After a leak on Monday, Xbox decided to go ahead and officially confirm plans for a small, digital-only version of their next generation console called the Xbox Series S, as well as the $299 price tag.
Let’s make it official!
Xbox Series S | Next-gen performance in the ˢᵐᵃˡˡᵉˢᵗ Xbox ever. $299 (ERP).
Looking forward to sharing more! Soon. Promise. pic.twitter.com/8wIEpLPVEq
— Xbox (@Xbox) September 8, 2020
The Series S will have 512 GB of storage space with 120fps gaming on 1440p resolution, fitting in with the full Series X performance specs, just in a smaller package with less storage. PlayStation had already announced plans for a digital only version of the PS5, but Xbox finding a way to make a smaller, cheaper version of their next-gen console is a big step that could help them attract more casual gamers to upgrade their systems that wouldn’t want to pay a $499+ price tag — which is the rumored cost of the Series X. Here is the full specs video for the Series S.
no point holding this back now I guess pic.twitter.com/SgOAjm3BuP
— WalkingCat (@_h0x0d_) September 8, 2020
The big question for the Series S is how big will next-gen games be to download, as 512 GB of storage is only really enough for 5-10 major current gen titles. Still, this is clearly targeted for casual gamers who might be hesitant to invest so heavily in a system who might only be interested in a select few games anyways. Hopefully this news will be followed soon by official pricing and release date details for the Series X and PS5, as we rapidly approach the holiday season.