Microsoft says Xbox Series X costs $499, reveals availability details of its next-gen consoles

Posted on by Nadeem Sarwar

It’s been a wild 24 hours for Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox consoles. Following a leaked render and alleged pricing of the Xbox Series S, Microsoft quickly revealed the more affordable console, and soon confirmed a November 10 launch date via an official trailer. Now, the company has dropped another bombshell by announcing the pricing and availability details of both the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S consoles. Ready yet? Cool, let’s get into the details.

The Xbox Series X costs $499, while the Xbox Series S will set buyers back by $299. Pre-orders for both the consoles begin on September 22, while the global launch will happen on November 10. If you live in India, you’ll have to pay Rs. 34,990 (~ $476) for the Xbox Series S, while the Xbox Series X costs a bomb at Rs. 49,990 (~ $681). That’s a huge premium over what the new consoles cost in the US market, and I am royally miffed about it. But Microsoft is also offering another way to purchase the consoles that will appeal to gamers, and it is called Xbox All Access. So, what is that?

What is Xbox All Access?

Well, Xbox All Access offers you the Xbox Series X or its cheaper sibling as well as 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. With Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you get more than 100 high-quality games to play on consoles as well as PC, including next-gen Optimized games. Additionally, Microsoft has announced that EA Play membership will also be thrown in as a freebie with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which offers 60 of EA’s console and PC games like FIFA 20, Titanfall 2 and Need for Speed Heat, as well as titles from other well-known franchises such as Battlefield, Mass Effect, Skate, and The Sims.

Moreover, Microsoft is also bundling in xCloud with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate starting September 15, which means you can play over 100 console games from the cloud on your smartphone or tablet. So, here’s a quick breakdown of everything you get with Xbox All Access:

  • The console itself
  • Access to over 100 games in the Xbox Game Pass library that can be played on both console and PC
  • Free EA Play membership
  • Free xCloud access 

You can find more details about Xbox All Access here.

How much you pay?

Xbox Series S will be up for grabs at $24.99 per month with the Xbox All Access financing plan, while the Xbox Series X runs slightly higher at $34.99 per month. Microsoft says Xbox All Access is available in 12 countries now and will be offered by outlets such as GameStop, Target, Walmart, Telstra and SK Telecom to name a few. Unfortunately, the list doesn’t include India, but Microsoft has plans to expand the availability of Xbox All Access to more countries in the foreseeable future. 

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Xbox Series S confirmed to debut on November 10

Posted on by Prakhar Khanna

Recently, the first render of the Xbox Series S was leaked online. Moreover, it hinted at an aggressive $299 price tag, which was later confirmed by Microsoft. It is outed to deliver “next-gen performance” using all-new hardware that supports up to 120fps frame rate at 1440p resolution. Now, the company has also revealed the launch date of its cheaper next-gen console. The Xbox Series S will be launched on November 10. Microsoft announced the latest development by releasing a one-and-a-half-minute Xbox Series S teaser video. It concludes with the November 10 release date. 

Aside from confirming the release date, the teaser also shows the Xbox Series S in detail. It mentions that the new console will be the “smallest Xbox ever”. It is said to be 60 percent smaller than the upcoming Xbox Series X. Further, it highlights the specifications too. The all-digital Xbox Series S will come with a custom NVMe SSD of 512GB. The storage could be a problem since most of the modern games consume over 100GB. However, we expect Microsoft to be having a solution.

Further, the device is touted to deliver up to 120fps frame rates at 1440p resolution. Other features of the next-gen console include DirectX raytracing, variable-rate shading, variable refresh rate (VRR), streaming media playback at 4K, and 4K upscaling in games.

Moreover, According to  Windows Central, the console will be launched alongside the Xbox Series X. The Xbox Series S will retail at $299, and there is also a $25/month Xbox All Access financing option that includes the console itself alongside access to Xbox’s game library. As for the Series X, it could cost $499 and will also be offered with an Xbox All Access financing option that will set buyers back by $35/month. Both the consoles are likely to come with backward compatibility to support titles meant for the existing Xbox One, Xbox 360, and the original Xbox models.

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Pocketnow Daily: Apple Event Confirmed and Here’s What It Hints! (video)

Posted on by Samuel Martinez

Samsung Galaxy Note 20, a new Apple Shopping event, and more on sale today

Deals. It looks like Samsung does not like to waste time as we have deals on the brand new Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra. They’re both $200 off, leaving the 128GB variant of the Note 20 for $799 shipped, in all color variants. That means that the Note 20 Ultra is $1099 for the 128GB of storage. Moving on to Best Buy, they’re having yet another Apple Sales Event. For example, the 16in MacBook Pro is $200 off, leaving the Intel Core i9, 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage variant for $2600. They also have more deals on iPad Pros, MacBook Airs, iPhones and more and we also have other deals in the links below.
Buy Samsung Galaxy Note 20
Buy Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

LG Wing’s leaked hands-on video finally shows how the rotating dual display works

Yesterday, LG confirmed that their “Explorer Project“, which is coming out on September 14th, will be called the LG Wing. And, we’ve seen other leaked videos of the phone like the ones on the car but now, we have an 8 second hands on of the device where we see the display rotating for the first time. On the video you can see the UI change as the person rotates the main display from its horizontal state to the vertical state and honestly it looks pretty smooth. This seems to be a glossy, white color variant which means that it could bring a similar design language to the Velvet. According to an ETNews report the shipment price for the Wing has been set at around $918 from KRW but after the value-added tax rate it shows it’s $1608. Both of these prices go right along with the leaks we got last week so we can expect the actual price to be somewhere around this.

Microsoft officially unveils Xbox Series S and confirms a sweet $299 asking price

A few months ago we covered the possibility of a more affordable and smaller alternative for the Xbox Series X, which would be dubbed the Series S. Well, that just became a reality. Microsoft officially unveiled this console online and it will bring a custom-made NVMe SSD with a 512GB capacity, up to 120fps at 1440p, DirectX ray-tracing, 4K media streaming and more, all while being 60% smaller than the Xbox Series X, meaning that this is the smallest Xbox ever. The teaser also claims that it already has 100 high quality titles that will be optimized for the next generation. According to a Windows Central report, the Series S will be released along with the Series X on November 10th and it will cost $299. Considering that the Series X might cost around $499, this looks like a pretty good alternative as, the PS5 will reportedly bring a hefty price tag as well.

Microsoft is working on a smaller Surface-branded laptop that might start at just $500

Sticking with Microsoft, we know that the Surface lineup is pretty much all 2-in-1 convertibles except for the Surface Laptop which has kind of a pricy entry level variant. Well, according to another Windows Central report, Microsoft is working on a more affordable Surface Laptop. The report claims that it’s codenamed “Sparti” and it will apparently bring a 12.5in display, a 10th Gen Intel Core i5, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. It would bring Windows 10 in S Mode and would start at around $500 or $600. This new Surface Laptop would be targeted at students and it would reportedly launch in October. Microsoft apparently wants to go after the Chromebook market with this one and it might just work out considering it will be an actual PC.

Android 11 released for Pixel smartphones via the stable channel. What’s new?

A couple of months ago I made a video on how Android 11 was making me love the Google Pixel 4 again. Well, Google just released the first stable build of Android 11 for all compatible phones, meaning Pixels. Most of the features that Android 11 brings were already present in the betas but just to refresh your memory, it focuses a lot on privacy like how you now get a dedicated notifications tab for conversations, app permissions reset after a while of you not using them, separation between work and personal files and more. Media controls have been revamped a long with Google Home controls, a new native screen recorder and more. You can check out my long term review of the Pixel 4 XL with Android 11 which will be right up here on the screen to check out other updates. So, if you have a Pixel 2 or newer you can download it already, we’ll keep you posted on when other devices get it.

Story of the day:

Apple schedules an event on September 15, Apple Watch Series 6 expected to debut

And yes, Marc Gurman’s leaks from yesterday were right! Apple just scheduled an event for September 15th at 10AM PST, where we’re expecting to get some new hardware. However, Marc claimed that this will be the “iPhone” September Event but it looks like that’s not what we should expect here. The press invitation has the caption “Time Flies” and with an art that looks like a looping armband, so yes this is hinting that we’ll be getting the Apple Watch Series 6. What’s weird is that the event is scheduled to happen for two hours, so we should naturally expect more hardware than just an Apple Watch. According to Bloomberg and other tipsters, we should also get a redesigned iPad Air with an edge-to-edge screen, possibly Apple’s over the ear headphones, and even a smaller HomePod. Other things that might make the cut but are unlikely at this event are the Apple Tags or AirTags and maybe even AirPower. This also means that the iPhone 12 Line will happen until October like we expected as, they’re just not ready, they reportedly entered mass production this week.
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Microsoft officially unveils Xbox Series S and confirms a sweet $299 asking price

Posted on by Nadeem Sarwar

Earlier today, the first render of the Xbox Series S – Microsoft’s cheaper next-gen console – surfaced online – giving us our first glimpse of its design and also hinted at a rather aggressive $299 price tag. Well, it was the real deal. And before leaks could spoil any more surprises, Microsoft has officially revealed the Xbox Series S and has confirmed that it will cost $299. As we mentioned in a previous story, this is a great price for an entry into the next-gen console ecosystem for gamers. Microsoft has only shared the render and pricing of its upcoming console so far, and has promised to reveal more details soon.

But apparently, we don’t have to wait too long for more details. A new leaked promotional video for the Xbox Series S highlights all of its key features and capabilities such as 1440p gaming, ray tracing and more. Additionally, another report claims to reveal the Xbox Series S’ launch date, alongside that of the Xbox Series X and its pricing. Starting with the leaked promo video, it claims that the Xbox Series S is the smallest console made by Microsoft and that it is 60% smaller than the more powerful Xbox Series X.

There is also mention of a custom-made NVMe SSD of 512GB capacity that employs the in-house Xbox Velocity architecture, promising fast loading times and quick game switching. The console is touted to deliver up to 120fps frame rates at 1440p resolution. Other features highlighted in the video are an all-digital design, DirectX raytracing, variable rate shading, variable refresh rate (VRR), streaming media playback at 4K and 4K upscaling in games. 

Additionally, a report from Windows Central claims that the Xbox Series S will be launched alongside the Xbox Series X on November 10. The Xbox Series S will retail at $299, and there is also a $25/month Xbox All Access financing option that includes the console itself alongside access to Xbox’s game library. As for the Xbox Series X, it is said to cost $499 and will also be offered with an Xbox All Access financing option that will set buyers back by $35/month.

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Here’s your first look at Microsoft’s cheaper Xbox Series S console

Posted on by Nadeem Sarwar

Microsoft has long been rumored to be working on two next gen ‘Project Scarlet’ consoles codenamed ‘Anaconda’ and ‘Lockhart’. The former has already been officially revealed as the Xbox Series X, while the latter is still under the wraps. The Lockhart console – rumored to debut as the Xbox Series S – will pack in less power and will be a more affordable alternative to the Xbox Series X. If you’ve been wondering about its design, well, a fresh leak claims to give us our first glimpse of the Xbox Series S. The leaked render not only reveals the design of Microsoft’s upcoming console for the masses, but also the alleged pricing of $299.

The leaked render, which comes courtesy of Thurrot, shows a white console with a familiar design. As per another leaked animation, the Xbox Series S will be smaller and much thinner than its pricier sibling. When placed vertically, you’ll see is a huge circular heat vent on the front with a contrasting black finish and the same cross-mesh pattern as the one we’ve already seen on the Xbox Series X. There are vents all across the top edge too. Over at the right side, we see a USB Type-A port. Notably, the Xbox Series S appears to lack a disc drive, which falls in line with previous rumors claiming that the cheaper next-gen console will be all-digital to bring down the price. 

Additionally, the leaked render also mentions a pretty aggressive asking price of $299, indicating that Microsoft wants to seriously undercut the PlayStation 5 by offering gamers a much lower entry-point into the next-gen console ecosystem. This will help gamers decide how much power they want from their console, and will also allow Microsoft to price the Xbox Series X in the same range as the PlayStation 5, taking on it mano-e-mano on power, performance, and pricing fronts. 

Talking about the differences, the Xbox Series S will reportedly churn out 4 teraflops of power compared to the Xbox Series X’s 12.5 teraflop output. It will also limit players to gaming at 2K 60fps, while its more powerful sibling will go up to 4K at 60fps and even 8K resolution. Additionally, there will be 10GB of GDDR6 RAM fitted inside the Xbox Series S, while the Xbox Series X ups that number to 16GB for a smoother experience. You can check more comparisons between the two upcoming Microsoft consoles below:

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Microsoft’s next gaming console might be called Xbox Series S as per fresh leak

Posted on by Nadeem Sarwar

Microsoft has long been rumored to be working on two new consoles codenamed ‘Anaconda’ – which later made its debut as the Xbox Series X – and a cheaper model named ‘Lockhart’. Back in June, devkit documents again namedropped ‘Lockhart’, and now, we have another leak which suggests that the ‘Lockhart’ console will debut as Xbox Series S (via ArsTechnica).

A couple of gamers actually managed to purchase the new Xbox Series X controller before the console can actually hit the shelves. But what is truly notable is that the retail packaging clearly mentions that the controller works with both the Xbox Series X and the yet-to-be-announced Xbox Series S consoles, in addition to the Xbox One lineup, Windows 10 PCs and smartphones (both Android and iOS).

Rumors have persisted that the Xbox Series S will be cheaper (even disc-less) and less powerful compared to the Xbox Series X. And even though Microsoft is yet to officially confirm the console’s existence, the name ‘Xbox Series S’ falls in line with the naming convention adopted for its previous-gen consoles – Xbox One X and Xbox One S. Moreover, rumors suggest that the ‘Lockhart’ aka Xbox Series S might be announced in the fall season.

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Microsoft might unveil the cheaper Xbox Series S console in August

Posted on by Nadeem Sarwar

Earlier this month, leaked devkit documents revealed more details about another Project Scarlet console from Microsoft codenamed ‘Lockhart’ that will reportedly debut as Xbox Series S. Now, a new report from Eurogamer suggests that the more affordable next-gen Xbox console will be announced in August.

Microsoft is said to have planned a debut in June, but those plans were nixed, and the announcement has now been moved to August. We don’t know what the Xbox Series S will look like, but it is claimed to target 1080p and 1440p gaming compared to the 4K benchmark of its more powerful sibling – the Xbox Series X.

Notably, the Xbox Series S will reportedly have the same CPU as the Xbox Series X, but will come equipped with less usable RAM and less powerful GPU. Unsurprisingly, it will command a lower price tag and will reportedly hit the shelves alongside the Xbox Series X in the fall season.

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Microsoft’s cheaper next-gen Xbox console spotted in devkit documents

Posted on by Nadeem Sarwar

During the early development phase of Project Scarlett, there were reports that Microsoft is working on two consoles codenamed ‘Anaconda’ and ‘Lockhart’. While the ‘Anaconda’ console made its debut as Xbox Series X, the ‘Lockhart’ has now been namedropped again in the latest Game Development Kit (GDK) released for developers.

The leaked documents clearly mention “Project Scarlett consoles” and a distinct LockhartProfiling mode. As per a report from TheVerge, the latter is a part of the Xbox Series X devkit that will allow game developers to test their games with the performance profile of the less-powerful ‘Lockhart’ console.

The performance profile reportedly caps the resources at around 7.5GB of RAM and 4 teraflops of GPU output, which is lower than the 13.5GB of usable RAM and 12 teraflops of GPU power delivered by the Xbox Series X. This cheaper console might arrive under the Xbox Series S name alongside the Xbox Series X this fall, and will reportedly target 1080p and 1440p gaming compared to the 4K prowess of its more powerful sibling.

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