Xbox Series S: Release date, Price, Specs and Preorders

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Xbox Series S
(Image credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft’s new generation of console games Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X will be released in November.

Finally, the news has arrived that Microsoft will release its another next-gen console in the form of the Xbox Series S, which has gone under the Lockhart codename in recent leaks and rumours.

While the Xbox Series X will have the limelight, the Xbox Series S is affordable, and a good alternative for people who are perhaps not keen on dropping a large number of bucks on a dedicated gaming machine.

We now finally have some information about the console Xbox Series S- Release Date, Price, Specs, Features, Preorders, and more. Here’s what we know so far!

Xbox Series S Release Date

Microsoft announced it’s releasing not one, but two new consoles: the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S. Both the Xbox Series X and the Series S are scheduled to release on November 10 this year.

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The upcoming consoles are all set to deliver players the most performant, immersive and compatible next-generation console gaming experiences ever.

Xbox Series S Price & Preorders

The Xbox Series S will cost $299.99/ £249, a whopping $200 less than the Xbox Series X, priced at $499.99/ £449. Series X provides a cost-effective alternative for people who want to upgrade, but don’t want to hurt the bank.

You can also get it through Xbox All Access by paying a monthly fee for 24-months – that includes Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership at no extra cost.

You can secure your place in the next generation by pre-ordering Xbox Series S. For both consoles, preorders went live on September 22, 2020.

You’ll be able to pre-order Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S online at the following retailers:

  • United States (8AM PT): Microsoft Store, Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart, Target, Sam’s Club, Newegg, and other participating retailers
  • Canada (8AM PT): Microsoft Store, Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, EB Games, The Source, and other participating retailers
  • UK (8AM BST): Microsoft Store, GAME, Amazon, Dixons, Currys PC World, Argos, John Lewis, Smyths Toys, VERY, AO, Tesco, Simply Game, Shopto and other participating retailers
  • Australia (8AM AEST): Microsoft Store, JB Hifi, EB Games, Telstra, Harvey Norman, and other participating retailers
  • New Zealand (8AM NZST): Microsoft Store, JB HiFi, EB Games, Spark, and other participating retailers

Xbox Series S Specs

The Xbox Series S is one of the next-gen gaming consoles from Microsoft. Compared to the Xbox Series X, Series S is a smaller, less expensive console.

Now let’s head to the Xbox Series S specifications.

The Series S will be disc-less, so you are only able to play digital versions of Xbox games. Well, the Series S is a great, compact option, if you’re new to Xbox consoles.

The Xbox Series S will offer full-HD (up to 1440p) resolution, but it still sticks to that 60fps promise. Also, it can go up to 4K with hardware scaling.

Xbox Series S

There’s also a DirectX ray tracing enhancement, which equates to true-to-life lighting, dynamic environments, and accurate reflections. The new Xbox console promises faster load times thanks to a solid-state drive (SSD), taking over from the hard disk drive (HDD) seen in current generation consoles.

The Series S comes with an eight-core 3.6GHz custom AMD CPU and a GPU with 4 teraflops of processing power. It will have a custom 512 GB SSD. You can increase storage space with a 1TB expansion card.

  • Resolution: 1440p @ 60fps, up to 120fps
  • Disc: None (Digital-only)
  • CPU: Custom 8-core AMD Zen 2 CPU @ 3.6GHz (3.4GHz with SMT)
  • GPU: Custom AMD RDNA 2 GPU 20 CUs @ 1.565GHz. 4 teraflops GPU power
  • RAM: 10GB GDDR6 RAM
  • Memory bandwidth: 8 GB at 224GB/s, 2 GB at 56GB/s
  • Storage: 512GB PCie Gen 4 NVME SSD
  • External storage: 1 TB expansion card, support for USB HDD
  • I/O throughput: 4 GB/s (raw), 4.8 GB/s (compressed)
  • Dimensions: 151 × 65 × 275 mm (5.9 × 2.6 × 11 inches)
  • Weight:93kg (4.25 pounds)

Xbox Series S Features

The features the Series S will have include:

  • Custom NVME SSD 512GB Storage
  • 1440p resolution and up to 120FPS
  • Ray-Tracing (RTX) Support
  • 4K (Media playback and upscaling only)
  • Variable Rate Shading
  • Variable Refresh Rate
  • Ultra-Low Latency
  • Work with your best Xbox One headset, and all of your favorite current Xbox One accessories, including controllers.
  • Run every single Xbox One game
  • Bundle includes Xbox Series S console, one Xbox Wireless Controller, a high-speed HDMI cable, and power cable.

Xbox Series S Controller

A new console generation comes with a new controller. The Series S got the same design as the Xbox One controller, except that it’s slightly smaller. It has a USB-C port for charging, and its D-pad is now more like the one from Xbox Elite controller.

There’s also a share button in the centre. This allows developers to more accurately synchronize what happens in your hands with what’s happening on-screen, using Microsoft’s existing 2.4GHz wireless signal that currently connects your controllers to your console and compatible PCs and dongles.

The controller will work with existing Xbox One systems, just as Xbox One controllers will work with the Xbox Series X and Series S.

It has a Dynamic Latency Input system that matches your button-presses to frames on-screen to minimize any possible lag, making for input so fast that you should never notice any delay.

The new Xbox Wireless Controller will be available in black, white, or blue.

Series S Games

We’ve talked about almost everything but what ultimately matters with any gaming device is what games you can play. So here is the list of games Xbox Series S console offers:

  • Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
  • Destiny 2: Beyond Light
  • Dirt 5
  • Gears Tactics
  • Tetris Effect: Connected
  • Watch Dogs: Legion
  • Yakuza: Like a Dragon
  • Cyberpunk 2077
  • Halo Infinite
  • Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
  • Madden NFL 21
  • Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga
  • Marvel’s Avengers
  • Resident Evil 8: Village
  • Far Cry 6
  • FIFA 21

For more updates, keep visiting the page. Xbox Series S will be released November 10, 2020.