Microsoft’s heavily rumoured second next-gen console, Xbox Series S (name not final), may be unveiled in August, according to a leaked Microsoft document. For those who aren’t aware, the Xbox Series S (codenamed Lockhart) is a lower-powered version of the recently announced Xbox Series X console.
More Affordable Next-Gen Xbox may be Unveiled in August
According to Eurogamer, Microsoft initially planned for a June unveiling for the Xbox Series S, but this has since been pushed to August due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Other sources have also recently reported that this console may come with similar CPU as the Series X, albeit being slightly underclocked.
Nonetheless, Microsoft’s decision to release two different next-gen consoles this year is rather interesting. The Series S will very likely be made to cater for gamers who don’t plan to game in 4K, and would rather prefer to game at 1080p or 1440p with increased performance. Additionally, having a smaller form factor and slower components may mean that the Series S will be more affordable to most gamers.
Whether or not Microsoft’s strategy will pay off when put against Sony’s offerings (PlayStation 5 & PlayStation 5 Digital Edition) remain uncertain. Crucially, what gamers—including us—would really like to know is how much would these next-generation consoles cost. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.