Crucial’s range of midrange, portable USB-C SSDs in the X6 lineup has a couple of new configurations starting today: one for big spenders who need a lot of storage, and another for people on a budget. On top of its 1TB and 2TB models, there’s now a 4TB SSD you can buy for $489.95. It’s priced higher than the current cost for two of its 2TB models ($190 each through Crucial directly), but like most SSDs, it probably won’t take long for it to fall lower than its original asking price. As for the budget-friendly option, you can snag a 500GB model for $69.95.
Back to the 4TB model, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better price on this much storage in a more compact SSD, which could make it a great option for people with large photo or video libraries who don’t want to juggle multiple drives. It could also be a convenient solution for storing all of your PS4 or Xbox One games on for easy access when it’s connected to a PS5 or Xbox Series X / S. It’s listed as being compatible with Windows 10, macOS, Android, and with consoles.
While Crucial has the competition beat on fitting in more storage (and for its claim of surviving drops on carpet of up to 6.5 feet), it isn’t the fastest portable SSD on the market. It claims up to 800MB/s read speeds for the 4TB model, but lesser capacities offer just 540MB/s sequential read speeds. If you want something faster, Crucial’s high-end X8 portable SSDs that are also drop-proof offer sequential read speeds of up to 1,050MB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 1,000MB/s, but for a hearty boost in price. Western Digital’s latest My Passport portable SSD and Samsung’s T7 also provide these speeds, though Samsung has the advantage with the T7’s thinner size.
Update March 1st, 2021 1:49PM ET: The Xbox Series X is sold out at the Microsoft Store for now. But the Xbox Series S and Series S bundle is still available at Microsoft and Antonline respectively.
If you are having a hard time finding an Xbox Series X or Series S, you have another chance to buy one. Microsoft’s direct website has restocked both of its next-gen consoles, the Xbox Series X and Series S. Like some other gaming gadgets released late last year, these consoles are extremely difficult to buy, but if you move quickly, you can grab one right now.
If you are new to the Xbox console family, Antonline has a compelling bundle for the Series S. For $405, you get the Series S console, an extra controller, plus three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
If you secure either console and wonder what to buy next, you might want to think about what games to add to your library. One of the hottest titles right now available on Xbox is Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Of course, if you want to get a ton of bang for your buck, I strongly suggest you buy a subscription to Xbox Game Pass for console or Game Pass Ultimate. But I strongly suggest Xbox Game Pass Ultimate as it includes additional perks, most notably a membership for Xbox Live Gold.
I also advise you to buy an extra controller if you are playing a game with a local co-op with a friend or family member. When it comes to additional storage, both consoles have rather limited storage: 512GB on the Series S, 1TB on the X. You can buy an SSD expansion card that only comes in 1TB, and it is very expensive, costing $220.
If you plan to download some older games that do not take full advantage of the next-gen hardware and don’t want to deplete your limited SSD storage, you can grab an external hard drive.
Maybe you like the PlayStation 5’s distinctive white-and-black look. Maybe you don’t. Maybe you’d settle for a Zune-brown and orange model as long as you could find it in stock. But wherever you come down on the PS5’s color, one thing’s for sure: there’s a lot of demand for other options.
That’s what Dbrand was betting when it put its matte black replacement “Darkplates” on sale recently while baiting Sony to sue. Successive waves of the product sold out fast to the point where they’re now almost as hard to find as the PS5 itself; the next batch won’t ship til May, though you can still put a backorder in.
Anyway, I don’t mind how the PS5 looks myself, but since Dbrand sent over a set of Darkplates, I was curious whether they’d change my mind. This afternoon I took off my PS5’s lightplates (?) to see for myself.
The process is quite simple. Here’s Dbrand’s video on how to replace the PS5’s plates:
I found it a little more difficult to take off the stock white plates than this video suggests, but I was reluctant to apply too much force out of fear of damaging my rare-as-hens’-teeth console. Once you do manage to unhook the plates and slide them off, it’s very easy to attach the Darkplates in their place — they just pop right in with a satisfying click. It doesn’t feel like you’re doing anything the PS5 wasn’t intended to do out of the box, so I think Sony is missing out by not selling its own official swappable plates.
Here’s how the PS5 looks on both sides with the stock plates removed:
And here are some shots with the Darkplates attached:
The Darkplates feel sturdy and of high quality — these aren’t just flimsy pieces of plastic. You’d expect as much for $49 plus shipping, of course. But Dbrand has definitely gone the extra mile to make this feel like a premium product, and this is maybe best expressed by the company’s own spin on Sony’s PlayStation icon microtexture. As on the PS5, it’s difficult to see with the naked eye or to photograph, but it’s there:
Dbrand also sent over a matte black skin to cover the glossy black middle portions of the PS5. These are available in various colors, too. I found it easier to apply than I expected, but it didn’t turn out 100-percent perfect — the skin was slightly lopsided around the USB-A port, though not in any way that’d obstruct usage. But I’m not really convinced that I prefer this look to simply leaving the middle section glossy.
Here are some shots with the skin attached for full matte-black effect:
Finally, I thought I’d compare my newly matte-black PS5 to the similarly matte-black Xbox Series X. I have to admit, the black finish does seem to have a slimming effect on the PS5:
As mentioned before, the Darkplates cost $49 plus shipping, while the middle skin is an extra $11.95. You can still order now, but they won’t ship until May. Is it a lot to pay to change your PS5’s color? Yes. But if you have your heart set on the idea, I think you’ll enjoy the Darkplates.
Microsoft is finalizing its Xbox Game Streaming app for Windows PCs, which includes access to streaming games from the company’s xCloud service. We’ve managed to get access to the latest version of the Xbox Game Streaming app for Windows, an unannounced and unreleased app. Once released, the app will let Windows users stream games from their Xbox Series S / X consoles, and from xCloud.
Currently, you can’t stream games from the new Xbox consoles to Windows PCs, as this is unsupported in the existing Xbox Console Companion app. This new app will solve that, and also bring xCloud streaming to Windows PCs for the first time. We first got a look at this xCloud app for Windows last year, and it has improved a lot since then.
The Xbox remote play feature, for connecting to Xbox consoles, works similarly to how the existing Console Companion does. You can remotely wake an Xbox console, sign in, and play games wherever you are.
There is now full touch support, allowing Surface or other touchscreen devices to play Xbox games without a controller. Microsoft also appears to be readying some form of gyro support here, too. There’s an option to enable this, but it doesn’t appear to be fully functional yet. This is an internal beta application, so it’s still unfinished.
Microsoft’s unreleased Xbox Game Streaming app.
Microsoft also appears to be readying 1080p streams for xCloud, instead of the 720p that exists today. This would obviously improve the experience on Windows PCs, ahead of higher resolutions once Microsoft has upgraded its xCloud servers to include Xbox Series X hardware.
It’s still not clear exactly when this app will be made available more broadly. Microsoft is rumored to be planning a “what’s new for gaming” event for next month, so it’s possible we’ll hear a lot more about the company’s xCloud plans (for the web and iOS, too) very soon.
Sony’s latest gaming console, the PS5, is one of many gaming gadgets that are pretty hard to find in stock right now due to mostly online-only sales. If you are trying to get your hands on one, Best Buy has restocked the PS5 and PS5 digital edition right now, while supplies last.
Similar to today’s Xbox Series X / Series S restocks, the retailer is releasing small waves of PS5 stock right now.
PlayStation 5
$400
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Sony’s flagship next-gen console, priced at $499.99. Compared to the $399.99 PS5 Digital Edition, this console includes a disc drive, allowing you to play both digital and physical games.
$400
at PS5 (Digital Edition)
$500
at PS5
After you secure your PS5, you should consider picking up a few items that will help you get the most out of your next-gen console. I strongly suggest buying a one-year membership to PlayStation Plus and purchasing an extra DualSense controller. A one-year membership to PS Plus also gives you access to the PlayStation Plus Collection, a digital compilation featuring popular games released on the PS4.
If you want to expand your SSD storage, sadly there is no way to do that just yet. But Sony is reportedly expanding the options for more SSD storage sometime this summer.
Update February 26th, 2021 12:05PM: Best Buy still has both consoles in stock, but the retailer is releasing small waves of inventory every few minutes, so if you’re unable to buy one immediately, it’s worth trying again in a few minutes.
Best Buy has restocked both of Microsoft’s next-gen consoles the Xbox Series X and Series S. Like some other gaming gadgets released late last year, these consoles are extremely difficult to buy, but if you move quickly, you have another chance to buy one right now.
Whether you buy the digital-only Series S or the more powerful Xbox Series X which includes a disc drive, you may want to consider picking up a few accessories that will help you get the most out of your new gadget, such as an extra controller if you are playing a game with a local co-op with a friend or family member.
As far as storage goes, both consoles have rather limited storage — 512GB on the Series S, 1TB on the X. If you plan to download some older games that do not take full advantage of the next-gen hardware and don’t want to deplete your limited SSD storage, you can grab an external hard drive. You can buy an SSD expansion card that only comes in 1TB, and it is very expensive, costing $220.
We got our first look at Halo Infinite, the next game in Microsoft’s huge franchise, back in July, and the results were… underwhelming. The graphics and visuals weren’t quite as impressive as you might expect from a next-generation game (the demo was running on a PC “that is representative of the experience that players will have on Xbox Series X”), and one vacant-looking enemy even became the infamous Craig meme. The game was delayed to 2021 a few weeks after the demo aired “to ensure the team has adequate time to deliver a Halo game experience that meets our vision.”
On Thursday, though, developer 343 Industries shared new screenshots of Halo Infinite in 4K from an in-development PC version of the game, and the graphics look much better. We’ve included a few of the images below, and I recommend checking the full-sized versions on the Halo Waypoint blog and zooming in — the screenshots are packed with detail. (We’ve also included direct links to the full-size images in captions.)
As you’re looking at these, there are a few caveats to keep in mind: we don’t know how powerful this PC is, we aren’t seeing the game in motion, we don’t have a great idea of how the game now looks on consoles, and marketing images don’t always translate to what you might see in the final product. Still, for Halo fans who have been looking forward to Halo Infinite, these screenshots make it seem like the game will look pretty good on the right hardware.
Full-sized image here. Image: 343 Industries
Full-sized image here. Image: 343 Industries
Full-sized image here. Image: 343 Industries
The game will also have a day / night cycle, which you can see play out in this collage of images put together by 343 Industries.
Full-sized image here. Image: 343 Industries
And if you want to compare earlier screenshots to how the game looks now, check out this comparison from @AidanEStranger on Twitter.
Microsoft’s Xbox Live service is down, preventing users from signing in to the service. The Xbox Live problems started at around 3:15PM ET today, and Microsoft has confirmed it’s investigating the outage. “We are aware that users may not be able to sign-in to Xbox Live at this time,” says Xbox support. “Our teams are currently investigating to fix this issue.”
If you’re not already signed in to your Xbox, the sign-in process will fail with an error, preventing access to certain services like Xbox Party chat. Some apps may also fail to launch without the core Xbox Live services being online, and a number of games will also not launch correctly.
Microsoft has marked the Xbox Live issues as a “major outage” over at the company’s Xbox status page. The outage also means services like xCloud cloud gaming are offline, alongside access to multiplayer games.
We are aware that users may not be able to sign-in to Xbox Live at this time. Our teams are currently investigating to fix this issue. We will update here and on https://t.co/PzAdjUFMJj when we have more information to share!
— Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) February 25, 2021
This is the first big Xbox Live outage since issues occurred during the Xbox Series X and Series S launch in November last year. Xbox Live also went down a few times throughout 2020, particularly at the beginning of the pandemic when the service faced issues twice in a week as millions started social distancing.
If you missed Target’s early morning Xbox Series X restocks today, you have another chance today to secure Microsoft’s next-gen console. A Walmart spokesperson told The Verge that the retailer will have the Xbox Series X available for purchase today, February 25th, at 3PM ET.
Walmart told The Verge you will have two options to pay for the console — with a one-time payment of $499.99 or pay with Xbox All Access, which requires a monthly payment for 24 months. Xbox All Access is a bundle that splits the cost of an Xbox console; Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which includes both versions of the video game streaming service; access to xCloud; and Xbox Live Gold.
Xbox Series X / S
$500
Prices taken at time of publishing.
The Xbox Series X is Microsoft’s flagship console, serving as its most powerful (and biggest) option that costs $499.99. While the $299.99 Series S is aimed at smooth 1440p performance, the Series X is focused on fast 4K gameplay.
$500
at Walmart (Series X)
If you are buying either an Xbox Series X or S, there are a few additional items outside of video games you may want to consider purchasing, such as an additional controller. And unlike the PS5, you can purchase a 1TB SSD expansion to add to the Xbox’s base storage (512GB on the Series S, 1TB on the X), though it is not cheap. Alternatively, you can buy an external hard drive to store your games, but any games stored through it will not take advantage of the next-gen hardware.
If you are having trouble deciding on what games to buy, you can always buy a subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which gives you access to a slew of digital games and access to Xbox Live Gold.
The PlayStation 5 is Sony’s latest gaming console and just like Microsoft’s Xbox Series X / S it’s in high demand and limited supply. If you are looking to buy a PS5, you have a shot at securing the $500 model with a disc drive right now at Target, while supplies last.
PlayStation 5
$500
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Sony’s flagship next-gen console, priced at $499.99. Compared to the $399.99 PS5 Digital Edition, this console includes a disc drive, allowing you to play both digital and physical games.
$500
at Target
After you secure your PS5 (or if already own one), you should consider picking up a few items that will help you get the most out of your next-gen console. One such accessory is an additional DualSense controller in the event one controller’s battery dies and you want to keep playing but prefer not to be tethered by the charging cable.
A one-year subscription to PlayStation Plus is also good to pick up if you have yet to renew your membership or are new to the service. There are a few benefits to having an active subscription to Sony’s online gaming service. Most notably, PS5 users have access to the PlayStation Plus Collection, a digital library of “generation-defining” games released on the PS4.
(Image credit: LG / Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Sony)
While gaming formats such as 4K@120Hz, VRR and ALLM are now getting plenty of attention, one that you may not have heard of is HGiG.
That might partly be because HGiG isn’t really a format (at least not yet), but rather a set of fairly loose guidelines designed to make HDR gaming better and more consistent. Nevertheless, a number of consoles, TVs and games now boast HGiG integration, and it works really well.
So, what is HGiG? How does it work? And how do you get it?
What is HGiG?
‘HGiG’ stands for ‘HDR Gaming Interest Group’. As the name suggests, rather than a format or spec, it’s a consortium of companies that have come together in order to create guidelines and best practices for the implementation of HDR in gaming. Console-makers Microsoft and Sony instigated the creation of HGiG, and members include TV manufacturers such as LG, Samsung and Panasonic, and game developers and publishers such as Activision, EA, Rockstar and Ubisoft.
Broadly speaking, the idea is to create a level of understanding between your TV, console and the game you’re playing so that HDR is displayed as the game creator intended. Because HDR plays a big part in the overall presentation of a game, getting that right gets you much closer to a properly authentic experience.
How does HGiG work?
Essentially, HGiG is all about tone mapping. Every TV has limitations in terms of contrast and colours, and tone mapping is the technique used to tailor content to the limitations of a specific TV model. The problem is that each TV manufacturer implements tone mapping in a different way, and it can often work against the tone mapping that’s being employed at the source, resulting in a picture that doesn’t look right and is missing important details.
The PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X all have HDR calibration menus. Go through the fairly straightforward process contained within and you’re essentially teaching the console the upper and lower contrast limitations of you TV. The problem arises when your TV then attempts to tone map the already tone mapped image. The aim of HGiG is to prevent this so that once your console has learned the parameters of your TV, it outputs all games accordingly.
Is HGiG any good?
In short, yes. LG was the first brand to add an HGiG setting, and it’s absolutely worth using. When playing an HDR game and with the HDR Game preset selected, the Dynamic Tone Mapping setting will have three available options: On, Off and HGiG. Let’s go through these one by one.
Switching Dynamic Tone Mapping on will tell the TV to analyse constantly the picture and boost it as it sees fit. Typically, it results in a really bright and punchy picture, but it also tends to flatten and blur bright elements, over-exposing them and removing detail. The black level tends to be lifted, too, which can reveal more detail but often also washes out the image.
Switching Dynamic Tone Mapping off disables only this on-the-fly element of the processing. The TV is still tone mapping the already tone-mapped image, but it’s doing so in a fixed manner. If you go through your console’s HDR calibration with Dynamic Tone Mapping switched off, you’ll actually end up telling the console to output images at a much higher brightness than the TV can really handle. In game, the TV will then bring bright highlights back down to within its limits, crushing bright detail and shading in the process.
The image below, supplied by Microsoft and Sony Interactive Entertainment, illustrates the issue of incorrect tone mapping in regards to the brightest part of the picture. Notice how the end of the tunnel is more or less flat white, revealing very little of what’s ahead.
(Image credit: Microsoft / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Switch Dynamic Tone Mapping to HGiG, though, and the TV essentially stops doing its own tone mapping. Instead, the image will be output based on the parameters set in the console’s HDR calibration process.
It’s worth pointing out that when switching between these three options, HGiG might look comparatively dark but, generally speaking, it’s also more accurate and closer to the creator’s intent, with the correct amount of detail and shading at the bright and dark extremes.
The second image from Microsoft and Sony illustrates the improvements to the brightest parts of the picture when tone mapping is implemented correctly. Now you can see that there’s a corner at the exit of the tunnel.
(Image credit: Microsoft / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
What’s more, while the image might look less bright than when either of the other two options is selected, the deeper, correctly set black point provides a great base from which bright highlights can punchily emerge. In other words, overall contrast is at least as good, and the picture tends to be more luscious and solid, too.
As mentioned, LG was the first brand to add an HGiG setting to its TVs. If you have an OLED from 2019 (such as the C9) or from 2020 (the CX, for example), you’ll find it by selecting the HDR Game preset, opening the Advanced Controls picture menu, and clicking on Dynamic Tone Mapping. You’ll notice this is off by default – just select HGiG instead.
Samsung added an HGiG setting to 2020 QLED models such as the Q90T via a firmware update released in October of last year. You’ll find it by opening the General settings menu and clicking on External Device Manager.
We’re not aware of other manufacturers having added dedicated HGiG settings, but if you can find a way to turn tone mapping off entirely, you might achieve a similar effect.
The most important thing is to have HGiG selected (or tone mapping disabled) before you go through the HDR calibration process on your console, otherwise the tone mapping will be incorrect.
When and if HGiG becomes an official standard, all of your games will then use this console-level calibration to define their HDR characteristics, but only a handful of games (Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Dirt 5, for example) do this now. Most still have their own HDR calibration screens, and these are worth checking, too. They will still generally look better and more correct with HGiG selected, even if they weren’t developed with HGiG in mind.
What’s next for HGiG and HDR gaming?
While the degree to which HGiG is being adopted, despite it being only a loose connection of guidelines, is impressive, it would be nice to see it become an official specification that becomes more widespread and more consistent. Having to calibrate your TV to your console just once and have every game use that to tailor the picture will be a vast improvement on having to tweak the picture for each game individually.
But even that one-time calibration might be unnecessary in the future. In the land of PC gaming there’s a technology called VESA DisplayHDR, which takes HDR standardisation to new levels and, as David Seperson from LG tells us, even “includes a way for the display to signal its capabilities to the OS”. In other words, we may get to a point when your console and TV talk to one another and the performance is tailored to your specific setup without you needing to do anything at all. Sounds like gaming nirvana to us.
MORE:
Check out our list of the best gaming TVs you can buy
Here’s our PS5 review
Still hunting for a PS5? Here’s the latest PS5 stock information
The Xbox Series X and Series S consoles have been available to purchase since last fall, but actually finding one to buy has been extremely difficult. If you are looking to buy either console, GameStop has both models in stock, and they are available for preorder while supplies last.
Regardless of which console you buy, you may want to consider picking up a few accessories that will help you get the most out of your new gadget, most notably an additional controller if you are playing a game with a local co-op with a friend or family member.
As far as storage goes, both consoles have rather limited storage. If you plan to download some older games that do not take full advantage of the next-gen hardware and don’t want to deplete your limited SSD storage, you can grab an external hard drive. You can buy a 4TB external hard drive from Seagate for $100, and it includes two months of Xbox Game Pass, a Netflix-like digital video game subscription service for Xbox consoles. Or you can buy three months of Xbox Game Pass if you don’t have any games you’re interested in buying yet.
Of course, you can also upgrade your SSD as well, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Seagate is the only one with an SSD expansion card compatible with both consoles. Additionally, the SSD expansion card only comes in 1TB, and it is very expensive, costing $220.
The very good remaster of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 is hitting next-gen consoles and the Nintendo Switch this year. The game will launch on the PS5 and Xbox Series X / S on March 26th, but there’s no specific release date for the Switch release beyond “2021.” The game was first released last year for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
On next-gen consoles, you’ll be able to play the game at 120fps at a 1080p resolution or at 60fps in 4K, according to a blog post. (The PS5 and Xbox Series X can run at a native 4K, while the Xbox Series S version can run at 1440p and upscale to 4K.) The next-gen version will also offer spatial audio.
Get ready to drop in and take #THPS 1+2 to the next level on New Platforms Coming to PS5™, Xbox Series X|S – March 26 and on Nintendo Switch™ – Coming 2021. AVAILABLE NOW on PS4™, Xbox One, and PC. pic.twitter.com/NUVbECnx1e
— Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 (@TonyHawkTheGame) February 23, 2021
If you already own Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 on PS4 or Xbox One, you won’t necessarily be entitled to a free upgrade to the next-gen version, however. Activision spelled out the different upgrade scenarios on its website, but here’s the gist:
If you own the Digital Deluxe versions of the older-gen games, you can download the next-gen upgrade for free. (Though if you live in Japan, the PS4 to PS5 upgrade will cost 100 yen, according to Activision.)
If you originally bought the game digitally but don’t have the Digital Deluxe version, you can pay $10 to upgrade to the “Cross-Gen Deluxe Bundle,” which includes content from the Digital Deluxe version.
If you have the physical PS4 version of the game, you will be able to upgrade to the PS5 version, but you’ll need to you have your disc in your console to play the next-gen version.
If you have the physical Xbox One version, you’re out of luck — there’s no upgrade offer for the Xbox Series X / S version.
Sony’s PlayStation 5 (alongside the Xbox Series X and S) has been nearly impossible to buy since its launch back in November. Those shortages will likely continue for a bit longer, according to Jim Ryan, president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment. But stock should pick up in the second half of the year, he says.
The news comes from a series of interviews with Ryan from The Washington Post and the Financial Times, where the PlayStation boss reflected on the past several months since the PS5’s launch and the road ahead for the next-generation console.
“Demand was greater than we anticipated,” Ryan said, explaining the ongoing stock issues for the console. “That, along with the complexities of the supply chain issues, resulted in a slightly lower supply than we initially anticipated.”
Things will eventually improve, although it may take some time. “It will get better every month throughout 2021,” Ryan commented to the Financial Times. “The pace of the improvement in the supply chain will gather throughout the course of the year, so by the time we get to the second half of [2021], you’re going to be seeing really decent numbers indeed.”
That said, Ryan wouldn’t promise that there would be enough stock for everyone who wants a console to get one this holiday season. The high demand for PS5s, combined with the ongoing global semiconductor shortage and the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing most console sales through bot-infested online portals, means Sony is still facing serious constraints in how many people will actually be able to buy a PS5. “There are very few magic wands that can be waved,” notes Ryan.
Still, Sony is already seeing encouraging numbers in the breakdown of customers who have been able to buy a PS5. According to Ryan, 1 in 4 PS5 owners didn’t own a PlayStation 4 console, and half of all PS5 owners are new to PSN. (Sony’s online account system that the company has used since the PlayStation 3.)
Sony isn’t the only one hoping that next-generation console supplies will pick up in the second half of the year either. Mike Spencer, Microsoft’s head of investor relations, recently revealed that the new Xbox consoles will likely see supply constraints through at least June in an interview with The New York Times.
Last November, Microsoft debuted two next-gen consoles — the Xbox Series X and the more affordable Xbox Series S. If you are looking for the more affordable next-gen Xbox, Best Buy has the console in stock right now.
The Xbox Series S variant costs $299, is smaller, and is less powerful than the $500 Series X. One other important thing to note is the Xbox Series S is a digital-only console, meaning it lacks a disc drive to play physical games.
Xbox Series S
$299
Prices taken at time of publishing.
The Xbox Series S costs $299.99. Compared to the Series X, it’s far smaller, less powerful, and it has half the amount of SSD storage built in. It also lacks a disc drive.
$299
at Best Buy
If you plan to buy this console, you may want to consider picking up a few accessories that will help you get the most out of your new gadget, most notably an additional controller if you are playing a game with a local co-op with a friend or family member.
As far as storage goes, both consoles have rather limited storage. If you plan to download some older games that do not take full advantage of the next-gen hardware and don’t want to deplete your limited SSD storage, you can grab an external hard drive. You can buy a 4TB external hard drive from Seagate for $100, and it includes two months of Xbox Game Pass, a Netflix-like digital video game subscription service for Xbox consoles. Or you can buy three months of Xbox Game Pass if you don’t have any games you’re interested in buying yet.
Of course, you can also upgrade your SSD as well, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Seagate is the only one with an SSD expansion card compatible with both consoles. Additionally, the SSD expansion card only comes in 1TB, and it is very expensive, costing $220.
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