Xbox Series X|S Catch-All

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Assuming they still come out in the age of covid, the successor(s) to the Xbox One are due out in November.

The Xbox Series X is a powerful new console offering terraflops and gigabloops and solid ray state tracing. Or something.

The Xbox Series S is the totally-not-confusingly-named less powerful sibling to the Series X that Microsoft has yet to officially announce but has mentioned explicitly on new product packaging, making it the worst-kept secret in gaming.

Look, I'm way less interested in the hardware specs than I am in the fact that Xbox Game Pass has been and continues to be one of the best ways to play games right now. I'm less likely to pick up Game Pass as an add-on for my Series X than I am to get a Series X as an add-on for my Game Pass subscription, you know?

https://www.windowscentral.com/xbox-...

We can confirm via our sources that the entry-level Xbox Series S will cost $299 at retail, with a $25 per month Xbox All Access financing option, which Microsoft is planning to push hard via various retailers and a large global roll out. The more powerful Xbox Series X will cost $499, with a $35 per month Xbox All Access financing option.

Both consoles will launch on November 10, 2020.

The Xbox Series S just leaked (via Brad Sams), giving us a glimpse at Microsoft's entry-level next-gen SKU. The Xbox Series S is small enough to fit inside an Xbox Series X, and we expect it to be around 4TF RDNA2, making it roughly around as powerful as the Xbox One X, perhaps geared towards 1080p monitors with better frame rates. We don't have further details on the console's capabilities beyond that, but we expect NVME drives, and many of the newer "next-gen" features like fast resuming multiple games, and ray tracing.

Microsoft will push Xbox All Access financing far more broadly than it did this gen, which was seen as a bit of a pilot program. We're expecting Xbox All Access to roll out to far more markets than it did previously, and we also expect the Xbox Series consoles to gun for a global simultaneous launch in all existing Xbox markets, rather than the slow rollout we saw for the Xbox One in 2013.

Gamepass continues to be amazing, I expect to get the X after saving a few pennies. I had the seen the rumor of $599 price so it is nice it is $499 instead. Release date is pretty much as expected, the real key will be is there actually stock to go around.

Wow that pricing is crazy aggressive for what you’re getting, I thought it would come in higher. The S is particularly aggressively priced. If it comes with an SSD like the Series X, that would be a pretty great machine for a lot of people.

The Xbox Series S is small enough to fit inside an Xbox Series X, and we expect it to be around 4TF RDNA2, making it roughly around as powerful as the Xbox One X, perhaps geared towards 1080p monitors with better frame rates.

I'm not quite sure what to make of this. If the Series S is roughly as capable as the Xbox One X and runs the same OS, I'll admit that I'm going to be a bit irritated if the Series S gets games that the Xbox One X doesn't.

So far, Microsoft has been very careful to ensure that nothing is exclusive to the Xbox One X and that everything that runs on it also runs on the vanilla Xbox One. I get that. And it could be challenging to communicate to buyers what the One X can and can't run.

But there are some next gen games that look really cool! If they could theoretically run on the console I already have, that would be great. Although I've noticed that Microsoft has been really cautious and have only announced games for the Series X so far. Maybe they won't come to the Series S at all.

Assuming I can get a US Xbox Game Pass subscription onto a Japanese Xbox Series S, then it probably makes sense to me as my first home console purchase in an age. Both in terms of affordability and convenience.

I don't understand. Like the Sony one has a disc drive one doesn't I get.

Hey look at us, our next gen console is as cheap as a current gen one. Also with specs like a current gen one. Huh?

Seems in line with MS's push for Game Pass. Get the dang console into people's hands as cheap as possible (including with financing), so you can ping them for monthly Game Pass subs.

Stele wrote:

I don't understand. Like the Sony one has a disc drive one doesn't I get.

Hey look at us, our next gen console is as cheap as a current gen one. Also with specs like a current gen one. Huh?

They could have gone with priced like current gen but less capable. It works for Nintendo!

Well Xbox has confirmed those Series S and price are accurate via their Twitter account.. That design with the huge black grill is.... interesting. I would lay it flat so would not be noticeable but from what I’ve seen on comment threads, the internet doesn’t approve. It looks really small, though, would be a great secondary console for the kids.

Here's hoping for a mid-range Xbox E to complete the set.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

Here's hoping for a mid-range Xbox E to complete the set.

IMAGE(https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/026/506/sdatromb.jpg)

All this mid-tire consoles are silly IMO... confusing and redundant. Also the name MS chose for this console is lackluster and confusing. I will most likely just get a PS5

Stele wrote:

I don't understand. Like the Sony one has a disc drive one doesn't I get.

Hey look at us, our next gen console is as cheap as a current gen one. Also with specs like a current gen one. Huh?

Looking at prices online the Xbox One S is still going for $299 and the One X is still going for $399 so a new $299 console with about the power of the One X plus ray tracing support doesn't seem too bad.

Rykin wrote:
Stele wrote:

I don't understand. Like the Sony one has a disc drive one doesn't I get.

Hey look at us, our next gen console is as cheap as a current gen one. Also with specs like a current gen one. Huh?

Looking at prices online the Xbox One S is still going for $299 and the One X is still going for $399 so a new $299 console with about the power of the One X plus ray tracing support doesn't seem too bad.

I think it may make more sense once Microsoft finally unveils it properly.

Or not. Marketing is tough.

We're looking at the pricing against the current gen's pricing and availability. I fully expect that they're about to drop the price of the One S. How much depends on what their goals are. If they want to turn it into a real budget entry into the Xbox ecosystem, they'll probably knock it down to $150. If they want to make it available as a cheaper option, but subtly push people into getting the Series S, then they'll go $199.

They've already ended production of the One X, so the goal seems like it'll be sell through all of those, and then the Series S takes its place.

If the $499 price for the Series X holds out, I'm going to be seriously tempted. Most of my gaming seems to be on the couch these days, so a Series X probably makes more sense than building a new PC, especially since my TV is higher res than any monitor I'm likely to get. Then the question becomes do I sell the One X, or hang onto it to maybe do two console gaming down the line?

Darkhaund wrote:

All this mid-tire consoles are silly IMO... confusing and redundant. Also the name MS chose for this console is lackluster and confusing. I will most likely just get a PS5

Exactly. They're also venturing into Wii U or New 3DS territory with the naming here. Good luck, MS.

https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/8/21...

Some more spec's leaked..

I suspect given the CPU side of the new APU is more powerful than current gen Xbox One Models this will mean the S can run future Series X/S only titles vs even the Xbox One X. But time will tell.

The Microsoft MatchBox.

I was planning on waiting with the Series X but I am quite tempted by the price. I may be getting it sooner than I expected.

farley3k wrote:

I was planning on waiting with the Series X but I am quite tempted by the price. I may be getting it sooner than I expected.

The thing I'm wondering about is the $25/month for it, and the $35/month for the X.

That price includes Gamepass too. I wonder how that works if you already have a prepaid subscription, does it just extend the expiration date for 24 months while you have the All Access sub?

LeapingGnome wrote:

That price includes Gamepass too. I wonder how that works if you already have a prepaid subscription, does it just extend the expiration date for 24 months while you have the All Access sub?

Unless they've changed it significantly from the Xbox One All-Access deal, it's basically a payment plan for the console and a code for Game Pass. Just like if you bought a Game Pass subscription card at Target or something, it'll add that time to the end of your existing subscription.

TheGameguru wrote:

https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/8/21...

Some more spec's leaked..

I suspect given the CPU side of the new APU is more powerful than current gen Xbox One Models this will mean the S can run future Series X/S only titles vs even the Xbox One X. But time will tell.

Makes practical sense. Have the same CPU headroom while turning down gpu load (resolution, effects, etc) and you've got yourself a game that can run on both with not too much tweaking. It's the same idea as the Switch in handheld vs docked.

ClockworkHouse wrote:
LeapingGnome wrote:

That price includes Gamepass too. I wonder how that works if you already have a prepaid subscription, does it just extend the expiration date for 24 months while you have the All Access sub?

Unless they've changed it significantly from the Xbox One All-Access deal, it's basically a payment plan for the console and a code for Game Pass. Just like if you bought a Game Pass subscription card at Target or something, it'll add that time to the end of your existing subscription.

That makes sense. Thanks!

garion333 wrote:
TheGameguru wrote:

https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/8/21...

Some more spec's leaked..

I suspect given the CPU side of the new APU is more powerful than current gen Xbox One Models this will mean the S can run future Series X/S only titles vs even the Xbox One X. But time will tell.

Makes practical sense. Have the same CPU headroom while turning down gpu load (resolution, effects, etc) and you've got yourself a game that can run on both with not too much tweaking. It's the same idea as the Switch in handheld vs docked.

It just feels like the iPhone thing. Features on the X will make their way down to the S. They wont necessarily get refreshed at the same time, and updates will come when they come.

I think one part of this is that Microsoft decided to invest to win the spec war, and then came up with sales model that ensures they will always have parity or better with competitors. They can stroke their executive gamers with expensive consoles with more power and features, while still delivering great gaming to the everyone with a reasonably priced console or PC or just a GamePass Ultimate sub and a tablet.

And because this makes counting the number of consoles sold and declaring a winner kind of hard, a lot of folks are having trouble understanding the point. If someone has a budget 4K or 1080p TV, they won't have to spend $500, they can spend $300, and actually do as well. If someone invested in a OLED, they probably want the $500 Series X, which will actually take advantage of their TV's features.

And both people can sit down and play the same games, even online with each other.

I get that it is not a straight forward sales model, but this seems insanely consumer friendly. Before, the launch console was the entry point for TVs. You need X TV to take advantage of X console. Then, when new TVs come, they release new consoles to take advantage of those. That's the X. And it will probably refresh as new TVs come out.

The S is really for most people, people that have a TV and want to play some games, but really don't know or care about specs. We know who we would recommend an S to versus who we would recommend and X to. And since I have a One X, I feel like I am in a pretty good spot. I think the One X will run everything the Series S|X will for now. It has 6TF vs the Series S's 4TF.

I mean, as a One X owner, I feel like I'm still in the middle of the new gen, and don't really have to upgrade, but can still enjoy a lot of the new perks for this gen, which is less about the console, and more about different people playing the same games in different formats. I mean, instead of a console, maybe I just buy an Android tablet, and now I have what Microsoft is trying to make as portable and functional as the Switch is.

Jayhawker wrote:

I mean, as a One X owner, I feel like I'm still in the middle of the new gen, and don't really have to upgrade, but can still enjoy a lot of the new perks for this gen, which is less about the console, and more about different people playing the same games in different formats.

Maybe.

One of the things that's been confusing and frustrating about Microsoft's roll-out of the Series X and the Series S is that it's left some significant questions about which games are coming to which platforms. Microsoft has promised that their first-party games for the next year will come to all their platforms, but what about everything else?

Take a look at Scorn and The Medium, two games recently unveiled in Microsoft's press events. Right now, both games have "Xbox Series X" as their platform. They were announced before the Series S, and so I'm not surprised that their product pages haven't been updated yet, but it does prompt the question of whether or not the Series S will run them. And if the Series S can run them, could the Xbox One X? Is it about power and capability and meeting gamers where they are, or is it about the usual stairstep hardware upgrades?

Those two games, specifically, are of interest to me because I really want to play them! I'd like to know what hardware I need in order to run them. But by keeping the Series S and their plans for that platform totally under wraps, Microsoft has made it really unclear.

I think Jay nailed it in his last.

I am all-in on doing the All Access thing since a time-limited monthly sub allows me to avoid a $500 outlay in 2020 (I'd probably still do the $500 anyway but if they're giving it to me as a monthly it's technically cheaper). I'm even more excited about this because I think it has a chance to massively expand the amount of consumers that will pick up an Xbox which is good for me since the community will be that much larger.

$20/mo for a Series X gets me great graphics and, since I'm not going to ever mess with PC gaming again, the best visuals I could hope to achieve. In terms of value, and even given my limited gaming time, if I use it 5hrs/mo, I'm looking at the price of a Starbucks americano 1x/wk and I'm getting the best visuals (on a console) for me as a guy who wants to play mainstream AAA stuff.

Very, very excited.

ETA: I could care less about naming conventions or any of this other "messaging" stuff. I have no clue what the latest phones are via GoogleFi. My Pixel 2 (?) just works.

I don't know what the best tablets are today. We just use our Fire 7 for kids movies on road trips.

I have no clue which iPhone is the best or how they're named. I just use something work gave me.

I do care about whether my software and services are fun and up/running. GamePass is great, XBL remains great, and I'm heavily invested in Xbox peripherals, all of which translate to the next gen.

Can't wait!

I love that TFs have become like the new “bits”. I wish they would have called it the XBox 4 and XBox 10.

Top_Shelf wrote:

I could care less about naming conventions or any of this other "messaging" stuff.

I think that's overblown. Buyers haven't had trouble navigating the Xbox One S and the Xbox One X, nor the various cell phone models, as you mentioned.

The New 3DS comparison made above is actually and instructive one. The gaming press made fun of the name and forum-goers criticized it for being confusing, but if the name confused people it didn't make a bit of difference in their willingness to buy the console and games for it. The New 3DS, 2DS, etc. all sold about as well as the consoles they replaced. There's not really evidence to suggest that the naming confusion extended beyond enthusiasts. (The Wii U failed for many reasons above and beyond its name.)

A big part of the reason for that is simply that those models replaced the old ones at retail and on the landing pages for digital storefronts, and that's how most non-enthusiast buyers are going to do their shopping. Remember that the people who spend their days posting on gaming forums are the weirdos. Everyone else walks into Target or Walmart and buys whatever is on the shelf that's a price they like.

Their choice isn't between the Xbox One, the Xbox One S, the Xbox One X, the Xbox Series S, the Xbox Series X, and the Xbox. Their choice is between this Xbox that's $300 and this Xbox that's $500 and maybe this PlayStation that's $500 if they went to buy a game machine and not an Xbox.

If this all blows up in Microsoft's face and average buyers can't figure out the names, then I hope someone quotes this post and I eat crow. But I really sincerely don't think the console market is going to have any trouble navigating the new platform names.

Didn’t Digital Foundry explain in a recent video that teraflops don't translate directly across this generation gap and a 4TF Series S is possibly more powerful than a 6TF One X or did I mishear that? Sounded like TF is a lot like GHz where it only works as a comparable measure of performance within one generation of one product.

The faster CPU and storage should make a big difference. The CPU has been holding the One X performance back a lot this gen. The Series S is going to outperform the One X at some things for sure. Probably hitting higher frame rates at 1080p but not at 4k.

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