Got the series s last week on a good monthly package with gamepass ultimate.  This is my first xbox  since owning a ps1 through to ps5.  I could have went for the series x, but decided on the smaller form factor of the series s, as a compliment to my main console ps5.

I love the form factor. It's small but feels premium, it is heavy and has that premium weighty build which makes you think of all the tech they crammed into it. I initially didn't like the menu interface , wasn't a fan of all that green, but after some updating and changing around themes, it looks nice. I can see some similarities between the ps5, not sure who influenced the other first. 

I love the fact the media server download option which the ps5 lacks, yet was on the ps4,  and it was was able to read my usb to play movies with sound, which I couldn't get to work on ps5 ( mkv h.264 files would play but no sound)

I love the instant turn feature. Split second from off to on and back to the menu. I don't know how they keep that small beast so quiet. The part where the heat gets extracted does get hot though, which is a good  thing probably. I'd say twice as hot as the ps5, but the ps5 is much larger and does it's own cooling thing.

I haven't played any games yet, been playing catchup on ps5, but I have tried some and downloaded some games to be future ready. Halo infinite, gears5, forza horizon5, flight simulator, sea of thieves, ori, the gunk, the ascent, it takes two, art of rally.

My major gripes. The fact you can't turn of system menu sounds. Why??

The xbox controller.. Have they always been like this? I don't mind the way it looks, or the button placements, coming from 25 years of dualshocks and one wiiu pro controller. But the controllr doesn't feel as refined as the dual sense. I feel like i'm picking up a solid piece of plastic, not as comfortable to hold. The worst thing is the sound of the buttons, the lound clicks.. It reminds me of one of those cheap knock off/ after market controllers you got as a kid, where pressing the buttons would either get stuck, or made of plastic were hard to press and would be loud, plastic rubbing against plastic. Have they always been this loud? Or does it break in over time ? I  thought I may have got a defect but it's doing it on both controllers. Both were bought from a different place. One is white, the other is a "volt" lime green, which looks nice.

Overall, it's still an impressive piece of hardware, and I plan on doing some more research of the tech that went into it, just to appreciate it more.

Very fair feedback. Looking forward to hearing what you think about the games. Halo and Forza were pretty amazing, and I enjoyed Gears 5 very much last year when I played it for the first time.

The face buttons never seemed that loud to me, but the dpad on the series controllers is very, very loud. Much louder than the Xbox one dpad.

I’ve found the special edition controllers feel a lot more premium, but the PS5 getting a much more premium controller right out of the box is for sure an advantage for that system.

If you have an external hard drive or SSD lying around that you aren’t using, I’d recommend plugging that in and using it for last gen games and cold storage. I’ve done that with my Series X and it allows me to keep my library local

I never noticed how loud the buttons were until I played in the bedroom one night when my wife was asleep.

There is no longer an Xbox in our bedroom.

-I think we CAN turn the menu sounds off and even the power button sound. I'll have to Google it but I'm sure it was hidden in the settings somewhere. The menu sounds used to be much more obnoxious! I don't know how many people complained about it but, during the Xbox One days, I sent them a message (as part of the Insider Program) begging for "softer sounds". A couple of days later, they were different!

And I recommend customizing the home screen. You can make it as cluttered or as simple as you want.

For some reason, I actually like the loud buttons. Not saying not having loud buttons is a flaw for any other controller...just that for some reason I find the clicks...oddly satisfying in a way.

There is probably going to be 50/50ish split between people who like the very noticeable clicking feedback of every input, and people who'd just prefer all those inputs to be as silent as possible.

I agree, I don't even know why I find it satisfying myself...I just do.  XD

You should download MCC if you have the space. Allow you to catch up on previous Halo games, and you'll have a better understanding of the story in Infinite.

I know the Series S gets panned by many a PS fan but honestly it is a very impressive little system. I have mine in my bedroom and I don't find the buttons any louder or quieter than any of my XBO controllers. Comfort is a personal thing and the weight of the controller is perfectly balanced for my tastes. Too lite and it can be tossed rather easily (not that Im prone to tossing them). Too heavy and it can be uncomfortable for prolonged sessions. Seeing as this is your first xbox, then you have no prior experience. You don't know the evolution of the controller from the old days of the Duke to the 360 pad to current. Each iteration has been better than the last.

If a controller with some heft is your style... get an Elite. Yeah they are pricey but oh so worth it. You may also find the offset stick layout weird at first but you get used to it really quickly and may even find it more natural. I say definitely play the games you downloaded and over time you may find xbox grows on you like it has done for many other PS only gamers that chose to give it a chance. I think that's fair, giving something a chance that you previously had reservations about. Enjoy it.