Ended up getting a Series S and Xbox headset in a bundle for $385. More than what I wanted to spend but I wasn't going to chase down a console whenever HotStock would alert me an S or X was in stock, often times at 2 AM while I was sleeping.
I just got it from Dell who had it in a bundle, and I'm happy with it. Stacked up 3 years of Live and converted it to Gamepass Ultimate. GPU sounded great in theory but it's even better in practice. I still have my doubts and concerns about games coming and going and developers eventually wanting a bigger piece of the pie from MS, especially big developers like Square who are still putting their games on GPU day-one, for now. But I have played a game using xCloud on every device I own. My S10+, my MBP. For some reason, my 10.5" iPad Pro is not a compatible device.
Since I'm playing mostly on my 1080p monitor and not the OLED, the S's specs were fine for me. I missed the PS4/One era of gaming so any improvement over the 360's graphics is amazing to me. Maybe later on down the line, I'll upgrade but $500 for the X is too steep for me since I play a few games, but a lot. I'm not sure I'd miss that performance when most games simply run better on the X but not at 4K/120, although I'm sure 4K/60 looks great too.
xCloud is not good for fast-pace games, I'm learning. Sports games and even Forza had some lag and stutter. Could be my internet, even though it's 200+ Mbps. More likely my ping, even though games I played on PC showed a ping from 20-60, at worst.
I started Yakuza Kiwami, or 0 (can't remember) on PC but I might leave it alone and I already started Like a Dragon and I'm enjoying it. I claimed Halo 5 a long time ago as a free game and almost completed it this weekend. I'm on the final mission and, man, that game was short and simple.
But yeah, playing on a console, phone, or laptop is pretty neat and xCloud works fairly well on those.
Anyone have any experience with rechargeable batteries for the controller? I had some simple Energizer ones back in the 360 days but I know the Eneloops have been more popular since then. I also read good things about EBL. I may just stick to regular batteries since Amazon has 24 for less than what a 4 pack of Eneloops and charger cost. I guess it's more wasteful to go that route but I already have a ton of AAs at home and don't plan on running out any time soon.