Today brings Microsoft's 2020 entry into the Console Wars with the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X details, including price and release date being announced. With the pre-order window less than a fortnight away and with two strikingly attractive price points for next-gen and current-gen optimisation, can Microsoft claw back some ground against Sony. On this occasion, backwards compatibility goes to Microsoft.
This is the tweet...
— Xbox UK (@xboxuk) September 9, 2020
Xbox Series X: £449 (ERP)
Xbox Series S: £249 (ERP)
Release date: November 10th
Pre-order starts September 22nd | #PowerYourDreams
Release Date
The above tweet which was posted by the official Xbox UK Twitter account confirms that the release date of the two consoles is just under two months away, 09/11/20. This makes Microsoft the first of the console giants to confirm the release date of their latest flagship console for this holiday season.
Price
Notably, the direct translation of Microsoft's price point in the USA should equate to much less than the touted £449 ERP for the UK market. Today's exchange of the $/£ equates $499 to £383 ($1.00=£0.77). Essentially, it would be £66 cheaper to purchase the console in America and use the saving made to have it shipped via a global courier such as UPS who have a solid logistics base in the UK already. This difference represents a 17% higher cost for the same product.
The 2-console trend that is being set has been a tactic of manufacturers to split cost and streamline production. This ultimately leaves the consumer with a choice of standard option at a cheaper price against a premium product with the entirety of next-gen features.. We have seen manufacturers in the past greet consumers with an early incarnation of next-gen, to then subsequently offer an optimised and upgraded edition of the same console.
It will be interesting to see how gaming companies preserve the longevity of the latest next-gen iterations and see how demanding the consumers of gaming remain. Smooth 1440p up to 120 fps is here to replace 1080p 60 fps in a cost-effective way, with a chance to take that even further with 4K native becoming the standard.
Design
At least Microsoft can see that the simplistic, yet somewhat harrowing design of the Xbox Series 'Black Hole' is something the internet can laugh about. The Xbox Series X however, does seem to do more justice by opting with a generic neutral black colour. Like Sony, Microsoft have opted with both a digital-only model and a model which facilitates optical media. The payback to the consumer here being the lower price point available.
You’ve meme'd the design 😅
— Xbox UK (@xboxuk) September 9, 2020
Now find out how we fit all the next-gen load times, high framerates and dynamic worlds in our smallest Xbox ever! The Xbox Series S #PowerYourDreams 👀
Backwards Compatibility
A big one here for Xbox 360 OGs and Microsoft originals who still have their dust collecting games libraries. The Xbox Series X is set to be backwards compatible on both disc and through digital content from the Microsoft store, with Xbox One accessories being fully compatible with both consoles.
Note: Xbox Series S is only digitally backwards compatible.
Get ready for the classic Xbox experience once more with these fan favourites:
Source: Xbox.com
Xbox Series S & Xbox Series X Compared
| Console | Price (£) | Storage | RAM | GPU | Dimensions | Resolution Output | CPU |
|
Xbox Series S |
249 |
512 GB PCie Gen 4 NVME SSD |
10 GB GDDR6 | Custom RDNA 2, 12.15 TFLOP, 52 CU at 1.825 GHz | 60% smaller than the Series X | 1440p @ 60 fps | 8-Core AMD Zen 2 CPU @ 3.6GHz 3.4GHz w/ SMT Enabled |
| Xbox Series X | 449 | 1 TB PCie Gen 4 NVME SSD | 16 GB GDDR6 320-bit | Custom RDNA 2, 4 TFLOP, 20 CU at 1.565 GHz | 151 x 151 x 301 mm (5.94 x 5.94 x 11.85 inches) | 4K @ 60 fps | 8-Core AMD Zen 2 CPU @ 3.8GHz 3.6GHz w/ SMT Enabled |
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