Credit: Microsoft
Real gaming, only smaller.
With the anticipation of the next generation of consoles has come some trepidation about pricing. The global economy ain’t exactly in tip-top shape at the moment, which means if the upcoming Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 are prohibitively expensive, a lot of potential players may simply not be able to afford one or the other, or may opt for the cheaper Nintendo Switch. However, it seems Microsoft had an ace up their sleeve that they were holding close to their chest (though apparently not close enough).
Yesterday, images leaked of an unannounced budget version of the Xbox Series X called the Xbox Series S. Not only would this little white box allegedly pack the same muscle as its big brother, it would cost under $300, pricing that would most certainly make Sony sweat. Instead of playing coy about it, Microsoft decided to drop pretenses and make the formal announcement on their Twitter: the Xbox Series S, the smallest Xbox model ever, is coming alongside the Series X, and it’ll only cost you $299 USD. That’s the exact same price as a Nintendo Switch bundle, not to mention $200 less than the Xbox One was at release.
👀 Let’s make it official!
Xbox Series S | Next-gen performance in the ˢᵐᵃˡˡᵉˢᵗ Xbox ever. $299 (ERP).
Looking forward to sharing more! Soon. Promise. pic.twitter.com/8wIEpLPVEq
— Xbox (@Xbox) September 8, 2020
Details about the Series S are still murky, but according to rumors, the little box of wonders will still be capable of 4K, 1440p gaming. This is allegedly accomplished by cutting out the console’s disc drive and opting for some slightly cheaper parts. The Series S will also lack the Series X’s SSD, which means reduced storage capacity, though if it has the same port infrastructure as the Series X, there should be a port in the back for attaching additional storage. If all of this is true, then the Series S obviously won’t be as powerful as the Series X, but will still be quite the spicy meatball in its own right.
Additional rumors have circulated that both the Series X and Series S will be releasing on November 10, though Microsoft has not yet confirmed this.
