Microsoft Officially Announces Xbox Series X and S Pre-Order Date

UPDATE (September 9, 2020): One day after the tech giant confirmed that the Xbox Series S even exists, Microsoft has delivered even more news about its next-gen consoles. Both the $499 USD Series X and $299 USD Series S will be available for pre-order on September 22 ahead of their release date on November 10.

Each console can also be purchased as part of the Xbox All Access program (which will grant owners both a console and Game Pass Ultimate membership) for an additional fee; the Series X weighs in at $34.99 USD and the Series S will be $24.99 USD.

This is the tweet…

Xbox Series X: $499 (ERP)
Xbox Series S: $299 (ERP)

Release date: November 10

Pre-order starts September 22: https://t.co/Dz5bRsAuwQ | #PowerYourDreams pic.twitter.com/MadZl4OOKJ

— Xbox (@Xbox) September 9, 2020

Microsoft also created two videos detailing the Series S specs, which you can watch above and below.

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ORIGINAL STORY (September 8, 2020): Following several leaks on its existence, Microsoft has officially announced a second next-generation console called the Xbox Series S. Although it appears the announcement came prematurely due to the leaks, there aren’t too many official details on the system.

The Xbox Series S has a slim, white appearance and will deliver “next-gen performance in the smallest Xbox ever,” despite the Xbox Series X already being small in comparison to the next-gen PlayStation 5. Microsoft has also confirmed the system will cost $299 USD. According to sources, many believe the console will feature similar internals to the Series X, but with less powerful CPU/GPU and no disc drive. If so, the console may be the cheapest way to play new games, but at the cost of 4K capabilities.

The new console features a large vent on top, which most assume is to keep the internals cool. It also has a similar design to the Xbox One S but appears to be a third of the volume of its Series X contemporary. According to a promotional video leaked following Microsoft’s announcement, the Xbox Series S will target 1440p gaming at “up to 120fps.” It will feature raytracing, variable-rate shading, variable refresh rate, and ultra-low latency support similar to its counterpart, but with only 512GB of storage. The console will also upscale games to 4K and the console can playback 4K media.

In other gaming news, check out our review for Marvel’s Avengers.

👀 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