XBOX Series S Details Announced
At $299, does the newly confirmed Series S provide games a good value?
By Shainur Ahsan
Microsoft Hits Low in the Next-Gen Console Wars with the Xbox Series S
This week, Microsoft made a surprise announcement to confirm the existence of a cheaper next-generation XBOX Series S and it didn’t disappoint. Rumors of a cheaper system started earlier this summer when a leaked Microsoft document for XBOX developers referenced “Project Lockhart”. Microsoft decided to release details today after another leak indicated the price of the new system.
Almost immediately, the new Series S was praised by major media outlets for it’s combination of graphical power and low price. It’s sure to be a hit with the now confirmed price of the XBOX Series X at $499 and the expected Playstation (PS5) Price of $499. From an initial glance, it would even outperform most gaming PC’s twice it’s price! Set to release on November 10th, the Series S will be a popular gift this holiday season.
SOURCE: MICROSOFT
Key Features of XBOX Series S
- Up to 120 FPS with 1440p Resolution
- DirectX Ray Tracing
- 512 GB Gen 4 NVME SSD
- Same CPU at the More Expensive XBOX Series X
- Small Form Factor
- $299 Retail Price
Why Microsoft Now Has the Edge in the Console Wars
With the Series S, Microsoft is correcting one of it’s biggest mistakes of the last console generation – setting the price of entry too high. Many will choose the $300 Series S over the other options on the market. In addition, Microsoft has been pushing it’s developers to let current Xbox One Game owners to have access to upgraded versions of their games on the new generation of Xbox (if being released). Those conscious of their budget, especially this year, are getting an incredible deal!
What’s still surprising is the incredible value you get with the Series S. With the ability to do Ray Tracing and 120FPS at 1440p, I’m sure many will not see the need to pay for the increased graphical power of the Series X. And just compare the capabilities of the Series S to a budget gaming PC. It’s insane to think the Series S is the same cost as the cheapest graphics card -the Ray Tracing which is the EVGA 2060 KO which can be found on sale for $299. Read that again – the Series S costs the same amount as just a graphics card and yet the performance will be comparable.
What About the Competition?
The cost of the Playstation 5 remains unknown though we know there will be a version with a disc drive and an all digital version. However, many are guessing the respective versions will cost $499 and $349. The cheaper version already costs $150 more than the Series S. Because the Series S and X share the same processor, it’s possible that the CPU may be more powerful than what’s used in the PS5. One other difference is that Sony will not require developers to offer re-released upgraded versions of their games to PS5 buyers.
At the $299 price point, the Series S also becomes a competitor to the Nintendo Switch though it lacks portability. However, with the rise of the XBOX Game Pass, you may see more and more popular titles being accessible in a mobile format. The best part is than many titles will also cross-play (and cross-save) between platforms. So, you can take your games on the go.
As mentioned before, the Series S will have performance matching today’s gaming PC’s costing twice as much. The release of the new NVidia GTX 30 series is sure to drop GPU prices in the near future. However, it’s hard to imagine being able to even plan a PC build with a standalone GPU with a $300 budget. The erratic pricing and availability of PC parts in 2020 is another hurdle. It will be interesting to see if the Series S creates some converts out of budget PC gamers.
How is the XBOX Series S Different from the Series X?
SOURCE: MICROSOFT
What do you miss out on if you opt for the Series S over the Series X? Well, most noticeably you will have less graphical power than the X which can game at 120FPS at 4K. Backwards compatible digital games will be limited to the XBOX One S version (rather than the One X version). You also lose the disc-drive in favor of an all digital console. The drive can give you access to backwards capability if you own physical copies of past generation XBOX games.
Not having a drive also means you miss out on the 4K Blu-ray player. Another difference is that the built-in storage of the Series S is 512GB versus the 1TB in the Series X. Both will feature an expansion slot for added storage.
The form factors of the two consoles are noticeably different. This is one area where the Series S has an advantage over the X. The Series S is 60% smaller and can more easily fit in most entertainment centers.
Here are some more technical comparison points:
SOURCE: MICROSOFT
Conclusion
The XBOX Series S will be an incredible value this holiday season. With 120FPS at 1440p and Ray Tracing, next-generation games will be pretty to look at. While there are some obvious downgrades from the Series X, it’s surprising to see so many similarities. The Series S will be powerful in its own right and even challenge the budget PC gaming market. Microsoft is going in strong into the release of its new console generation.
SOURCE: MICROSOFT
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