During a time where the global economy is recovering from the drastic effects of a pandemic, a budget console choice seems like a good idea. It seems Xbox is taking that to heart, with a rumored and leaked “Xbox Lockhart” becoming the Xbox Series S. While there hasn’t been an official statement made by Microsoft on the existence of the console, all of the controller leaks seem to be corroborating the initial Lockhart rumors of a less-expensive Xbox Series X console option.
What’s even more surprising is the technical specifications of that Series S console have seemingly leaked, detailing a very similar but slightly toned down Xbox. Surprisingly enough, the specs are relatively similar in many capacities like processing speeds and backwards compatibility. That being said, there are some key differences that make this console a technologically lesser offering that will seemingly be bolstered by a lower MSRP. Here’s how the Xbox Series S may compare to its larger counterpart, and what the purpose of the console will be.
According to a recent report, the Xbox Series S technical specifications seemed to reflect a console that’s perhaps not as toned down as some may have expected. The obvious graphical downgrade is there, but relatively speaking that’s the only real compromise with Xbox Series S. In particular, the Xbox Series S will seemingly be powered by a version of AMD’s “Big Navi,” the RDNA 2 Radeon graphics hardware that will also be powering gaming PCs later this year. Additionally, Series S will have a slight reduction in RAM memory, 10 GB of GDDR6 RAM compared to the 16 GB in Xbox Series X. Surprisingly, both Xbox Series X and Series S both sport the same AMD Zen 2 CPU, likely in the spirit of Xbox keeping its promise of not compromising next-gen titles.
Overall, these stats seem to reflect around a 60% difference in graphical power between Xbox Series X and Series S. The reduction in RAM may need to be clarified, as it’s unclear how the extra 6 GB may relate to processing load in Xbox Series X vs. Series S. The storage capacity for Xbox Series S has not yet been provided but is also an SSD storage device, so loading times presumably shouldn’t be affected. Right now, the main differences other than graphical power are no disc drive, a targeted resolution output of up to 1440p instead of 4K, and a lesser cost compared to Xbox Series X.
Fans who may have been eyeing a budget Xbox system may be in luck with Xbox Series S, as the actual difference in performance is linked strictly to graphical fidelity. Obvious compromises like an all-digital Xbox or perhaps smaller storage is expected, but both consoles having the same processor is a welcome surprise. Basically that means graphical differences will be the only major compromise with Series S. The slight RAM reduction and same processor just means that there won’t be any potential bottlenecking from a weaker CPU clock speed, and the missing 6 GB of RAM likely won’t equate to much gameplay difference aside from the base 10 GB.
Judging from the specs, Xbox Series S seems like the perfect compromise for those looking for a budget-friendly next-gen option. Theoretically, developers will only need to downscale graphics settings in games coming to Xbox Series S, rather than compromising gameplay features. For players, that basically equates to lower graphical fidelity, but doesn’t necessarily mean a vastly underwhelming gameplay experience in comparison to Xbox Series X. Especially for those who don’t have a 4K TV, this is totally a viable option for Xbox fans and new players. The only divisive compromise may be the lack of a disc drive, which means physical media is unsupported on Series S.
Theoretically, the Xbox Series S could be marketed at a competitive price and succeed quite well. Those potentially looking to hop into gaming for the first time, or whatever reason budgetary or otherwise, the Xbox Series S fits that bill. Xbox friends will more than likely be able to play with friends on Xbox Series X and PC without issue, thanks to the consistent processing power. Of course that could depend on a case-by-case basis if developers need to specifically support it, but it shouldn’t be a major hurdle based on these specs alone. Xbox is committed to making its games all-inclusive, and since a majority of Xbox games are crossplay with PC and other platforms, Xbox Series S is an attractive option.
The only major hurdle will be Xbox Series S console’s price justification. Presumably if the Xbox Series X wishes to compete with PS5 for sales, then Microsoft wouldn’t want to make its flagship console prohibitively more expensive than PlayStation. That being said, if the Xbox Series S isn’t that much cheaper than the premium console, the console wouldn’t be worth the graphical compromise. A price gap of around $200 would make sense, meaning if the Xbox Series X is theoretically $500, then Series S would do relatively well at a $300 price point. Anything that closes that price gap enters a very grey area where saving money for the better console is just smarter.
It’ll be interesting to get a full reveal from Microsoft in the coming weeks/months, but for now the tech specs do hint at Xbox Series S being a very attractive option for new and existing players.
The Xbox Series S is reportedly in development.
![\"IT電腦補習](\"http://itteacheritfreelance.hk/test/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/logo2-2.png\"){kind=logo}
www.itsec.hk
www.itsec.vip
www.itseceu.uk
Leave a Reply