Everything You Need To Know About The Xbox Series S (Newbie Friendly!)

What is Xbox Series S? The Xbox Series S is the smallest Xbox ever created according to Microsoft and it’s the company’s newest generation console. Today, I’ll be going over everything you need to know about the Xbox Series S.

The Xbox Series S is a digital only, relatively inexpensive video game system counterpart to Microsoft’s more powerful Series X video game system. Both versions release November 10^th, 2020.

Now, let’s look at everything this new system has to offer.

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What Is Xbox?

Xbox is the brand name for Microsoft’s video game division.

The Xbox brand consists of physical and digital products that include dedicated video game systems, digital gaming streaming services, and physical gaming accessories such as controllers and charging cables.

The Xbox brand debuted in November 2001 with Microsoft’s first Xbox console aptly named Xbox.

What is Xbox Series?

Xbox Series is the name of Microsoft’s 2020 line of Xbox branded dedicated video game consoles.

Two Xbox Series models have been announced to release by the end of 2020.

Xbox Series X
Xbox Series S

Xbox Series X is the flagship console and more powerful model. Xbox Series S is the less expensive digital focused model.

What is Xbox Series S?

Everything You Need TO Know ABout The Xbox Series S product shot 720p — Xbox Series S | Microsoft

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Xbox Series S is the budget friendly, digital only sibling to the more powerful and more expensive Xbox Series X console.

Both consoles are dedicated video game consoles that will play Xbox Series branded videogame software.

Who is the Xbox Series S made for and should you get one?

The Xbox Series S is for budget-minded consumers that enjoy the convenience of downloading games and playing games at resolutions below 4K.

People who want to play the newest games on an Xbox console at a relatively affordable price point, who have solid internet connections, and aren’t concerned about higher resolutions is who the Xbox Series S is designed for.

What is the difference between Xbox Series S and Series X video game systems?

Xbox Website Series S and X comparison 720p blog image — Xbox Series X (l) and S (r) | Microsoft

There are three main differences between the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S.

The Xbox Series S can only play digital games and does not come with a disc drive.
The Xbox Series S plays games at lower resolutions.
The price. The Xbox Series S is $200 (USD) cheaper than the Xbox Series X.

The more powerful and more expensive Xbox Series X comes with a disc drive and can play games in higher resolutions.

Can you buy and use game discs with Xbox Series S?

You cannot play or insert Xbox Series games discs in your Xbox Series S.

The Xbox Series S does not come with a disc drive and is a digital only console.

What does “Digital Only” video game system mean?

A digital only console is a dedicated gaming device that lacks a disc drive and relies exclusively on digital downloading titles to the preinstalled storage in order to acquire and play games.

This means a solid internet connection is required for the Xbox Series S as internet is required to download and update games and other installed software.

How does the Xbox Series S connect to the internet?

The Xbox Series S connects to the internet wired or wirelessly.

The console can connect by WiFi or through a tethered Ethernet cable connection.

When does Xbox Series S release?

Both the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S release on November 10^th, 2020.

How much does Xbox Series S cost?

The Xbox Series S will cost $299 (£249).

For comparison, the Xbox Series X will cost $499 (£449).

What comes with the Xbox Series S?

The Xbox Series S will come with

the Xbox Series S console
HDMI cable to connect to a television or monitor
power cables
and an Xbox Series S Wireless Controller.

The Xbox Series S comes with everything you need to start playing games.

Can I pay for Xbox Series S in installment payments?

Xbox Series S can be purchased by utilizing a value savings monthly installment payment plan instead of paying the full cost up front.

This installment plan is called Xbox All Access.

This is designed for people who want to play the latest games now but who are budget conscious.

What is Xbox All Access service?

Xbox All Access is an official Microsoft service that utilizes Citizens One financial institution to finance an Xbox Series console over the span of 24 months.

The Xbox Series S All Access service includes

An Xbox Series S Console
24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate ($15 a month value)

This service costs $24.99 a month for 24 months.

There are no upfront costs and 0% APR (if approved).

The total cost of the Xbox Series S All Access bundle installment plan is approximately $599.76 (taxes, shipping, and other charges not included and may apply).

The total cost of the Xbox Series S and 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate if purchased separately will cost approximately $658.76 (taxes, shipping, and other charges not included and may apply).

The Xbox Series S All Access service is a better value and will save about $60 in the long-term while allowing you to purchase the console with smaller payments versus a larger, upfront lump sum.

Once the Xbox All Access plan is paid off in full, the Xbox Series S console and all games purchased for it remains yours to keep forever.

The Xbox All Access service is available on the Xbox website.

[Xbox All Access]

What is Xbox Game Pass?

Xbox Game Pass is a gaming subscription service often referred to as “the Netflix of games”.

It is an Xbox gaming service that allows gamers to download and play a growing library of games for a monthly subscription fee.

Xbox Studios published games are made available to Xbox Game Pass on the day of the game’s release while new games from other publishers are regularly added.

There are 3 Xbox Game Pass subscriptions to choose from:

Console Only – $9.99 monthly – Xbox Game Pass library and perks are available only for supported Xbox branded consoles (good for people who only have an Xbox console).
Personal Computer (PC) Only – $9.99 monthly – Xbox Game Pass library and perks are available only for supported PC Computers (good for people who play games on their computers).
Game Pass Ultimate – $14.99 monthly – All-in-one Xbox Game Pass library and perks available across supported Xbox consoles, computers, and Android devices via cloud gaming (good for people who play games on multiple devices).

[Xbox Game Pass]

Can you use Xbox Game Pass with Xbox Series S?

Xbox Game Pass Console subscription and the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Subscription can be used with the Xbox Series S console.

How much storage space does the Xbox Series S have?

The Xbox Series S comes with an internal 512GB of Solid State storage to store and play games.

A Solid State Drive (SSD) is way faster than drives used in previous Xbox consoles (Hard Disk Drive or HDD for short) and will dramatically improve load times and allow game developers to make larger, interconnected worlds.

Can you increase the storage of Xbox Series S?

1TB Seagate Xbox Series X/S branded expansion storage cards (which externally connects to the Xbox Series S console) will be available for purchase for those who want to upgrade their Xbox Series S storage capacities.

This expansion card can be used to store and play Xbox Series S games.

Can you use external hard drives with the Xbox Series S?

Older HDD can be connected to the Xbox Series S console.

Can you play Xbox Series S games off of an external hard drive?

Xbox Series S games cannot be played from an external HDD since Xbox Series branded games are developed with a SSD in mind.

However, Xbox Series S games can be saved to an HDD for backup or archiving purposes.

External HDDs can be used to backup, store, and play older backward compatible games tied to your Xbox Account (games you already own from previous Xbox generations) and games that are available for download and purchase on the Xbox Store.

Can you play Original Xbox games on Xbox Series S?

A library of Original Xbox games have been made available to purchase digitally on the Xbox Series S through the Xbox store and will perform better when played on the new Xbox Series line of consoles.

Physical Original Xbox discs will not work on the Xbox Series X or S consoles.

Can you use Original Xbox Controllers or accessories on Xbox Series S?

You cannot use Original Xbox Controllers or accessories on the Xbox Series X or S.

Can you play Xbox 360 games on Xbox Series S?

A library of Xbox 360 games have been made available to purchase digitally on the Xbox Series S through the Xbox store and will perform better when played on the new Xbox Series line of consoles.

Physical Xbox 360 discs will not work on the Xbox Series X or S consoles.

Can you use Xbox 360 Controllers or accessories on Xbox Series S?

You cannot use Xbox 360 Controllers or accessories on the Xbox Series X or S.

Can you play Xbox One games on Xbox Series S?

Most Xbox One games have been made available to purchase digitally on the Xbox Series S through the Xbox store and will perform better when played on the new Xbox Series line of consoles.

Physical Xbox One discs will not work on Xbox Series S due to the digital only console not having a disc drive.

Can you use Xbox One Controllers or accessories on Xbox Series S?

Almost all Xbox One Controllers and accessories will work with the Xbox Series S console.

Can Xbox Series S play online?

The Xbox Series S can play games online including multiplayer games.

Some games and features may require an Xbox Live Gold (Microsoft’s online monthly subscription service that allows online multiplayer) or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (that comes bundled with Xbox Live Gold) subscription to play games online.

What television and monitor resolutions does Xbox Series S support?

The Xbox Series S console supports television and monitor resolutions up to 1440p.

720p, 1080p, and 1440 are all supported Xbox Series S resolutions

Xbox Series S does not support 4K resolution while the Xbox Series X does.

What television and monitor frame rates does Xbox Series S support?

The Xbox Series S console supports television and monitor frame rate up to 120 frames per second (fps).

30fps, 60fps, and 120fps are all supported Xbox Series S frame rates

Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X both support the same frame rates.

What new and exciting features does Xbox Series S have that the previous consoles didn’t?

Xbox Series S has a slew of new features that previous Xbox console did not have.

Smart Delivery. The ability to download the proper Xbox version of a game no matter what console you are playing on (Xbox Series S consoles, for example, will get Xbox Series S versions of games while Xbox Series X consoles will get Xbox Series X versions of games).
Faster Load Times. Games will load faster thanks to the included SSD.
Higher Resolutions. Games can be played in higher fidelity.
Higher Frame Rates. Games can be played at higher frame rates.
Optimized Games. Past games will play better on Xbox Series S.

[Xbox Series S Specifications]

What features are being removed from Xbox Series S that previous consoles had (if any)?

Some features are being removed from the Xbox Series X and S as compared to the previous Xbox One console line.

Television and media features such as a HDMI-In port, an IR sensor for media and televising remote controllers, and an optical audio output connection are all being removed.

Also, the ability to play and connect Microsoft’s camera device Kinect will not be supported. This also means that Kinect enabled games cannot be played on the Xbox Series X or S consoles.

Does the Xbox Series S have a new controller?

xbox series s and x black controller — Image: Microsoft

The Xbox Series X and S have a new standard controller: the new Xbox Series Wireless Controller.

This controller has been refined but keeps the standard configuration and layout as previous Xbox controllers.

The new Xbox Wireless Controller will be available in multiple colors including white, black, blue at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $59.99.