Xbox Series S Specs: Price, Features, Release Dates, and More

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xbox series s specs

While Sony and Microsoft would be going in all guns blazing for the next-gen crown, the Xbox Series S Specs might just edge out the PS5. Although it would be a fight between Xbox Series X, and Sony PS5, it could be the other next-gen console that Microsoft is creating that might take the cake. Going right under the codename Lockhart, the rumors and leaks have spoken about the Xbox Series S Specs, which is much cheaper, and a completely all-digital substitute for those who might not want to put out $500 for a gaming device. After a leak that brought forth, the Xbox Series S reveal, Microsoft had no other option but to officially bring it into its fold. The giant conglomerate finally decided to do away with the subtleties and unveiled it on the 8th of September. 

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Xbox Series S Specs latest news and leaks (update Sept. 8)

The Xbox Series S is official and is going to be soon launched in the markets. With a price of $299, it is definitely one of the smallest and cheapest Xbox consoles out there. 

Xbox Series S price and preorders

The software company has finally decided to bring out the price brochure for the XBox Series S Specs, with a price range of $299 in the USA, and £250 in the United Kingdom. The much cheaper price is definitely going to sit well with the critics, as both the PS5, and the Xbox Series X will be situated at a price of $500 and above.

Interestingly, one could also have the XBox All Access for just $25 a month. This innovative new venture of the software company allows for users to opt for a subscription-style gaming system. This makes it easier for them to play games without buying them outright. As the icing on the cake, you also get access to the XBox Game Pass. 

Unfortunately, the Xbox Series S Specs hasn’t come with pre-order details. Although it is estimated that Microsoft will provide the information pretty soon, there hasn’t been any solid piece of evidence yet. 

Xbox Series S release date

Microsoft has given out the official launch date for the Xbox Series S Specs- 10th of November.

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Xbox Series S specs

Although Microsoft hasn’t officially brought out any of the Xbox Series X Specs, WalkingCat is leaking it on Twitter. The leaker, surprisingly, found out about the leakers from a trailer of Xbox Series X that was leaked. Microsoft has yet to confirm if the Xbox Series S specs would also contain 4 teraflops, but the rest of the capabilities and specs have been revealed. 

Potentially, the most captivating piece about the Xbox Series S specs is probably its ability to play games in 1440p at 120fps. And when we put it in context, it comes out much better- a $299 console that is said to be much less powerful than the Xbox One X can play such high res games.  

The console would also be doling out variable rate shading and refresh rate. The latter would be particularly useful for people who would be using Televisions that have a refresh rate which goes above 60Hz. Ray-tracing is also a rumor, but this could very well be a take which is software-enabled, and is mostly focused on the rendering. It could very well mean that the Direct X would be used rather than hardware which is custom dedicated- something that is true for Xbox Series X too. Another neat feature would be game upscaling, and 4k Media streaming- which would be quite a jump at that price. 

But there are a couple of snafus. The SSD for Xbox Series S specs is allotted a mere 512 GB. Considering most modern games come bearing a lot of space, it might get filled up really fast. To overcome this issue, 1 Tb of space would have been perfect. 

To put it precisely, the Xbox Series S Specs will allow games to run at 1080p or 1440p, coupled with upscaling which would ensure that the Xbox wouldn’t need to render images at 4k. And all this for a lowly price of $299 is worth the investment. 

Xbox Series S gameplay

A video posted by the parent company broke down the capabilities of the Xbox Series S. It presented a very detailed image of how the Xbox Series S specs would technically be a 1440p gaming machine. In fact, some of the tiles would be extremely fast- at around 120 frames every second. The video also had several clips of games that would run smoothly on the Xbox Series S. 

Xbox Series S: All about services

If you have been wondering as to what makes the Xbox Series S so small, it is solely because it is completely digital. There is not a single presence of any disc drive. And while we do expect that the Xbox Series S specs would include a good onboard storage system to save all the games, Microsoft has yet to talk about it. 

The Xbox Series X would also serve as the dedicated streaming box for Project xCloud- Microsoft’s service for game streaming. As of now, the streaming service is still in a beta state. Nonetheless, it works pretty splendidly- due to it syncing with both Windows 10, and Xbox One. This somewhat closes the debate on Xbox One S vs Xbox Series S. 

While some of you may be wondering the need for a separate console when xCloud can work on smartphones and tables, the console will help flatten out certain latencies, as well as provide people with easy setups. For the uninitiated, a console with a controller would be the best way to get into the gaming sector. 

Think of Nvidia Shield. While the Shield is primarily a connector that links up the streaming service GeForce Now to allow users to play games, it also provides a console which can play certain games locally. Developing upon the same trend, Microsoft could do the same with their Xbox Series S- a console which would allow low-res games, whilst connecting to the xCloud for the high-res games. This would bring about the Xbox Series S specs as primarily a console which is digital-only. But it would also bring with itself the potential for a really strong streaming platform. Or, it could just be a console that would just be used for the Xbox Services that Microsoft brings. 

Although there is nothing new with Xbox Game Pass, and Xbox Live, they could very well be the pillars on which Xbox Series S rests. This means that the Xbox Series S specs would see itself as a console strictly that could be used with the Xbox Game Pass. But, it could also be potentially sold as one of the pieces of a subscription service- which brings in the Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Live, and the Xbox Series S under one roof. 

Since Microsoft has already done it once- the Xbox One All-Digital Edition- it probably wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to believe they could do it again. In fact, if they can successfully pull it off using the Xbox Series S, this might be a good approach to lure people in. With the Xbox Series S specs, it wouldn’t be much of a problem to convince people to jump on the Xbox wagon. After all, the price is quite affordable for those who are just getting the hang of console-gaming. 

Xbox Series S specs outlook

See, if you are looking for something that is going to give you the best out of next-gen console power, then you will need the Xbox Series X. But for those who might not be as crazy into Xboxes or don’t have that much cash lying around, the Xbox Series S specs might just bring them around the corner. While there are several specifications that Microsoft still has to officially announce, the Xbox Series S characteristics could prove worthy of every buck that you spend- with the slick console. Not to mention the excellent partner to Xbox Game Pass. 

In fact, those who want the best of both worlds can simply get the PS5 and then the Xbox Series S to get the games both the companies produce. 

At the end of it, all we can see is that the Xbox Series S specs make up for quite an exciting console. And it could very well be the cog in Microsoft’s dream of having a game streaming platform.