The official Microsoft reveal of Xbox Series S, posted in the wee hours of Tuesday morning after a Monday evening leak. Xbox Xbox Series S, as placed next to an Xbox Series X. h0x0d To emphasize the size difference, Microsoft puts the smaller Series S into a transparent model of its Series X. h0x0d A better look at the venting array on two of the console's sides. No other angles of Xbox Series S have appeared as of press time. h0x0d
On Monday evening, a floodgate opened about Microsoft's next-gen console launch plans. Multiple reports, along with a telling video snippet, put an exclamation point on the company's leaked aspirations to launch the "Xbox Series X" console (announced in late 2019) next to a cheaper, smaller "Xbox Series S" model by year's end.
Hours after the reports went live, Microsoft confirmed that Xbox Series S indeed exists. Described by Microsoft as "the smallest Xbox ever," this new console will launch at a $299 price point.
Longtime Microsoft-tracking reporter Brad Sams kicked off the flurry of Monday news with a screenshot showing an apparent Xbox Series S design, colored white and roughly half the size of an Xbox Series X, next to a price: $299. At the time, Sams did not offer an explanation for where he sourced his image, but he has repeatedly reported on the Series S's existence while it was in development under the code name Lockhart, alongside the Series X (codenamed Scarlett).
S marks the spot
If previous reports pan out, Series S will debut with many of the same technical leaps found in Series X—and these could include features like "Velocity Architecture" for faster game loading or fancy graphical effects like ray tracing. But Series S would offer those "next-gen" perks at lower maximum power, meant for either lower pixel resolutions (like 1080p) or lower frame rates, to reduce the console's price. Sams and other reporters have estimated a peak rendering level of roughly 4 teraflops for Series S, compared to the 12 TF power and 4K resolution aspirations of Series X. Microsoft has yet to offer details about Xbox Series S's capabilities beyond a vague description of "next-gen performance."
In August, Ars Technica was able to confirm the cheaper console's name, thanks to sources familiar with Microsoft's plans and an early launch of its controller (whose "compatibility" list mentioned "Xbox Series X / S").
Shortly after Sams' report went live, Windows Central reported the same price point for the Series S, along with a claim that Xbox Series X will launch at $499. WC's report, citing "sources," claimed both consoles will launch on November 10, but the report didn't clarify which regions that launch will encompass. (Microsoft had previously confirmed a "November" console launch for Series X.)
Series S images in the Monday reports were followed by a leaked snippet of the Series S's reveal video, as shared by Twitter user "_h0x0d_." This four-second video includes a slick animation of both new consoles placed side-by-side, followed by the Series S sliding into a transparent version of the Series X chassis to emphasize the size comparison. At that point, a narrator describes "how smaRead More – Source
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