Despite being probably the worst year in recent history, 2020 saw the arrival of three fantastic new next-gen consoles – the Xbox Series X, the Xbox Series S, and the PlayStation 5.
And if you were lucky enough to get your hands on one, it may not have been the one you originally wanted.
Eight months later and major retailers such as Gamestop, Walmart, and Target still haven’t had consistent stock levels since the consoles’ release.
When one does finally become available at one of these stores, there’s potential for “scalping”. This is when a buyer purchases an in-demand product at its recommended retail price with the sole intention of reselling it at a higher price elsewhere.
Since the November 2020 release of these consoles, thousands of listings for a brand-new Xbox Series X|S or a PlayStation 5 at a significantly marked-up price have flooded eBay, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace, among others.
In fact, I got my Series S from Facebook because I was so impatient. I had to pay an extra $75 (and $20 shipping which would have been free at a large retailer). But I managed to get one!
The Series S is the smallest and cheapest of the next-gen lineup at $300 – $100 cheaper than its also-disc-free rival, the PS5 Digital Edition. And if you want a console with a disc drive, you’re going to have to pay $500.
For decades now, we’ve seen the optical disc format becoming more obsolete by the day, so the introduction of all-digital consoles isn’t surprising, nor particularly unwelcome.
After all, not including an optical drive saves precious space, allowing the console to be thinner, and saves money.
Imagine your fancy new MacBook with a bulky DVD drive now.
But although the Xbox Series S might not have a disc drive and it might only have half the storage and it doesn’t output at 8K, it’s still a beast of a machine.
And most of us don’t have an 8K television anyway.
Top 3 Must-Have Xbox Series S Accessories
1. External Hard Drive
The Series S contains half the storage of the Series X, with only 512GB of SSD space (and only 364GB of that is available to store games).
With the average game coming in at around 50GB, you can only store about 7 games before you need to either delete some or expand your storage.
There is a dedicated port for a 1TB Seagate Expansion Card on both the Series S and X.
This instantly triples your console’s storage capacity, but it comes with a hefty price tag of $220.
Instead, you can spend less than a quarter of that, and get any 2TB external hard drive.
It won’t be quite as speedy as the Seagate Expansion Card but it’s sufficient to store and play games.
If you want to stick with Xbox official accessories, the Seagate 4TB game drive for Xbox is what you need.
It’s half the price of the 1TB expansion card, and holds 4x the games!
2. Xbox Wireless Headset
Gone are the days of crappy one-eared pieces of plastic that would be better off in a call center.
We want rich, immersive sound and a decent microphone to go along with it.
And Microsoft has delivered with its very own Xbox Wireless Headset.
It connects wirelessly to your console and delivers the sound and microphone quality you desire.
3. Power A Dual Controller Charging Station
Many gaming controllers are still powered by two AA batteries – and the new Xbox Wireless Controller for the Series S is no exception.
So, instead of changing the batteries every few days, you can swap them out permanently and use a charging dock.
The Power A Dual Controller Charging Station comes with two rechargeable battery packs which replace the AA batteries in two of your controllers.
Simply insert the battery pack and place your controller on the dock.
This allows your controller to be fully charged before every use.
More official Xbox Series S accessories
The following accessories are designed for the Xbox Series S and licensed by Microsoft. This ensures compatibility with your Xbox Series S console.
Xbox USB-C Play & Charge Kit
If you don’t like the idea or can’t sacrifice the space for a charging dock, you should opt for the Play & Charge kit.
Swap your AA batteries for the included battery pack and plug in your controller with the 9ft USB-C cable.
The Play & Charge kit delivers up to 30 hours of playtime on a 4-hour charge.
And, of course, you can still use your controller while it’s charging!
PDP Talon Media Remote
If you plan to use your Xbox Series S as an all-in-one entertainment hub, you can’t get any better than the Talon Media Remote.
But with Microsoft gradually starting to roll back its entertainment focus, this may not be very useful in the coming future.
PDP Gaming Remote Control
For a modernized look, the officially-licensed PDP Gaming Remote Control for Xbox Series S has all the buttons you should need, and none you don’t.
It’s a lot less bulky than the Talon Media Remote and has enough functionality to navigate through your Xbox with ease.
Other useful third-party Xbox Series S accessories
Geek Made Designs Trifecta Stand for Xbox Series S
This beautifully designed minimalistic solid-wood stand comfortably holds your Xbox Series S, one controller, and your headset, all while looking gorgeous.
But it does come in with a pretty hefty price tag for a stand, at $90.
Case Club Impact Resistant Hard Travel Case
If you plan on traveling with your Xbox Series S, you’ll probably want a sturdy case for it.
This impact-resistant hard travel case from Case Club is just that.
With enough space to fit two controllers alongside the console and cables, you can be sure your Xbox Series S will get to its destination safely.
Insignia Chatpad for Xbox Series X|S
Want to relive the good old days of abusive Xbox live messages from the Halo or Call of Duty opponents you just faced? You need a chatpad!
The Insignia chatpad from Best Buy gives you everything you need to unleash a torrent of insults at your opposing team*.
*Just kidding, please don’t do that.
