If confirmation of the Xbox Series S yesterday was dipping toes in the pool, today Microsoft have bombed into the water from the top board.
The rumors that emerged yesterday that both Xbox Series X and Series S would launch November 10, as well as a price point of $499 / $299 respectively, have now been confirmed.
This information has been made official by Phil Spencer himself, in a post on the website of Microsoft's gaming division.
"On November 10, a new generation of consoles begins. On that day our vision will come true with next-generation experiences of the best performance, immersion and compatibility, as well as the freedom to play with your friends anytime, anywhere."
Xbox Series X/S Release Date: November 10
After the official confirmation yesterday, Series S is a reality. According to Spencer, it is a console that seeks to make the new generation available "for everyone." This digital-based, disc-less machine is "designed to deliver everything that is central to the new generation: faster load times, better frame rates, and richer, dynamic worlds - all on our smallest-ever Xbox."
The release date of both machines will be November 10, as had been leaked. The other important date that you should know is September 22 — when preorders for the two new consoles will open.
Xbox Series X for $499, Series S for $299
The full regional pricing is as follows:
- United States: $499 for Series X, $299 for Series S
- Canada: $599.99 / $379.99
- United Kingdom: £449 / £249
- Europe: €499 / €299
- Australia: $749 / $499
- New Zealand: $799 / $549
A reduced price for Series S, according to Spencer, shouldn't worry gamers.
"It will be powered by the Xbox Velocity Architecture, from which you can expect the same benefits as Quick Resume. Xbox Series S also supports new generation tools such as HDMI 2.1, 120 fps, Raytracing with DirectX and Variable Rate Shading. It will also support Spatial Sound, including Dolby Atmos, and Dolby Vision via streaming with launch apps like Disney +, Vudu and Netflix."
Game Pass continues to grow and will have EA Play
Microsoft have just announced that a new service joins Game Pass. If it wasn't enough to include Xbox, PC and cloud-based games, from September 17, all games on the EA Play service will also be available to Game Pass users, at no additional cost.
And another bombshell came in that EA Play will be integrated into Game Pass as of this Christmas. EA Play is the equivalent of Game Pass, but including only games from Electronic Arts. In this way, the more than 60 games from the EA catalogue, such as FIFA 20, Battlefield V, Anthem and The Sims 4, will join the Game Pass lineup.
In addition to this, the rest of the benefits will also be available, such as early access to its most anticipated releases (including the highly anticipated FIFA 21) for 10 hours, and discounts and exclusive rewards for EA games.
Finally, some of these titles will be among those that can be enjoyed from the cloud with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
After a massive leak seemingly revealed the prices of both the Xbox Series X and its smaller sibling, Microsoft have officially confirmed the Xbox Series S and its $299 cost.
