Responding to leaks over the weekend, Microsoft officially revealed the Xbox Series S. Previously codenamed Lockhart, the Xbox Series S is Microsoft's second next-gen console, offering next gen performance at a cheaper price than the Xbox Series X.
The world premiere trailer confirmed that the Xbox Series S will launch on November 10 at a very attractive price of just $299.99. Despite being the smallest Xbox ever -- 60% smaller than the Xbox Series X -- the Xbox Series S still packs quite a punch. However, to achieve this accessible price point, some sacrifices had to be made.
For starters, the Xbox Series S will only offer an all-digital gaming experience. It uses a slightly less powerful custom 512GB NVME SSD powered by Xbox Velocity Architecture which means faster load times, steadier frame rates, seamless game switching and Quick Resume. However, it will only support 1440P at up to 120FPS and 4K upscaling for games. DirectX Raytracing, Variable Rate Shading and Variable Refresh Rates were also confirmed.
Beyond the hardware, the Xbox Series S will still support many of Microsoft's ambitious gaming offers, including Xbox Game Pass and support for Smart Delivery. Thousands of games spanning Microsoft's four generations of consoles will be playable on the Xbox Series S, with many of them optimized for next-gen.
Microsoft has still not announced pricing or launch details for the more powerful Xbox Series X although many believe it will be priced at $499 with an option for $35 monthly payments through Xbox All Access.