’t test yet, but may soon make these buds even more special, including support for the highly-anticipated Bluetooth LE Audio tech.
No one feature stood out when I was testing the EarFun Air Pro 3. Instead, these buds are brilliant all-rounders, delivering everything most people would need from a pair of true wireless earbuds today all for well under $100/£100. But there are other options that may tempt you: the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus are better sounding, but with no ANC; the JBL Live Pro 2 feature better noise cancellation, but cost a little more.
There's a lot of tech packed into the affordable EarFun Air Pro 3.(Image credit: Future)
EarFun Air Pro 3 review: Price & release date
Released in January 2023
Costs $99 / £99 at launch but discounted already
No Australian availability at time of writing
The EarFun Air Pro 3 true wireless earbuds were launched in January 2023. They originally cost $99 / £99, but they’ve been reduced to $79 /£79 on the Earfun website and other third party retailers at the time of writing, so that's clearly a price to expect them to hit regularly. As we publish, there’s no news on Australian availability.
Their sub-$100/£100 price tag puts the EarFun Air Pro 3 at a similar price as some of our favorite budget earbuds, like the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW. But although we rated the sound of the Audio-Technica buds, there are more features on offer from the EarFun Air Pro 3, most notably ANC.
Having spent a few weeks testing them, I'd say that the EarFun Air Pro 3 are similar in terms of sound, ANC, specs and even design as the JBL Live Pro 2, but at $149 / £129 / AU$199, the JBL are significantly more expensive.
EarFun Air Pro 3 review: Specs
The EarFun Air Pro 3 case isn't as small as some, but is reasonably compact.(Image credit: Future)
EarFun Air Pro 3 review: Features
Great battery life
Multipoint pairing and active noise cancellation
Bluetooth LE Audio support could be a game-changer
For the price, there are a lot of features on offer here. I like that the EarFun Air Pro 3 have multipoint pairing, allowing you to listen to music on your laptop and then easily switch to say taking a call on your phone. During testing, this worked well and was seamless most of the time.
In terms of controls and customization, the EarFun Air Pro 3 buds come with an app that’s minimal but has everything you need. There are also controls at the top of the stems. At times, these touch controls required a slower, more deliberate press to work. That’s fine, but not ideal given they’re there to be used intuitively. I did like that you can customize their actions from within the app.
It’s a shame there are no sensors that know when you take out the buds and pause the audio. That feature isn’t a dealbreaker, but it is one you don’t realize is incredibly handy until it’s not there.
The battery life of the EarFun Air Pro 3 is among the best you’ll find from a pair of true wireless buds. EarFun promises nine hours from the buds and a further 36 from the charging case. That’s a mega-impressive 45 hours in total. Of course, that’s with ANC off. With it on, we’re talking seven hours in the buds and 37 hours in total. I got 6.5 hours with ANC on at a high volume, which I still found impressive.
This is a similar battery life to some of our favorite buds, like the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus, although they don’t have ANC. It’s also just a little less than our current mid-range favorites, the JBL Live Pro 2, which offer up 40 hours of battery life in total. So considering the EarFun Air Pro 3 are budget buds with ANC, they outperform much of the competition.
The EarFun Air Pro 3 feel like a truly modern pair of buds in terms of specs, and one feature is so cutting edge I couldn’t even test it: next-gen Bluetooth LE Audio technology. This is a new Bluetooth standard that promises to upgrade the way we listen to music, including improved sound quality and battery life. The problem? No smartphones are compatible yet.
There’s also support for a feature called Auracast. This allows you to jump between audio playing from different devices, so you can seamlessly listen to what your friends are listening to or what’s playing in a public space – again, though, there's no support in the wild yet.
That’s not all. The buds also support Qualcomm’s apt-X Adaptive audio codec, which is capable of delivering CD-quality 16-bit.44.1kHz audio over Bluetooth. This also provides low-latency performance when streaming from devices that support the Qualcomm standard.
Features score: 4.5/5
With aptX and Bluetooth LC3 support, the EarFun Air Pro 3 are all set for Hi-Res audio.(Image credit: Future)
EarFun Air Pro 3 review: Sound quality
Fun but not fantastic sound
Adjustable EQ
ANC is good
The EarFun Air Pro 3 buds were powerful and punchy right out of the gate. I listened to Stevie Nicks' Edge of Seventeen and For What It’s Worth, and the signature sound was spot on, perfectly suited to these iconic tracks with big, booming vocals.
I found this to be the case across any genre that was all about the power and the bass, these buds handle the lower end well most of the time. Other tracks felt a little muddied or just didn’t suit the boom and the energy these buds excel in. Don’t get me wrong, they were still an enjoyable listen, but I couldn’t pick out the details or hear the precision of certain vocals or instruments as much as I can with higher-performing rivals.
I felt this acutely with Hildur Guðnadóttir and Jóhann Jóhannsson’s Good Night, Day. This beautiful strings piece builds power and energy throughout, but I didn’t hear that instrumental distinction with the Air Pro 3 quite as much as I'd really like.
At times there’s also a noticeable boom and even a rattle on the bass when you push to high volumes which, after listening for more than an hour straight, can be a bit too much. I found this to be particularly the case with ANC on.
If you want powerful sound, you’ll love them. If you like to appreciate the details of a mix, you might find them lacking. There is an equalizer on offer here that you can customize to a degree. There are also some presets, like bass boost. But I didn’t notice much of a difference when I tried them and preferred the signature profile for the most part.
You won’t get that silent cocoon of sound type of ANC that’s typical of more expensive earbuds from these EarFun buds. But you get a sufficient level of ANC. The buds block a decent amount of bass range sounds, like the rumble of traffic. I tested them in a busy coffee shop and although all chatter wasn’t silenced, a noisy conversation next to me was significantly dampened down so as not to be annoying. You’d need to bump up in price to get noticeably better ANC.
Sound quality score: 4/5
The shiny stem on the EarFun Air Pro 3 helps them look more premium.(Image credit: Future)
EarFun Air Pro 3 review: Design
Long stem design
Look fancier than they are
Very light
When you first pick up these buds you’ll notice they feel plasticky – by which I mean: cheap – but that’s kind of good news as they’re also incredibly light at 52g for both buds and case. This is subjective, but I find the lighter the bud, the more comfy the fit.
I achieved a good seal from the tips that came with the buds and chose the smallest size. They stayed secure and in place most of the time, but I did experience a bit of slipping when I wore them for a long time and when I took them on a run. To be fair, that’s pretty decent considering these aren’t workout buds. I only had to adjust them a few times and they do have an IPX5 rating, which makes them sweatproof and worth considering if you’re looking for a spare pair of buds for the gym.
They have a shiny black plastic design on the back, which I didn’t like, but that’s the bit that sits against your ear. What sticks out is a long, mirrored stem with gesture controls at the top end and the EarFun logo at the button. This shiny finish is subtle and makes the buds look much more premium than their price tag suggests.
However, the stem is long, and although the seal of the tips was great ,the stems affected it several times. This was particularly the case with long hair. When I wore my hair down around the buds, then pushed my hair out of the way, it got caught on the stems and the buds came loose. Not everyone will have this problem and I learned to be careful, especially outside. But I've tested a lot of true wireless earbuds at this point and never had this problem in the past.
Design score: 4/5
As all-rounders, the EarFun Air Pro 3 are hard to beat.(Image credit: Future)
EarFun Air Pro 3 review: Value
Possibly the best sub-$100/£100 buds I’ve tried
You have to pay at least $50/£50 more for comparable features
You’d need to be sure about the design
The EarFun Air Pro 3 buds perform well in every respect, but in terms of value they’re fantastic. Although their inner shiny plastic finish may give away that they’re cheap, as does their weight, the simple mirror design of the stems makes them look much more premium than they should when you wear them.
The ANC might not be the best, but I think it’ll suit most everyday scenarios and it’s often rare to get solid ANC with a sub-$100/£100 price tag. Just look at two of our current budget favorites, the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW and Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus, which excel in some areas more than the Air Pro 3, but don’t have ANC.
Battery life is fantastic, multipoint pairing is handy and the Bluetooth LE Audio support will hopefully make these buds even more of a no-brainer proposition as the tech rolls out more widely.
All in all, these buds won’t beat higher-end buds and sound is only fine, but in terms of what you get for what you pay in total, they're pretty much unmatched.
Value score: 5/5
Should I buy the EarFun Air Pro 3?
Buy them if...
Don't buy it if...
EarFun Air Pro 3 review: Also consider
How I tested the EarFun Air Pro 3
(Image credit: Future)
Tested for 10 days
Used in home office, working at a coffee shop, the gym, countryside walk, public transport in a busy town
Mostly tested with Apple Music and iPhone 13 Pro
In order to put the EarFun Air Pro 3 buds through their paces, I used them in a range of different environments as I went about my daily routine over the course of 10 days. I took them to the gym when I worked out, on a walk through the countryside, while travelling by both train and bus, and out on lots of walks around suburban areas at all times of day.
These are true wireless earbuds designed to be worn for long periods, so I kept them on when transitioning from a walk outside to working back at my desk again. This was a good opportunity to try out multipoint pairing, moving from listening to a podcast and taking calls on my phone to watching videos on my laptop.
I mostly listened to Apple Music, but also streamed podcasts, audiobooks and watched videos too – I also used them as I caught up on the latest episode of The Last of Us.
I’ve been testing audio products and wearable tech for around a decade, particularly focusing on the devices that can accompany you on walks and workouts, as well as general ease of use and comfort.
Cloud gaming on mobile devices is an enticing prospect for players on the go, especially as they completely sidestep the hassle of downloading the game. There’s just one issue: gaming with touch controls doesn’t translate well to a traditional button layout. Tacky on-screen setups hinder the experience, often oversized and lacking a pad’s tactile nature.
PowerA provides a solution in the MOGA XP7-X Plus, a dedicated mobile controller from the Designed for Xbox line. As such, it’s a perfect match for Xbox Cloud Gaming, letting you play the best Xbox Game Pass games without needing to wrestle with awkward touch-based controls.
The MOGA XP7-X Plus removes that obstacle and also features strong build quality with some great feeling sticks and face buttons. You can even charge your phone with it while you play. Some shortcomings aside, these features alone make the MOGA XP7-X Plus worth checking out. Especially at its relatively affordable price.
PowerA MOGA XP7-X Plus: price and availability
The MOGA XP7-X Plus is available to buy now from major online retailers like Amazon and Game, and can be bought for $99.99 / £89.99 (around AU$149). You can also grab it from PowerA’s official store page if you're in the US.
PowerA MOGA XP7-X Plus: design and features
(Image credit: Future)
Solid design and feel
Excellent sticks and face buttons
Triggers feel a little mushy, D-Pad could be better
The MOGA XP7-X Plus impresses out of the box. It’s essentially an Xbox controller split in half, connected by an adjustable centerpiece where you slot your phone. By default, an included kickstand is placed in this center hold but clips out with relative ease. We love the kickstand’s inclusion. It means that, if you’ve got a larger device like one of the best Android tablets, you can place it securely on a surface of your choice.
The controller is of good quality, with an excellent pair of offset thumbsticks that rival that of the official Xbox Wireless Controller. The face buttons on the right-hand side feel nice and clicky, too, lending high responsiveness even when playing games via cloud streaming.
The triggers and D-pad are less impressive. The triggers feel mushy and give a slight, unsatisfying resistance when pressed. With no trigger hair locks to adjust the travel distance, you’re stuck with the default setting. The D-pad, with its equally mushy feel, seems like an afterthought. And as a result, I opted to stick with the left analog stick for the most part.
Boost Mode will allow you to charge your phone wirelessly while playing
Having two remappable buttons helps alleviate the issues I had with the triggers. In my testing, we tried out a range of first-person shooters via Xbox Cloud Gaming, and it felt a little better to move aim and shoot commands from the disappointing triggers to the much more tactile remappable buttons. They’re placed a little too low for our liking, but they did help certain games feel more enjoyable.
Setting up the controller for the first time is a breeze. Holding the Xbox Home button on the MOGA XP7-X Plus will prepare the device. And if you’d toggled the unit’s mode to Bluetooth, it’ll pair to your phone at the press of the top-right Bluetooth button. But, if you’d rather use the XP7-X Plus without worrying about its battery life, you can connect it to your mobile device via USB.
Rounding out the feature set is the XP7-X Plus’s Boost Mode. With your phone slotted into the controller, Boost Mode will allow you to charge your phone wirelessly while playing. It isn’t super fast charging, but it’s a great option as it allows the device to become a power bank.
Design and features score: 3.5 / 5
PowerA MOGA XP7-X Plus: performance and battery life
(Image credit: Future)
Minimal input delay, even with cloud gaming
Great battery life
Rock-solid Bluetooth connection
The MOGA XP7-X Plus excels as a mobile controller both for cloud gaming and controller-supporting titles like Genshin Impact and Call of Duty: Mobile. The controller helps some of the best Android games play even better by saving you from having to use their awkward touch-based controls.
It’s a big win for cloud gamers, too. In using the XP7-Plus, I hardly ever noticed any issues with input delay, making it an excellent controller for platforms like Xbox Cloud Gaming on mobile. Of course, it doesn’t solve problems like screen-tearing and audio delay, but overall, it makes cloud gaming on mobile accessible and fun. If you're in the market for one of the best Xbox Game Pass streaming accessories, it certainly holds up its end of the bargain.
The battery life for the controller is impressive as well. I managed around nine to 10 hours from a full charge, using the Boost Mode interchangeably. That said, do expect battery life to diminish at a faster rate if you make frequent use of its wireless charging feature.
Performance and battery life score: 4 / 5
Should I buy the PowerA MOGA XP7-X Plus?
(Image credit: Future)
Buy it if...
You’re sick of touch controls If you game on mobile often, then the XP7-X Plus could be a godsend if you’re tired of dealing with imprecise touch controls.
You want a better cloud gaming experience The controller is an excellent cloud gaming companion thanks to high-quality sticks and face buttons, as well as a persistent Bluetooth connection.
You game on a tablet The XP7-X Plus’s kickstand is a great inclusion, and helps turn even larger tablet devices into excellent gaming hubs.
Don't buy it if...
Trigger feel is a deal breaker The MOGA XP7-X Plus’s triggers are the weakest part of the device, feeling cheap and mushy.
You’d prefer a standard controller Many of the best Xbox controllers will work with mobile devices via USB and Bluetooth, potentially offering better build quality overall.
The Xbox Series S is a more affordable alternative to Microsoft's current-gen flagship, the Xbox Series X, and once you start digging into the details, you'll find there's much different about the pint-sized console.
While The Xbox Series S is designed to take the same generational leaps as the Series X, such as being capable of ray tracing, sporting lightning-fast load times, and showcasing higher frame rates. It remains to be significantly cheaper than its sibling, but there's certainly a hit to overall power and features.
The Xbox Series S is praised for its digital-only build, but surprisingly there is significantly less storage than the Xbox Series X. The console also targets a 1440p resolution rather than 4K, with the opportunity to upscale when connected to an Ultra HD display. But the console is designed to run optimally at lower resolutions. So you should take your display setup into account when thinking of purchasing the Series S.
Microsoft's more affordable Xbox also does away with the 4K HD Blu-Ray drive of the Xbox Series X, making this a digital-only affair. If you've amassed a large library of the best Xbox Series X games over the years, this alone could be a deal-breaker and means you're at the mercy of Microsoft's store pricing when it comes to buying new titles.
Xbox Series S one year on
(Image credit: Shutterstock/m.andrei)
We've updated our Xbox Series S review to reflect our impressions after using the console for nearly two years. Microsoft has rolled out a few welcome improvements to the Series S, and we now finally have exclusive titles that take full advantage of the hardware's power like Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5.
These cutbacks might be too much for some users, then, but it makes the Xbox Series S a much cheaper and less hefty device as a result. Crucially, it's still capable of playing new-gen games, making this a great entry point into the Xbox ecosystem.
Each one impressed us, with smoother frame rates, increased resolutions (when compared to Xbox One, and Xbox One S), and faster load times, even if the games didn't look quite as pretty as they did running on the Xbox Series X. But that's mostly due to Xbox Series S targeting a lower resolution.
That said, for gamers who have no qualms about buying games digitally, or subscribing to Xbox Game Pass, you’re getting the full suite of next-gen features on Microsoft's cheaper console: Quick Resume, Auto HDR, 120Hz, you name it. The Xbox Series S is a great option for those wanting to experience new-gen gaming, without the sizable financial outlay required to own a full-blown console.
(Image credit: Future)
As we've alluded to already, there are drawbacks to consider. If you prefer to purchase games physically, or have amassed a large collection of Xbox One games over the years, the Xbox Series S's lack of disc drive may put you off.
You only get a 512GB SSD, too, as there's no higher-capacity option. And while the console's SSD is dramatically faster than the old mechanical drives in the Xbox One X and Xbox One S, it can fill up fast. The five games we mentioned above almost took up the entire 512GB SSD on our review unit (you only get 364GB of usable space), leaving us with just 30GB of storage to play with.
That means if we wanted to install a game of that size to the system's internal drive, we'd likely have to delete something first (or additionally purchase the Seagate Xbox storage expansion card, which costs nearly as much as the Xbox Series S itself).
Xbox Series X review
(Image credit: Future)
The Xbox Series X utilizes its powerful specs to significantly reduce load times and increase overall game performance and visual fidelity. But, while features such as Quick Resume, Smart Delivery, and backward compatibility give it that extra boost, it's hard to deny that it’s lacking in key areas, notably significant UI improvements and captivating exclusive launch titles.
What may deter people from buying Microsoft's more affordable Xbox is the fact that it outputs at 1440p for gaming. This lower resolution is a firm favourite in the PC gaming space due to the superior image quality it provides over 1080p, and the lower amount of graphical grunt it requires from developers to achieve. This has allowed Microsoft to create a lower-spec machine that still boasts next-gen features.
If you own an Xbox One X, the drop to 1440p from native 4K can be noticeable. The Xbox One X could deliver games like Forza Motorsport 7 at 4K/60fps and is still capable of some sumptuous visuals. It's easy, then, to think that the Xbox Series S is a step back – however, it's capable of a lot more than Microsoft's aging Xbox One X, even if it doesn't always beat it in terms of resolution.
Looking at the system internals, the Xbox Series S separates itself from the One X with its vastly more powerful CPU and more technically capable GPU, courtesy of AMD's RDNA 2 architecture which enables cutting-edge features like ray tracing. Yes, the Series S has fewer teraflops than the Xbox One X (four compared to six), but teraflops are no longer the defining factor in how GPU power is determined.
For Xbox One owners looking to upgrade without breaking the bank, the Xbox Series S is a great option, if you can accept what it's been designed to achieve. If you've already got the Xbox One X and a 4K display at home, however, we suggest considering the Xbox Series X instead. Read on for our full Xbox Series S review.
Considering the bigger sibling? Check out our Xbox Series X video review below.
Xbox Series S: price and release date
Xbox Series S release date: Out now (released November 10, 2020)
Xbox Series S price: $299.99 / £249.99 / AU$499
Can be bundled with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $24.99 / £20.99 / AU$33 a month
The Xbox Series S is available now for $299.99 / £249.99 / AU$499 and was released on November 10, 2020. That's the same release date as the Xbox Series X, though the price is significantly cheaper than the Series X's price of $499 / £499 / AU$749. Thankfully, Xbox won't follow PlayStation with price hikes, so while Xbox doesn't rule out future price hikes just yet, this isn't changing anytime soon.
Keep in mind however that, without a disc drive, you won't be able to buy used games or trade games with your friends: you're dependent on the Xbox Store for any purchases, which means you won't always get the best deal.
That issue is negated somewhat if you subscribe to Xbox Game Pass (a separate expense, but exceptional value nonetheless), or if you only buy the occasional game at full price around launch. Still, it's not ideal for those who rely on physical game sales or trade-ins to fund their favorite pastime.
Xbox Series S is also available on Microsoft's Xbox All Access subscription service in select regions, including the US, UK, and Australia. Xbox All Access bundles the console with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on a 24-month plan (giving you access to the latter for the duration) for $24.99 / £20.99 / AU$33 a month, with no upfront costs – that's a good deal which proves cheaper than buying the console and 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate separately.
Of course, Microsoft isn't the only one with newer hardware out. Sony released the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition soon after the Xbox Series S and Series X dropped, so if you're still on the fence then it's worth checking out our PS5 review before committing.
(Image credit: Future)
Xbox Series S review: design
Looks great when placed horizontally or vertically
Can comfortably fit into any setup
The console and controller look great in white
While the hardware powering the Xbox Series S is brand-new, the Xbox Series S design is reminiscent of the now-discontinued Xbox One S All-Digital Edition.
The Xbox Series S has a distinctive black fan vent, almost like a speaker grille, on the top that breaks up the swathe of white which encases the rest of the console, and it's where the majority of heat is exhausted. It's the smallest Xbox that Microsoft has ever made, with a plain front face that sports a single USB port and a power button. It's a clean, understated, and functional design.
For ports, you’ll find an HDMI 2.1 output, two USB 3.2 ports, an Ethernet port, a storage expansion slot, and an AC input. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Xbox Series S doesn't have a port for Kinect, Microsoft's now-defunct motion-sensing camera, or a HDMI input for cable boxes. However, that the Xbox Series S only ships with a High-Speed HDMI cable, not an Ultra High-Speed HDMI cable.
With weight and size, the Xbox Series S measures in at 6.5 x 15.1 x 27.5cm and 4.25 pounds (around 2kg). Its size should ensure it easily fits into most entertainment center cabinets and on TV stands, and it's light enough to pack up and bring to a friend's house or take with you on vacation.
As we mentioned above, the Xbox Series S is smaller than the Xbox One S. That's an impressive feat considering that it’s packing a 4 TFLOP GPU and an octa-core Custom Zen 2 CPU that needs to be cooled.
While some might not like the way Microsoft has aped its own design from the last generation, we're okay with it. It's nice to have some continuity, especially in products that are advertised as a family of devices, although it is fairly straightforward and industrial-like in its appearance.
(Image credit: Future)
Xbox Series S review: performance
Upscaled 4K looks great, and native 1440p is a nice compromise
Offers smooth and fluid 120fps gameplay
Xbox Velocity Architecture is fast… but not instantaneous
The Xbox Series S's strong suit is its value proposition – it's a compact powerhouse. It can offer either upscaled 4K gaming, native 1440p resolution, or a 1080p picture.
Its GPU, while not as powerful as the one in the Xbox Series X, can upscale games to 4K (in a similar way to the Xbox One S) and still run games at 120fps at 1440p, but you'll need a HDMI 2.1-compliant TV if you want to keep the resolution at 1440p. It's also capable of ray tracing, and loads games faster than ever, thanks to Microsoft's Xbox Velocity Architecture.
Combine Velocity Architecture with the 10GB of GDDR6 memory and built-in SSD, and you’ve got all the makings of a powerful console. Better still, Microsoft recently gave a performance boost for Xbox Series S games, which frees up hundreds of additional megabytes of memory. Crucially, this should help improve graphics performance.
Xbox Series S specs
CPU: 8-core 3.6GHz (3.4GHz with SMT) custom AMD 7nm GPU: 4 teraflops at 1.565GHz RAM: 10GB GDDR6 Frame rate: Up to 120fps Resolution: 1440p with 4K upscaling Optical: No disk drive Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD Usable storage space: 364GB
But do you actually need a 4K TV? And furthermore, do you need one that supports HDMI 2.1 for its 120Hz refresh rate? Let’s walk through all the scenarios.
If you're using a 1080p TV, the Xbox Series S uses a technique called supersampling to create better-looking images, even on less-capable displays. Supersampling is a complex process, but the basic idea is that the game is rendered at a higher resolution, and then the console downscales the image to match the output of your TV.
The end result is a noticeable boost in image clarity and anti-aliasing (the removal of jaggies and pixelated edges) and means that gamers who aren't using a 4K or 1440p -capable screen will still benefit from improved image quality from the Xbox Series S.
Most folks though, we expect, will be pairing the Xbox Series S with a 4K HDR TV – potentially one with a 120Hz native refresh rate, although the majority of displays sold over the last few years are likely to only support 60Hz at 4K and 1440p. If you do have a capable display, here's how to enable 120Hz on Xbox Series S.
Hook the Xbox Series S up to a 4K panel, and the console uses a technique called upscaling to convert a non-native 4K signal to 4K. While there's a stark difference between rendering in 4K, and rendering in 1440p and then upscaling to 4K – especially if you've got a keen eye for detail – it still makes games on the Xbox Series S look better than if the console was locked to a 1440p output.
It's worth noting that the Xbox Series S can render some games in native 4K if a developer chooses to enable that option. Just be aware it's done on a game-by-game basis, and isn't something you’re going to see on every game on the system.
The upshot here is that the console can utilize HDR (high dynamic range), which enables a wider color palette, higher peak brightness, and better contrast levels. Skies look bluer, the grass looks greener and colors pop in every scene. If you haven't had the opportunity to game in HDR yet, you're in for a treat.
If you are fortunate enough to have a display that's compliant with HDMI 2.1, you can enable 120fps at 1440p without having to drop down to 1080p resolution. To enable 120fps, simply pop into the console's audio and visual settings, where you can choose from various frame rate and resolution options.
It's pretty straightforward, but it's worth noting that not all games can hit 120fps, though Microsoft has amassed a handsome collection of titles since launch including Halo Infinite, Gears 5's multiplayer, and Call of Duty: Vanguard. Check out the full list of Xbox Series S games with 120fps support.
Even if you don't invest in a new TV, you're still going to see the benefits of the new SSD and Microsoft's Xbox Velocity Architecture. The latter is a multi-step solution that combines the Series S's custom NVMe SSD, hardware-accelerated decompression blocks, a brand-new DirectStorage API layer, and Sampler Feedback Streaming (SFS).
That's a lot to parse, but the gist of it is that data is stored in a more efficient way, and can be loaded into memory faster thanks to both the physical storage medium and the software algorithms that Microsoft has implemented to load the data.
(Image credit: Future)
The result is significantly faster load times compared to Xbox One X – we're talking about games that now load in a matter of seconds. The SSD also enables features like Quick Resume, which we’ll get to shortly. Of course, the one area that's less impressive here is the meager 512GB of storage capacity, which most people will fill up fast.
While 500GB was sufficient early on during the last console generation, game file sizes have expanded exponentially in the years since, making anything less than 1TB of storage seem like a raw deal. It gets worse when you realise that you can't access the full 512GB of storage. The system OS takes up 148GB of space, meaning you've only got 364GB of usable storage to play with from the outset.
By the time you've installed four or five games, you'll need to start thinking about what to uninstall, which is never a fun experience. While Microsoft claims that games on Xbox Series S will be up to 30% smaller due to not having 4K texture files, this won’t stop the system's internal drive from rapidly filling up.
The good news is that Microsoft has released an add-on storage solution at launch, in partnership with Seagate, that can add 2TB, 1TB or 500GB of extra storage if you run out of room. The bad news? The 1TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card costs $219.99 / £219.99 / AU$359 – money that could be spent on buying an Xbox Series X instead, which has 1TB built-in storage and better 4K support.
Xbox Series S review: controller
More tactile than before thanks to careful refinement
Triggers are shorter, controller is easier to grip thanks to new textured finish
Share button is a welcome addition, and the 360-degree D-pad feels great
Still uses AA batteries, unfortunately
Coming from the Xbox One Controller, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the Xbox Wireless Controller for Series X/S isn't that different. However, it's now more comfortable and easier to use than ever before, due to subtle changes in the controller's ergonomics.
Its overall dimensions have been tweaked ever so slightly, reducing the size of the controller as a whole, but not to the point where it's noticeable to the average user. It means more hand sizes can use the new Xbox pad comfortably. Other changes include a textured and matte finish on the handles, triggers, and bumpers, that help you get more purchase on the controller during tense gaming sessions.
Probably the biggest change for the controller itself, though, is the new D-pad, which has been revised to be a full 360-degree pad that feels great on the thumb. Each direction clicks with a satisfying sound and tactile feedback (though some might find it noisier than they'd like). Its smooth finish makes pulling off half-circle sweeps in fighting games a real pleasure.
Another minor change is that the triggers have been shortened to make them more accommodating for smaller hands. These triggers still have haptic feedback in the form of rumble motors, but it's not the same as the adaptive triggers in the PS5 DualSense controller, which can change resistance on the fly.
The new Share button does exactly what you'd expect – it captures and shares moments in your game for posting in your Xbox Feed or on social media. One click takes a snapshot, while holding the button down longer captures a 15-second video (you can adjust the duration in the Capture settings).
It's much easier than on the Xbox One, where you had to press the home button twice and then X or Y, but it takes some getting used to if you’re accustomed to the old way.
(Image credit: Future)
Overall though, it's mostly what you remember, with two asymmetrical analog sticks, the menu and view buttons that fill in for start and select, and the four face buttons (A, B, X, Y).
The Xbox Series S controller keeps its 3.5mm audio jack and expansion port at the bottom, but it now uses a USB Type-C charging port instead of microUSB. You'll also find the pairing button at the top, which you use to sync the controller to the console, or for pairing when using Bluetooth.
The new Xbox pad is still a comfortable controller to play with, but its biggest weakness is the fact that it still uses AA batteries. That's instead of a rechargeable lithium-ion cell like the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller or Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 houses. We found a pair of AA batteries lasted for around 10 days or so of heavy gaming.
If you're appalled by the idea of a controller using AA batteries in 2020, you can also pick up Microsoft's play-and-charge kit, which comprises a rechargeable battery and USB-C cable, for $24.99 (£20.99 / AU$29.95 ) to save you money in the long term (you can also use rechargeable AAs).
While the kit is obviously an extra expense that may irk some, there's an element of flexibility at least – and you're also not at the mercy of a lithium-ion cell battery, which can degrade over time, and which is more costly to replace should anything go awry.
Our advice? Pick up rechargeable batteries, or Microsoft's play-and-charge kit, if you plan on doing more than 40 hours of gaming a week.
Xbox Series S review: features
User interface feels a bit overcrowded and, in some places, slow
Quick Resume feels really cutting-edge
Smart Delivery ensures you get the best possible version of a game
Good selection of streaming apps, plus Dolby Vision and Atmos support
If it's been a few years since you bought an Xbox console, and you're worried that the process of setting it up might be confusing, don't be. Setting up the Xbox Series S proved to be a streamlined process, thanks in no small part to the new-and-improved Xbox app for Android and iOS. We've even seen Discord become available for all Xbox Series S players.
You’ll need to download the Xbox app from the App Store for iOS or Google Play Store on Android devices, and log in to your Microsoft account. Once you're in, power on the console and type in the code you see in the app, which appears on your TV screen – this pulls in all your data without you having to type it all in. You'll still need to enter a few details via the console, like Wi-Fi password, but then you're off to the races after waiting for an update to land.
The UI that greets you when you’ve finished setting up the Xbox Series S will be instantly familiar to anyone who's used an Xbox One in the last three months. The 'new' Xbox Dashboard rolled out in August 2020, and is the same across both Xbox Series X and S and the older hardware. It isn’t the most intuitive of interfaces, though.
There's a lot of information on display at once, and it's fair to say there's a small learning curve when it comes to figuring out how to navigate the UI effectively. The downside to the new consoles having the same user interface as the One series is that the Xbox Series S doesn't feel any different right away. It doesn't feel that new, even if navigating the dashboard feels snappier than before thanks to the extra power underneath the hood.
Moreover, the new UI still presents some of the same problems we've noticed in the past with Xbox One's interface: some images on the screen take a few seconds to load as content is pulled from the internet, and it's generally a bit too busy for most tastes, with far more information on the screen than you actually need at one time. Look past the UI, however, and you'll begin to see some areas where the Xbox Series S really innovates, though they're admittedly more subtle.
We can expect further changes to come for the UI, too. If you're an Xbox Insider, Microsoft recently rolled new Xbox Series X homepage layouts but fans aren't happy. While this introduces some quality of life changes, some players weren't so keen on the "tile clutter" this introduced, while others aren't fond of ads still taking up homepage space. As a feature currently in beta testing, this could change, so we'll keep this updated as we learn more.
(Image credit: Future)
Smart Delivery from the Xbox Store means you'll always get the best possible version of a game when you download it, or if it's upgraded in the future. Your save data also carries over seamlessly, even if you jump back and forth between your old Xbox One / One X / One S and new Xbox Series S. It's simultaneously backward and forward compatibility, which is reassuring.
Jumping between multiple games is now possible thanks to Quick Resume, a new feature that allows the Xbox Series S to hold multiple game states in the memory at one time, so you can jump back and forth between games without having to reload them.
The number of games that can be suspended varies – we had as many as eight in rotation at one point – and it won't work with every title, especially those with ever-changing online worlds, like Sea of Thieves. It's a handy, time-saving feature that's only possible thanks to the console's SSD, and game states are preserved even if the console is completely powered down.
Lastly, we have to talk about the console's multimedia capabilities. As a streaming device, the Xbox Series S carries most major services. That goes between Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, and others that are available on existing Xbox One consoles, plus some that are new to the platform, including Apple TV Plus. There's also region-specific apps such as Hulu in the US, and Sky Go in the UK.
Accessing these requires navigating to the Apps section of your library. Or, if you frequently use particular apps you can pin them to the home screen or create a specific group that can be accessed from the Xbox guide. We noticed that, like games, apps stayed in a suspended state when we flicked between them.
It's important to note that while the Xbox Series S only outputs at 1440p resolution when you're gaming, the console is capable of displaying streaming apps in 4K HDR. That means the likes of Netflix, Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus will output in 4K if you're using a compatible display.
As on the Xbox One X, some of these services are available in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, giving you access to advanced HDR and 3D surround sound respectively, but you may have to pay for a higher subscription tier in order to access those formats.
Xbox Series S review: game library
Scarce launch lineup with few exclusives
Backwards compatibility with three generations of Xbox consoles
Xbox Game Pass is a great way to instantly build up your library
We won't mince words here: the Xbox Series S's game library got off to a bad start. With the delay of Halo Infinite, there weren't any first-party exclusives available at launch on the Xbox Series S, other than titles that have previously been available on Xbox.
More third-party and first-party exclusives have since arrived like The Medium and Microsoft Flight Simulator, but Microsoft's first-party output is slowly catching up. Halo Infinite, Forza Horizon 5, Psychonauts 2, Grounded, and As Dusk Falls are all now available.
Instead of releasing new experiences on day one, Microsoft mainly opted to improve the existing library of games via Xbox Series S optimizations. Games like Gears 5, Forza Horizon 4, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and Sea of Thieves have all been optimized to either increase their base resolution or frame rates or to offer greater visual fidelity.
If you want to quickly see which games have been optimized for the Xbox Series S, head to 'My Games & App' > 'Games' > and then select 'Group by console type'. You can then see all the games optimized for Xbox Series X/S at a glance.
If you're someone who loves having access to the entire library of Xbox games past and present, the Xbox Series S will be appealing because it supports four generations of Xbox titles, stretching all the way back to the original Xbox. Being able to jump back and forth between Xbox 360 classics like Viva Piñata and Red Dead Redemption to more modern-day blockbusters is comforting.
It's nice not having to break out the old hardware or track down an old CRT TV but the caveat here is big. Because the Xbox Series S doesn't have a disc drive, you'll need digital versions of those older games in order to play them – and for that reason alone, Xbox Game Pass is great.
On it, you'll find over 100 games available to download on the Xbox Series S, with a mix of new first-party titles like Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Gears 5, and Forza 7, and some indie gems from the Xbox 360 era. If you're someone who loves the Xbox Games with Gold program but wished you had a few more options to download, Game Pass is really satisfying.
While Game Pass can't make up for that lack of exclusives, it does enable you to pad out your library and gives you a chance to see some of the best previous-gen games in a new light. You also get access to all of Microsoft's first-party games the day they release, which represents a huge long-term saving in itself.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can also stream games via Xbox Cloud Gaming. It means that rather than take up storage space, you can play games instantly without having to wait. This is a great option if you simply want to try something out, but we still prefer gaming natively as opposed to via the cloud due to increased input latency and some image issues that can occur.
If you're hoping to get Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for an even cheaper price, we've got good news. While this is currently being trialled in just the Republic of Ireland and Colombia, Microsoft is looking to launch an Xbox Game Pass family plan, allowing you and four players to jump in for a monthly cost of €21.99 – which comes to around $21.99 / £19.99 / AU$32.99
