Update, Sept. 22, 2:40 p.m. PT: As with the Xbox Series X and Sony’s PS5, the first round of Xbox Series S preorders sold out at most retailers within a few hours. If more preorder inventory appears, we will update this article with the details. Original story follows.
Microsoft has changed the gaming-platform calculus. Until recently, you probably assumed you’d be plunking down $500 for an Xbox Series X, but now there’s a potentially more attractive option, especially if you don’t have a 4K TV: The Xbox Series S will set US gamers back a much more modest $300. Xbox preorders are now underway.
Read more: Here’s where you can preorder your Xbox Series X for $500
The Series S is a digital-only (no optical drive) console that packs less power under the hood (mainly because it doesn’t support native 4K resolution like the Series X) and promises to be a much better deal for most gamers. Check out CNET’s comparison of the two consoles for more details.
Microsoft
There’s been a lot of news that might affect your console purchase decision. GameStop is running a deal in which you can get up to $200 in trade-in credit when you buy an Xbox Series X or Series S. Your old Xbox One X or PS4 Pro is worth $200, for example, while trading in a 500GB Xbox One can lop $100 off the price of your new Xbox. At the same time, Microsoft is inviting you to buy your next console more like a smartphone — on an installment plan. As a part of Xbox All Access, you can get a Series S for $25 per month for 24 months, no up-front cost.
And if you’re still on the fence between the Xbox and PS5, you should know that Microsoft has just announced a deal to buy ZeniMax Media, the parent of Bethesda Studios. Should the deal close as planned, it would make Microsoft the owner of Doom, Fallout, Skyrim and other A-list franchises. It’s currently unclear how that will affect the future gaming landscape, but it could mean the Xbox getting future Bethesda games first — or maybe getting them exclusively, or seeing them fast-tracked to Xbox Game Pass. There are a lot of possibilities, to be sure.
Ready to lay down some plastic and preorder? You can choose from among a half dozen retailers. We’ll be keeping track of these stores and updating their status below.
Best Buy was the last retailer standing, but it too is now completely sold out of Xbox Series S consoles.
Amazon’s Xbox Series S order page is showing “currently unavailable.” You can click the yellow Email Me button to sign up for availability updates.
It appears Newegg is already out of stock, but you can sign up to receive a notification when more inventory is available.
Walmart also shows the Series S as out of stock, but you can sign up for an “in-stock alert” to be notified when more units are avaiable.
GameStop’s preorder inventory is out of stock too.
Target’s preorder page appears to be sold out.
If you want to get the latest on the Xbox Series X, there’s probably nowhere better than Microsoft’s own Xbox Series X home page. Here you’ll find the latest specs, announced game titles, details on the new controller and more.
Watch this:
PS5 vs. Xbox Series X: Full comparison
9:15
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