Microsoft finally blinked and confirmed the worst kept secret of the Next-Gen consoles. Finally, Xbox Series S Revealed and pricing confirmed.
The wait has been really brutal for gamers clamouring for any sort of Next-Gen news. Completely starved for info, myself included. Feverishly checking all social media feeds, online news outlet, Youtube, you name it. Any bit of info was needed from either Sony or Microsoft. And finally, after a leak surfaced, Microsoft finally threw in the towel and decided to make it official. And here we are today with Xbox Series S revealed with specs, pricing and even a definitive release date. It’s all out there and I finally step out of my next-gen news coma shell to talk a little bit about this.
So first things first, the Specs. Xbox Series S is a Digital console targeting 1440p at up to 120fps. Still supports all next-gen features such as DirectX Raytracing, Variable Rate Shading and Variable Refresh Rate just like it’s bigger brother the Series X. Unlike the Series X though, the S version only ships with a 512GB Custom NVME SSD. Microsoft calls this the smallest Xbox ever made, and judging by the video that got released (check below), it seems to be roughly 1/3rd of the Xbox Series X. All this for a reasonable price of $299. The Xbox Series S will launch on November 10, 2020. Yep confirmed from Microsoft itself (after it was leaked). The same leak suggests the Series X will cost $499 and release on the same day but that is yet to be confirmed.
I have to say, everyone basically knew this console existed from a number of leaks and images making the rounds on the internet. And weirdly, Microsoft just looked away and said nothing like we didn’t already know. It’s really bizarre. Their game of chicken with Sony at revealing price and release date kind of forced their hand with the leak. In the end, Microsoft blinked first and here we are. Obviously this box is just a means for Microsoft to sell GamePass subscriptions and All Access financing deals. And honestly, it’s not a bad deal. Those still playing on 1080p Displays and those with no care for 4K visuals have an entry into Next-Gen that is very reasonable. The only massive loss is the disc drive and SSD capacity. The last point is a little less of an issue as Microsoft have those Expansion Cards which will no doubt be compatible with both Series S and Series X.
Sony has a similar strategy, difference being their Digital console is identical in specs with the Standard version, but I expect there will still be a lower price of entry, but not quite Series S low. So the ball is firmly now in Sony’s court and we can’t wait for some sort of response to this. That being said, here’s the official Xbox Series S video below. Sound off in the comments section below on your thoughts for Series S.
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