The New Xbox Series S: Everything That You Need To Know

The Xbox Series X, Xbox’s next-generation games console will be launched in November. But Xbox will also release a cheaper next-gen machine. There have been quite some rumors about the possibility of an Xbox Series S being released. But it is now official. Here are all the things that you need to know about the machine.

Xbox Series S? What Is It?

The first time the Xbox Series S was mentioned was by Phil spencer at the E3 2018 where he suggested that Xbox could launch more than one machine.

Under the codename “Lockheart,” the device is said to be a digital-only next-gen machine. The Xbox Series S will bring to gamers a trimmed back experience compared to the Xbox Series X. However, it will still have advanced gaming tech while being at a more affordable price point.

Xbox Series S Specs

For GPU processing power, the device has 4 teraflops. Compared to the Series X, that is dramatically lower. And it is even lower than the One X with 6 teraflops. But the PS4 Pro only has over 4 teraflops, so this is still very impressive considering it is an “entry-level” machine.

The Series S uses the same processor used on the Series X with eight-core chips clocking at 3.6GHz or 3.4GHz. The device has 10GB of GGDR6 RAM.

Being a next-gen console, Xbox will also equip the Series S with DirectX ray-tracing abilities as well as SSD storage for instant-on game resumption and faster loading but with 512GB instead of 1TB.

1440p is the maximum resolution. Games will be run in 60fps to up to 120fps instead of full, native 4K.

Refresh rate and rate shading will also be variable, for a smoother gaming experience.

Dolby Vision will be supported. The Xbox Series S and the Series X will be the first ones to run games with enhanced HDR format. Dolby Atmos will also be available.

Xbox Series S Launch Date

The Xbox Series S will be launched alongside the Xbox Series X on November 10, 2020. Consumers can start pre-ordering these devices on September 22.

Xbox Series S Price

The price of the Xbox Series S will be very reasonable at $299. So it will be an ideal upgrade if you own an Xbox One S. Xbox Series S price in India will be the same.

Xbox Series S vs Xbox Series X

Design

Surprisingly, the two consoles don’t have anything similar. The Xbox Series X is designed to stand vertically. Meanwhile, the Series S looks somewhat similar to the Xbox One S.

Processing and graphics

Both devices will use a custom Zen 2 processor with eight cores. While the CPU of the Series X runs at 3.8GHz, the S clocks at 3.6GHz.

In terms of graphics processing, the Series X has 12 teraflops of RDNA 2 graphics while the Series S sports 4 teraflops of RDNA 2 graphics.

RAM will also be different. The flagship console has 16GB of GDDR6 RAM while the cheaper device has 10GB.

Both support ray tracing. However, the Series X can run games in 4K resolution while the Series S can only run games in 1440p.

Storage

Both devices are equipped with an SSD to boost load times. While the X has an internal SSD with 1 TB, the Series S will come with a 512GB SSD considering its cheaper price.

Controller

When purchasing the Xbox Series X or the Xbox Series S, consumers will get a brand new Xbox Wireless Controller.

Games and Accessories

All Xbox games will work with these two devices except for those requiring Kinect.

As for accessories, it has been confirmed by Xbox that all Xbox One headsets, controllers as well as other first and third-party accessories will be compatible with both devices.

When the next-gen consoles arrive, Xbox Game Pass, the games library subscription service of Microsoft will be available.

Home Entertainment

The Series S doesn’t have any physical disc drive while the Series X will have a 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray drive dedicated for games and movie playback.

>>> Xbox Series X Release Date 2020: What You Should Expect