- Microsoft officially unveiled the $299 Xbox Series S earlier today.
- The console’s specifications and target performance have now leaked courtesy of a trailer.
- Bundling in Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold for $25 a month via Xbox All Access, the sheer value of the console cannot be understated.
Hot on the heels of Microsoft confirming the Xbox Series S’s existence, the specifications and expected performance of the console have reportedly leaked courtesy of a trailer that Microsoft will presumably publish officially before long.
Leaked may be the wrong description here, given that Xbox’s senior marketing head, Josh Munsee, confirmed in no uncertain terms that today’s deluge of Series S news had gone as planned. It’s safe to say the trailer leaking is the next step in Microsoft’s carefully orchestrated reveal. As such, there’s little to suggest the details aren’t genuine.
The trailer surfaced on Twitter from user @_h0x0d_, who featured among the first to ‘leak’ the Series S details earlier today. It has naturally found its way to YouTube. You can check it out below.
The trailer suggests that despite its diminutive size (60% smaller than the Series X) and low price tag, the Series S will be one sparky little box that aims to deliver a next-gen experience targeting 1440p at up to 120 frames per second.
Microsoft has achieved this thanks to the inclusion of many of the next-gen features found in the more powerful Series X, but with performance reined in to land on that competitive $299 price.
The trailer confirms the Series S features the same Xbox Velocity Architecture powering the custom NVME SSD resulting in fast load times and Quick Resume-powered seamless game switching.
Here are the specifications and performance targets revealed in the trailer:
- All-Digital
- 1440p at up to 120 FPS
- DirectX Ray Tracing
- Variable Rate Shading
- Variable Refresh Rate
- Ultra-Low Latency
- Custom 512 GB SSD
- 4k Streaming Media Playback
- 4K Upscaling for Games
Xbox Series S Secures The Value Advantage
Allied to Microsoft’s Game Pass, which grants unrestricted access to 100s of games for $9.99 a month, the Series S is a mighty alluring proposition.
Furthermore, according to sources speaking to Windows Central, the Series S will also be available to purchase via Microsoft’s Xbox All Access financing program inspired by the financing options ubiquitous in the mobile phone sector.
For $25 a month paid over 24 months, players will pick up the console itself alongside Game Pass Ultimate and Xbox Live Gold. The sheer value on offer here cannot be overstated, especially when coupled with the low point of entry.
While the Series S may not boast the same performance as the Series X or PS5, its budget-minded marketing appears a wise move on Microsoft’s part in the context of the economic uncertainty thrown up by the pandemic. Paying up $25 a month compared to roughly $499 outright for the full fat version is something many more can conceivably afford.
With the Series S, early adoption of the next-gen console loses many of its prohibitive roadblocks. It’s increasingly challenging to envisage a scenario where Microsoft doesn’t hit the ground running come Nov. 10, the rumored launch date for both its next-gen consoles.
