The next generation of Xbox launches in just a couple of months, and starting today, you’ll be able to preorder Microsoft’s two newest consoles, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. The Series X and Series S release November 10 for $500 and $300, respectively, and preorders begin today (September 22) at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET in the US and Canada. That’s just one hour away.
Where to preorder the Xbox Series X and Series S
In the US, you will be able to preorder the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S at all major retailers, including the Microsoft Store, starting at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET. If you live in another country, here’s the full list of participating retailers broken down by country.
Placeholder listings for the Xbox Series X and Series S are live at several stores, including the Microsoft Store, Target, and Best Buy. Other stores still just have a general hub or information page available, but we’ll update this article with direct links to both consoles. Here’s where you’ll be able to preorder when listings go live:
- See Xbox Series X at Microsoft Store — $500
- See Xbox Series X at Amazon — $500
- See Xbox Series X at Target — $500
- See Xbox Series X at Best Buy — $500
- See Xbox Series X at Walmart — $500
- See Xbox Series S at Microsoft Store — $300
- See Xbox Series S at Target — $300
- See Xbox Series S at Best Buy — $300
- See Xbox Series S at Walmart — $300
- See placeholder page at Amazon
- See placeholder page at GameStop
- See placeholder page at Sam’s Club
- See placeholder page at Newegg
- See placeholder page at Antonline
Xbox Series X
$499
Following the Xbox One X, Microsoft is poised to once again have the most powerful console on the market. Its GPU has 12 teraflops of power, which is about 1 teraflop more than what Nvidia’s RTX 2080 Super is capable of. The Xbox Series X is capable of displaying true 4K, performing up to 120 frames per second, and storing games on its 1TB custom SSD. Microsoft has also revealed how navigating the Series X interface will look, including a revamp of the current dashboard, phone integration, and more.
The Xbox Series X will make use of propriety expandable storage cards to extend the amount of SSD space the console has. It’s unclear if Microsoft will be the only company producing the special expandable storage (it’s currently working with Seagate to produce the cards).
The SSD storage will be required for Xbox Series X-only games, though you’ll still be able to use your Xbox One’s external hard drives. These external hard drives can be used to store and play backward-compatible games from the Xbox One X, Xbox One S, Xbox 360, and original Xbox. You can also store Series X games on these external hard drives and then transfer them to Series X storage to be played. Speaking of, every game playable on an Xbox One is also playable on the Xbox Series X. Microsoft also said that there won’t be any Xbox Series X-exclusives for the first year or two; Xbox One owners will also be able to play Microsoft’s new games for the next couple years.
Xbox Series X specs
- CPU: 8x Zen 2 Cores at 3.8GHz (3.6GHz with SMT)
- GPU: 12 TFLOPs, 52 CUs at 1.825GHz, Custom RDNA 2
- Die Size: 360.45mm2
- Process: TSMC 7nm Enhanced
- Memory: 16GB GDDR6
- Memory Bandwidth: 10GB at 560GB/s, 6GB at 336GB/s
- Internal Storage: 1TB Custom NVMe SSD
- IO Throughput: 2.4GB/s (Raw), 4.8GB/s (Compressed)
- Expandable Storage: 1TB Expansion Card
- External Storage: USB 3.2 HDD Support
- Optical Drive: 4K UHD Blu-ray Drive
- Performance Target: 4K at 60fps – up to 120fps
As for the Xbox Series X controller, Phil Spencer said Microsoft didn’t feel like it needed to start from “square one” with a new controller. The controller launching with the system looks, at least at first glance, almost identical to the Xbox One controller.
“We think we have a good controller in the market today,” Spencer told GameSpot. “But there were certain things that we’ve learned through doing the Elite controller and just listening to fans. One of them is on the D-pad. We have a new hybrid D-pad that we’ve been working on and think is important.”
The controller also adds a Share button and keeps the rumble triggers and haptic feedback. It’s powered by two AA batteries as opposed to an internal battery that might lose performance and die over time. And you don’t have to own an Xbox Series X to use the new controller: It’s backward-compatible with the Xbox One. All Xbox One controllers, including both Elite controllers, are also compatible with the Xbox Series X. Be sure to check out our guide to the best Xbox One controllers that will be compatible with Xbox Series X.
Xbox Series S overview and specs
The long-rumored Xbox Series S offers a more budget-friendly option and next-gen performance in the company’s “smallest console ever built,” according to Microsoft. The digital-only console comes with a custom 512 GB SSD for fast loading times, instant game switching, and support for 1440p gaming at 120 FPS. This means the Xbox Series S is as capable of powerful next-gen gaming as the Series X, but it’s not intended for native 4K gaming. If you’re someone who primarily buys games digitally and subscribes to Xbox Game Pass, the Xbox Series S is made for you.
Xbox Series S specs
- CPU: 8x Zen 2 Cores at 3.6GHz (3.4GHz with SMT)
- GPU: 4 TFLOPs, 20 CUs at 1.565GHz, Custom RDNA 2
- Memory: 10GB GDDR6
- Memory Bandwidth: 8GB at 224GB/s, 2GB at 56GB/s
- Internal Storage: 512GB Custom NVMe SSD
- IO Throughput: 2.4GB/s (Raw), 4.8GB/s (Compressed)
- Expandable Storage: 1TB Expansion Card
- Digital-only: No disc drive
- Performance Target: 1440p at 60fps – up to 120fps
The Xbox Series S also comes with the updated Xbox Wireless Controller in Robot White, which will be available to purchase separately this holiday season.
For a more detailed breakdown of the two next-gen Xbox consoles see our Xbox Series S vs. Xbox Series X guide to see which system is right for you.
Xbox Series X And Xbox One News
- Microsoft Acquires Skyrim, Fallout Dev Bethesda
- So, What Happens Now With Elder Scrolls 6, Fallout, And Bethesda's PS5 Exclusives?
- Here's When Xbox Series X And S Preorders Start Tomorrow
- + Show More Xbox Series X And Xbox One News Links (2)
- Xbox Series X and S: All Confirmed Launch Games
- Xbox Series X: Release Date, Specs, Price, And Everything We Know
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