What is the Xbox Series S?

After the Xbox Series S price leaked, Microsoft confirmed the budget version of its next-gen console will cost $299.

It’s been a rough summer for Microsoft’s gaming division as the launch of the new generation of consoles draws near. After an unimpressive and meme-worthy gameplay reveal of Halo: Infinite – Microsoft’s flagship title for the fall – the game was delayed to 2021, leaving Microsoft without a highly anticipated killer app for the upcoming Xbox Series X.

On Monday, an image of the Xbox Series S – Microsoft’s yet unannounced budget version of a next-gen console – was leaked online. According to the leak, the Series S will sell for $299. Microsoft acknowledged the leak on Tuesday morning, and confirmed that the Series S will launch with an estimated retail price of $299.

So, what is the Series S?

Microsoft is advertising its new flagship console, the Xbox Series X, as the most powerful console ever. The Series S, much like the Xbox One S before it, is a more affordable version of the console for people who aren’t obsessive over resolution and framerate. All next-gen Xbox games will run on both the Series S and Series X, so you’ll be able to play the new Halo on the S – you just might not get quite the same performance, especially on a 4K TV.

So far, we only have an image of the S and the pricepoint, and Microsoft is yet to reveal the full specs of the machine along with the launch date (which is expected to be in November). More leaked promotional footage for the Series S notes that the machine can get 120 frames per second at a resolution of 1440p, is DirectX Raytracing ready, and packs a 512 GB SSD.

That last point could prove to be an issue, as it does not seem like the Series S has a disc drive. If you are indeed going all-digital with the Series S, it won’t be long until that 512 GB hard drive is full. Just ask Call of Duty: Warzone players, who regularly have to install colossal patches. In the modern age, it’s possible you may only be able to fit 4 triple-A games on that SSD.

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