Xbox Series S release date, specs, price and everything you need to know

Xbox's all-singing, all-dancing next-generation games console, the Xbox Series X, will be released at the end of 2020. But, did you know that there's another, cheaper next-gen machine too?

An Xbox Series S was rumoured for quite a while, but has recently been confirmed. Its price too.

Here then is everything you need to know about the Xbox Series S, based on official details and the speculation so far.

Xbox Series X vs Xbox Series S: What's the difference?

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What is Xbox Series S?

When Phil Spencer first teased what was coming next from Xbox, during E3 2018, he suggested that there could be more than one machine on the horizon and that has proved to be the case.

Previously spoken about under the codename "Lockheart", the Xbox Series S will be a digital-only next-gen machine. It will offer a trimmed back experience in compatison to the Xbox Series X but will still feature advanced gaming tech and will be a more affordable option.

Let’s make it official!

Xbox Series S | Next-gen performance in the ˢᵐᵃˡˡᵉˢᵗ Xbox ever. $299 (ERP).

Looking forward to sharing more! Soon. Promise. pic.twitter.com/8wIEpLPVEq
— Xbox (@Xbox) September 8, 2020

Xbox Series S specs

4 teraflops of graphics processing power
1440p gaming in up to 120fps
Ray-tracing support
512 SSD storage
No disc drive

We don't yet know the full specifications of the Series S, but soon after Xbox unveiled the Series S a "leaked" advert appeared online with some of the key details.

no point holding this back now I guess pic.twitter.com/SgOAjm3BuP
— WalkingCat (@_h0x0d_) September 8, 2020

Previous rumours point to the Series S having 4 teraflops of GPU processing power. That's dramatically lower than the Series X (which has 12 TFLOPS) and even lower than the Xbox One X (with its 6 TFLOPS). But, if you consider that the PS4 Pro has just over 4 TFLOPS of GPU power, you can see that it's still very impressive for an "entry-level" machine.

As a next-gen console, the Xbox Series S is said to sport DirectX ray-tracing abilities (like its more capable sibling) and SSD storage for faster loading and instant-on game resumption - albeit 512GB rather than 1TB.

Its maximum resolution for gaming is claimed to be 1440p, rather than full, native 4K, but will run games in up to 120fps.

There will be variable rate shading and refresh rate too, which could make for a smoother gaming experience.

We'll update when the full specs list is available.