Microsoft has changed the gaming platform calculus. Until recently, you probably assumed you’d be plunking down $500 for an Xbox Series X, but now there’s a potentially more attractive option, especially if you don’t have a 4K TV: The Xbox Series S, which will set US gamers back a much more modest $300. Xbox preorders start tomorrow, Sept. 22 at 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. ET.
Read more: Here’s where you can preorder your Xbox Series X for $500
The Series S is a digital-only (no optical drive) console that packs less power under the hood (mainly because it doesn’t support native 4K resolution like the Series X) and promises to be a much better deal for most gamers. Check out CNET’s comparison of the two consoles for more details.
Microsoft
And with the preorder window about to open, there’s been a lot of news that might affect your upcoming console purchase decision. GameStop is running a deal in which you can get up to $200 in trade-in credit when you buy an Xbox Series X or Series S. Your old Xbox One X or an PS4 Pro is worth $200, for example, while a trading in a 500GB Xbox One can lob $100 off the price of your new Xbox. At the same time, Microsoft is inviting you to buy your next console more like a smartphone — on an installment plan. As a part of Xbox All Access, you can get a Series S for $25 per month for 24 months, no upfront cost.
And if you’re still on the fence between the Xbox and PS5, you should know that Microsoft has just announced a deal to buy ZeniMax Media, the parent of Bethesda Studios. Should the deal close as planned, it would make Microsoft the owner of Doom, Fallout, Skyrim and other A-list franchises. It’s currently unclear how that will affect the future gaming landscape, but it could mean anything from Xbox getting future Bethesda games first — or maybe getting them exclusively, or seeing them fast-tracked to Xbox Game Pass. There are a lot of possibilities, to be sure.
Ready to lay down some plastic and preorder? Here’s where you’ll be able to preorder — we’ll add pages for other retailers as they appear.
Amazon doesn’t yet appear to have an HQ for the Xbox Series S — just an Xbox Series X page. We’ll update the article when it appears.
Newegg has a gorgeous Xbox Series X landing page, but no Series S page — or preorder details, for that matter. We’ll update the page when we learn more.
You can satisfy your Series X craving at Walmart’s landing page, which is chock-full of teaser videos. There’s no preorder page yet, though. We’ll update the article when it appears.
GameStop’s combination SeriesX/Series S landing page has a signup so you can get info about the Series S as it becomes available. The store also has articles about the new console and a brief, easily digestible summary of all the things we already know. There’s no preorder page yet, though. We’ll update the article when it appears.
Watch this:
PS5 vs. Xbox Series X: Full comparison
9:15
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