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Xbox Series S & Xbox Series X Price and Release Date Confirmed


Following months of rumours and recent leaks, Microsoft confirmed the Xbox Series S release date as 10 November 2020, before going ahead with the official reveal. Priced at AUD$499, the Xbox Series S is described as offering “next-gen performance in the smallest Xbox ever”. The Series S is the all-digital low-cost cousin of the upcoming, high-performance, Xbox Series X which Microsoft also confirmed to release on 10 November 2020.

xbox series s

Xbox Series S Features

The good news for Xbox fans is that Microsoft has confirmed the Xbox Series S shares many features with its sister console. Here are the core features to look for in the condensed version.

  • All-Digital
  • 1440p at up to 120 FPS
  • Custom 512 GB SSD
  • DirectX Ray-Tracing
  • Variable Refresh Rate
  • Variable Rate Shading
  • Ultra-Low Latency
  • 4K Upscaling For Games
  • 4K Streaming Media Playback
  • Backwards Compatible with 1000s of Games

Xbox Series S Technical Specs

Despite the similarities that the Xbox Series S has with the upcoming Xbox Series X, the hardware inside is noticeably different. The lower-tier console is expected to cut back the specifications in several key areas, with performance criteria on GPU, RAM, and onboard solid-state drive (SSD) storage predicted to suffer.

The device also loses the disc drive in the process, making the trade-off as a digital-only experience, not that it comes as a surprise. The Xbox Series S is being targeted at a far more budget-focused audience, meaning there were some sacrifices made along the way.

  • Processor: 8x Cores @ 3.8 GHz (3.66 GHz w / SMT) Custom Zen 2 CPU
  • Graphics: 4 TFLOPS, 20 CUs @ 1.55 GHz Custom RDNA 2 GPU
  • Memory: 10 GB GDDR6
  • Internal Storage: 512 GB Custom NVME SSD
  • Expandable Storage: 1 TB Expansion Card
  • External Storage: USB 3.2 External HDD Support
  • Optical Drive: None
  • Colour: Matte White, Black

Many people have taken to social media to point out that some of the above tech specs don’t reach the heights of the current generation Xbox One X. This may be true. Still, the Series S does have Ray-Tracing, which goes a long way to improving the realism of digital environments. The Series S is also be compatible with all upcoming Xbox games and continue to offer Game Pass which is play a major role in the future of Xbox.

Xbox Series S

Xbox Series S Design

What is interesting to note is the new Xbox Series S design, which Microsoft was happy to show off. The sleek white rectangular shape is simple in nature and visually digestible in a way some previous incarnations haven’t been. The contrasting black grille/vent on top is also worth a mention. The hardware was always going to require some intense airflow to keep from overheating, but was black the best colour choice? Read any comments section, and you’ll find the common consensus is “no.”

Xbox Series S Price & Release Date

While the confirmation that the Xbox Series S is going ahead was big news, the secondary announcement was the one that had people talking. We’ve known for some time that should the console be released, it would be targeted at a more frugal gamer. Microsoft confirmed that Australian pricing for Xbox Series S as AUD$499.

xbox series x

Xbox Series X Price & Release Date

Microsoft released the Xbox Series S on November 10, 2020, just in time for the holiday period. The release date fuelled further speculation that the flagship Xbox Series X console may be released on the same day, which Microsoft later confirmed. The Xbox Series X is priced at USD$499 and retails for AUD$750 in Australia.

Xbox Series S FAQs

How much is the Xbox Series S?

The Xbox Series S console – 512 GB with Xbox Wireless Controller in Robot White is priced at AUD$499.

When did the Xbox Series S come out?

The high-end Xbox Series X and lower-end Xbox Series S were released on November 10, 2020.

What is the difference between the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S?

The Xbox Series X promises to be Microsoft’s biggest and most expansive console to date. The Xbox Series S, on the other hand, is a smaller, more compact version of the next-gen release, with smaller graphics capabilities and slightly reduced technical specifications.