Gaming console for work: can the Xbox Series S replace a PC?

Many people have a stereotype that a computer is exclusively for work, and a game console is only for entertainment, although in fact, modern consoles can do much more. Using the Xbox Series S as an example, we checked whether you need a personal computer if you already have a modern game console at home. We tested this «PC» in non-gaming scenarios, looking for the main disadvantages, compromises, and nuances. After that, we are ready to share our experience with readers by answering the main question: «Can Xbox replace a home computer?».

Content

1 Test bench
2 Software
3 Use cases
4 Xbox Series S work performance
5 Price of consoles and computers
6 Conclusions

Test bench

We tested the non-gaming capabilities of the console with such hardware:

Software

Gaming consoles from Microsoft run on a proprietary operating system that has a little in common with the classic Windows OS, but not in terms of the interface. The UI is simple, adapted for couch-gaming. Despite the emphasis on the Xbox controller, the console is easily compatible with the keyboard and mouse. The system sees almost any peripheral, including external drives.

The mouse cursor does not work almost anywhere except in the browser and compatible video games. After classic operating systems, navigation seems strange, casual, and unusually simple. You can get used to this simplified interface in 10–20 minutes of use.

The Xbox Series S operating system has many unpleasant software limitations. For example, it is impossible to take a screenshot somewhere other than the game. The only option is to use an external capture card, which was not available at the time of this writing, so we used the favorite method of professionals — a photo of the screen.

The app store is extremely poor for anything not related to video games. There are a minimum of utilities, and almost no useful ones. You can only find a file manager, YouTube, Netflix, Telegram, etc.

The Samsung smartphone with the Dex dock offers much more, giving the experience of a typical Linux machine with a huge software library. The Xbox Series S firmware is limited and immediately shackles the user to a keyboard and mouse.

Before using it, it is important to remove the huge black frame from the browser and other programs. By default, the browser opens in a window that occupies no more than 70% of the screen. You can’t drag the window or change its size, so you have to go into the system settings and fix it.

Use cases

For a certain part of casual users, only one program is enough in a computer, namely a web browser. The popular Google Chromebooks are based on this concept. The modern browser really replaces almost everything, as it allows you to work with web applications. The Edge version for Xbox Series S is not as functional as one might imagine, as it has several compromises, which will be discussed later.

Firstly, you can forget about extensions. It is impossible to install browser extensions from the official store. We always get an error during installation. Another important nuance concerns the cursor. In addition to its hideous appearance and gigantic size, the cursor often disappears in some web programs.

For example, you won’t be able to work in Figma because the mouse arrow simply disappears on the working field. When working with large projects, Figma feels a little slow. You can view scenarios, but there is no comfort. On most sites, you need to zoom out. By default, the fonts are huge, and there is little information, as if it were a smartphone screen moved to a monitor.

Google Docs lets you edit documents, including spreadsheets, presentations, notes, and more. It won’t be a problem to run a virtual machine or emulator. Almost all major hosting providers allow you to work with a VPS/VDS server directly from a browser. It looks like this: you buy a server, enter the console through a VNC viewer and control the remote computer — everything is just like on a classic PC or laptop.

Since the Xbox Series S gamepad has a 3.5 mm jack, you can connect a headset to it. The browser sees the microphone, which allows you to use the game console for online conferences, calls, remote work, training, etc. The main thing is that the required program has a web version.

To summarize, the Edge browser in Xbox Series S allows you to:

Edit and view documents;
Run virtual machines and emulators;
Hold online conferences;
Read news, write toxic comments on ITC;
Listening to music, watching movies;
Edit photos/videos in online editors;
Work with neural networks;
Use a remote computer;
Work with email;

This list could be extended by another hundred items, adding your use cases. In fact, these are the capabilities of almost any computer with a modern web browser.

With a giant library of online applications, there are almost no limits except for single-tasking. Switching between tabs is not recommended because the console regularly reboots them. The Xbox Series S allocates little RAM for anything other than gaming, so only 1–2 tabs can be open at a time.

Xbox Series S work performance

To evaluate the console’s performance as objectively as possible, we launched popular web benchmarks. The results in Speedometer 3 leave much to be desired: 4 points is the level of an average mid-range Android smartphone.

For comparison, an Apple iPhone, MacBook, or Mac Mini in this test scores 6-7 times more points. The set-top box is also far from modern Windows laptops, which is felt «by eye» and without tests. Heavy applications load slowly, and there is a viscosity, as if the browser is running in jelly or 15W-40 motor oil.

The proportions are the same for other benchmarks such as Google Octane 2.0, Jet Stream, and WebXPRT4. Obviously, the device has serious software limitations and allocates a small part of the hardware for non-gaming tasks.

Thanks to the high «gaming priority», the Xbox Series S shows a stable FPS in games, while a Windows update in a budget PC can load the 4-core processor by 30-40% and the SATA SSD drive by 80%, which in turn drops the frame rate.

The Edge browser in the Xbox Series S uses only a tiny fraction of the power of the game console, but it’s enough for basic tasks. The only obstacle will be heavy web applications that require a lot of RAM. For example, Google Earth won’t launch due to a lack of RAM, although regular 2D maps work perfectly.

You can play high-quality videos in the YouTube app. There are almost no frame gaps, and 4K content works perfectly. Watching videos on third-party sites in the browser is also easy. The sites themselves do not work smoothly, but movies play easily.

Price of consoles and computers

Xbox Series S White is 12,000 UAH, although cheaper copies can be found, imported unofficially. For this money, you can build a computer that will be faster and more functional in everything but video games. A gaming PC with the power of the Xbox Series S will be 50-80% more expensive, larger, consume 2-3 times more electricity, and will never be as quiet.

There are no direct PC alternatives to the Xbox Series S on the market (low-quality versions from Minisforum with weak iGPUs do not count). Another option is a monoblock that can also work as a monitor. We work at the PC in adult programs — turn on the console and play children’s video games at the same workplace without any additional cables, chaos, and other unpleasant «bonuses» inherent in PC owners.

Advantages: low power consumption and compact size; high gaming performance; low cost; minimal noise level; ease of use;

Disadvantages: the console allocates little power to non-gaming scenarios; it is impossible to work with several programs at the same time; regular reloading of background tabs in the browser; no support for browser extensions; a small number of useful programs in the store; a primitive interface with minimal functionality;

Conclusions

If you have a keyboard/mouse, the Xbox Series S can really replace a computer, but the scenarios for using it will be quite limited. Thanks to the full-fledged Microsoft Edge browser, the console covers the lion’s share of the non-gaming needs of most gamers, but with serious nuances that you have to accept.

Despite the software shortcomings and not the best performance, an Xbox owner can write texts, fill out spreadsheets, create presentations, hold online conferences, use remote servers via VNC, and much more.

In fact, a modern browser can do almost anything: edit photos and videos, run virtual machines, watch movies on pirated sites, meet people on social networks, and more. In fact, before the advent of cheap smartphones with large screens, most people used to do these things on a computer.

There are so many web applications nowadays that the browser almost completely replaces all classic programs with a few exceptions. Of course, such a «computer» is not suitable for professionals who fundamentally need serious software for work, but it will be quite suitable for schoolchildren’s education and basic needs, even without multitasking. That is, we can confidently say that if you have an Xbox, keyboard, and mouse, you can do without a PC in most cases.

Some may say that this is another loss for the proud «pcmasterrace» community, but fans still support the dying platform, preventing it from slipping into oblivion too quickly. That’s why we still don’t have full desktop functionality in game consoles. Perhaps Microsoft should reconsider its plans for the future of Xbox, making it a more versatile PC replacement?

With the potential extinction of classic PCs, it would be interesting to see a new Xbox that can work like a desktop computer with a user-friendly interface (with windows) and without silly software restrictions, and with a high level of performance. Currently, we have a kind of «computer from aliexpress» with basic functionality for minimal needs, which is by no means a replacement for a system for professionals.