The video game world is looking bleak in 2026 as the ram shortage is making gaming consoles $700+ and games are north of $70. Is there a way to play next-gen games without breaking the bank.

GeForce Now is a streaming platform that lets you play your Epic, Steam, and Game Pass library on a high powered PC for a monthly subscription.

Xbox S is a digital only Xbox console that plays next-gen games in 1440p.

Both options are noble ways to stay relevant in gaming, but which one is best?

Performance

Geforce Now adopts your game library and ports it to a mega gaming rig over streaming. For $99 a year, a performance rig can give you an 8-Core with an RTX GPU. It tops out at 60 fps with ray tracing. The Ultimate tier can handle ray tracing at 120 fps for most games.

Gaming relies heavily on Internet connection, which can make or break your experience. A bad internet makes gaming worse than a PS1. Plugging into the internet directly is the best option, but that eliminates the possibility for portability.

The Xbox Series S is a bare bones next-gen console. It plays games at 1440p (upscaled to 4K) and 120 fps. Today’s current games challenge these specs, forcing gamers to reduce the frames to 30 and remove ray tracing. Many next-gen purists complain that Xbox S ruins the quality of newer games, while casual gamers say it is fine for anyone who wants an affordable system.

Geforce has the advantage because it uses a superior rig, but gaming performance needs a dedicated Internet to look good.

Games

While both options require digital ownership of games (a contentious topic), gamers at least “own” their digital library.

Geforce Now has a list of 5000 titles ranging from Steam, Epic, Ubisoft, and GOG accounts. Geforce offers some of the latest games with zero installing and a library of games that need to be installed. The library is faithful at keeping its most popular paid and free options available, but it’s not unusual to see a game delisted. The install-to-play options will install every time you log in unless you spring for the persistent storage upgrade ($5-$10 a month). The Xbox Game Pass PC option is available to stream as well.

It’s easier to have a retro collection on Xbox Series S, but the low storage will need to be addressed on day-one. Geforce Now bypasses the storage for most of their library, but install-to-play games need to be installed every time.

Xbox Series S has next-gen, Xbox One, 360, and original Xbox games in its library. The 512gb model ($250)will fill up very quickly with games ranging from 40gb and up. A storage upgrade is a must. The Xbox has all the latest next-gen games, indie titles, and exclusives, but it also has the full Game Pass suite.

Portability

Geforce Now can be played on a laptop, PC, or phone with an app. Anywhere you have Wifi, you have your whole library. Games require a gamepad to play, but touchscreens can make a virtual game pad.

Xbox has a portable streaming app on phones and tablets. As long as your phone is connected to the original hardware you can stream most of your library. Retro games do not work on streaming.

Prices

An Xbox Series S can be purchased for $120 used on eBay and Facebook. Storage expansion will run you $100 bucks more. Xbox comes with the official gamepad, which will need batteries. Games are cheap when the Microsoft store has a sale

Geforce Now will give you a year of gaming for $99 or $199 a year depending on the performance. Persistent storage will run you $24-$50 dollars a year for installed games. A wired or Bluetooth gamepad is required for some games (sold separately). On a major sale, the performance and ultimate tiers cost as low as $64 or $120. Games can be very cheap on any Steam or Epic store.

Xbox Series S is the more affordable option, but any deal hunter will find PC games for much cheaper.

Value

The Xbox Series S will not be relevant forever. When the next Xbox comes out, the S will be left in the dust. But you never have to pay a subscription fee to play your games.

Geforce Now will always be available for the latest games. It is the last system you will ever need as long as you subscribe.

Conclusion

As long as you have consistent and strong internet, Geforce Now will always be cheaper and available compared to next-gen systems. You can play as long as you own the games on Steam, Epic, Ubisoft, and GOG.

Xbox Series S allows offline play and doesn’t require monthly fees. Xbox 360 and OG Xbox games are playable as well. You have two more years of relevant, underpowered, gaming.