Following the announcement of the Xbox Series X, set to come out in November, Xbox fans perhaps unwilling to splash out on a premium next-gen console waited, hoping for a low-budget version.
The long-rumoured Xbox Series S, also named Project Lockhart throughout Xbox circles during development, seemed to be the worst-kept secret in gaming throughout 2020. As we saw Microsoft announce further Xbox Series X specs, games and release dates, they remained silent on the Xbox Series S. Until now.
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Xbox has finally confirmed the Series S is real, and will be that budget console gamers have been clamouring for at £249. Here's what we know and where to pre-order from, before its launch on November 10th.
What is the Xbox Series S, aka Lockhart?
Codenamed Lockhart at some point, the Xbox Series S is a console from Microsoft that will serve as the low-budget alternative to the Xbox Series X.
Just as the Xbox One S and the Xbox One S All-Digital have offered a cheap option for people that can't afford the Xbox One or the Xbox One X, the Xbox Series S allows more people get on-board Microsoft's next-gen train.
The budget console is set to compete with the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition, which will likely be marketed as a more affordable next-gen product compared to the PS5, although its price point has not yet been revealed.
BUY NOW: Xbox Series X product page is live on Argos
Xbox Series S officially revealed on Twitter
Following leaks from Thurott that revealed the look and price of the Series S, Xbox went ahead and drove into the leaks, verifying their content with a tweet, stating "Let's make it official!"
Rather than opting for a shorter console in line with many fan mock-ups of the console, Microsoft instead chose to create a slimmer model that does not appear to have a disk drive.
While pictured standing up here, the orientation of the Xbox logo on the Series S suggests that the console is intended to sit on its side.
Pre-Order the Series S from Amazon here.
Xbox Series S price
Alongside the console, the Xbox tweet also confirmed that the Xbox Series S would be on sale for $299. The Xbox UK account later confirmed the next-gen console, dubbed "the smallest Xbox ever" will cost £249.
This comes after the same leaks from Thurott speculated the Series S would cost $299 alongside the Series X's $499. According to these leaks, these aggressive prices are designed to undercut Sony's PS5, which we still don't know the price of.
There is also an alternative; the Xbox All Access program. For a fee of £20.99 a month, you can secure an Xbox Series S and Game Pass Ultimate for 24 months.
READ MORE: Where to find Xbox All Access in the UK
Xbox Series S trailer
After it leaked, Microsoft went ahead and officially revealed this official launch trailer for the Xbox Series S:
Xbox Series S release date
Confirmed in the trailer above, the Xbox Series S will launch on 10th November 2020.
This lines up with the fact that we already knew the Xbox Series X is set to launch in November.
As things stand right now, it's looking a lot like BOTH next-gen Xbox consoles will launch on 10th November, with fans given the choice between high end and low end.
Buy: Pre-Order the Xbox Series S from Argos here!
Xbox Series S specs
As you can see in Xbox Series S reveal trailer, it confirms some tasty details about the console's specs. This is definitely enough to get us excited:
- 60% smaller than XSX
- Custom NVME SSD (512 GB)
- All-digital
- 1440p up to 120 FPS
- Ray-Tracing support
- 4K media playback
- 4K game upscaling
- Variable rate shading
- Variable refresh rate
- Ultra-low latency
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