The Xbox Series S, all you need to know
Leaked Microsoft documents suggested the next second-gen Xbox. It could be named the Xbox Series S.
FYI, this article should be taken with a grain of salt, as we have do not have much solid information on the console. Some information is based on rumors.
What is the Xbox Series S?
Back in E3 2018, executive vice-president Phil Spencer suggested that there would be more than one next-gen Xbox consoles, and this may be the one. Codenamed “Lockhart,” the Xbox Series S will be a cheaper, less robust, and smaller version of the Series X. In other words, it’s the second generation of the Xbox One S and is aimed towards consumers with a tighter budget. The Series S will receive the same game lineup as the Series X but will play with slightly less imposing graphics and longer load times.
Rumored Technical Specifications
- 4 teraflops of Graphics Power
- Games at 1440p up to 60FPS
- Ray-Tracing Capabilities
- SSD Storage
- No Disc Drive
- 12 GB RAM
- Updated Controller
Based on the rumors, 4 teraflops are what we’re looking at as far as graphics processing power goes. That’s a measly amount compared to the Series X, coming at 12 teraflops, and even lower than the Xbox One X, which has an impressive 6 teraflops. 4 teraflops is still a big leap in power if you compare it to its predecessor, the Xbox One S, which has a minuscule amount of power at 1.4 teraflops. For an entry-level console, 4 teraflops is a good amount of graphics power! The Series S is expected to have 12GB RAM, just like the Xbox One X. It will have 7.5 GB of usable RAM.
With super-fast NVMe SSD storage on the Series S, we can expect drastically faster loading times (compared to previous Xbox consoles), fast asset streaming, and potentially the ability to instantly resume several games at the exact moment you quit. The Series S has also been to rumored to have ray-tracing capabilities just like the Series X.
The controller will be extremely similar to the previous Xbox One S/X controller, except for a couple of changes. Updated features include a dedicated share button, which can be used to seamlessly record clips with the push of a single button, an updated d-pad, similar to the ones on the Xbox Elite Controller, a moderately adjusted form factor, and Dynamic Latency Input, a technology that reduces the standard 8ms latency seen on today’s controllers.
Rumors suggest that the Series S will support 1440p gaming up to 60FPS, instead of native 4K. They also suggest that the Series S will not come with a 4K UHD Blu-ray disk drive. It will be all-digital, so all games will be bought and downloaded from the Xbox Store. This could mean there will be more xCloud integration. The Series S will also be backwards compatible with every Xbox One video game and even some Xbox 360 titles, which is great.
Release
If it is true that the Series S is in the works, then it is likely that we won’t see the Series S at the launch of the Series X, as Microsoft would want more attention on the flagship Series X, coming ‘Holiday 2020.’ We’d probably see it in 2021, some 6 months subsequent to the Series X release. August is probably when Microsoft will officially reveal the Series S.
Price
The price of the Series S could be around $300. If Microsoft chooses to continue producing the One S and the One X, we could see the price point varying from $250 to $350, and it seems reasonable enough.
My Thoughts
Looking at the design, I really hope the renders are true. In my opinion, the Series S looks better and sleeker than the Xbox Series X. I think the console also packs great power and value for the price. If I find myself shopping for a new console, I would definitely pick the Series S over the Series X.
