In the wee hours of the morning, Microsoft formally announced the Xbox Series S, a smaller version of its upcoming flagship console, the Xbox Series X, along with a $299 price tag. The announcement, at 3:13 a.m. Eastern time, came after a day of leaks, with the first images of the distinctive Series S - along with price information and a release date for both upcoming Xbox consoles - coming online.
Microsoft touted the Series S in its announcement tweet as having "next-gen performance in the smallest Xbox ever." In that same tweet, the company promised to share more information soon. The console, which will play next-gen games, but which is not as powerful as the Series X, had been rumored to be in development for years.
The $299 price tag - the first confirmed price of the upcoming console generation - puts the Series S on par with the going MSRP for most major current generation consoles. The Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PS4 all have versions that retail for $299. The more recent Nintendo Switch Lite retails for $199.
Windows Central, which first reported the Xbox Series S price, also published detail on the release dates of both consoles, as well as the price of the Xbox Series X - information which has yet to be confirmed by Microsoft. The Xbox Series X will reportedly launch at $499. Both consoles are slated for Nov. 10, according to Windows Central's reporting.
"Honestly it's always a bit nerve wracking breaking stuff that isn't officially confirmed," Jez Corden, one of the reporters who reported on the pricing for Windows Central, told The Post. "I don't want to provide incorrect information just for the sake of some hits, of course."
"The info comes from physical evidence we've obtained, rather than comments, so we're confident in it, but between Microsoft committing to those prices on paper and official confirmation, anything can change. I always think back to the way Microsoft cancelled the Surface 'Mini,' literally as the stock was leaving the factory," said Corden. "I always wonder stuff like, could Microsoft adjust price in reaction to Sony's PlayStation 5, undercutting for example, despite this documentation? Certainly possible. But we're super confident that these prices are set in stone."
