Xbox Series S Hardware Leaks Impressive Budget Next-Gen Console
We don't know what the Xbox Series X looks like just yet but the specs offer a compelling, cheaper, next-gen console. | Source: Christian Petersen / Getty Images / AFP. Image Edited by CCN.com.
- TweakTown has published a new overview of the specifications for the next-gen Xbox Series S.
- The Verge’s Tim Warren has also chimed in to clarify what to expect from the console’s GPU.
- Microsoft is expected to unveil the less-powerful, budget variant next month.
A new overview published by the folks over at TweakTown offers the clearest indication to date of what to expect from Microsoft’s as-yet-unannounced budget variant next-gen Xbox Series S console.
Rumblings have placed the Xbox Series S as a less powerful alternative to the high-specifications Xbox Series X, and these new details suggest it will share many of the same components, rejigged to cut costs and lower overall performance.
According to the report, the Xbox Series S will boast the following specifications:
- 7nm Enhanced SoC
- 8-core, 16-thread Zen 2 CPU clocked at 3.8 GHz
- Navi RDNA 2.0 GPU
- 10 GB of GDDR6 RAM
- PCIe 4.0 SSD
- 4 TFLOPs
- 250 W Power
- No Disc Drive
In terms of performance, the Series S will reportedly target 1440p at 60 frames per second compared to the Xbox Series X’s performance target of 4K at 60 FPS. Microsoft will market the console at a lower price than the X, positioning it as a spiritual successor to this generation’s all-digital Xbox One S.
The Verge’s Tim Warren also chimed in on Twitter to add another piece to the puzzle , revealing that the Navi RDNA 2.0 GPU will feature 20 Compute Units, clocked at 1.550 GHz. If correct, this would mean 3.968 Teraflops (20 CUs x 64 shaders x 1.550 GHz x 2 instructions per clock), aligning roughly with the 4 TFLOPs cited by TweakTown.
Xbox Series S Game Compatibility Confusion
Interestingly, TweakTown’s report notes that the Series S will run Xbox One, Xbox 360, and original Xbox games, alongside offering ‘next-gen support’. The adjacent column for the Series X notes support for ‘Xbox Series X exclusives,’ implying some next-gen titles won’t run on the Series S.
While confusing, the wording is off and misleading – we can safely expect Series X titles to run on the Series S, albeit with reduced performance. The row in question covers backward compatibility, possibly hinting at BC enhancements that only work on the more powerful Series X.
Video: Microsoft Has Been More Transparent with the Series X than the Series S
We’d warn against taking these specifications as gospel, but they certainly appear to align with what we’ve heard so far.
As for when we might finally see Microsoft unveil the console, the end of August was touted as a likely time frame, but Halo Infinite’s delay to 2021 has derailed Microsoft’s next-gen promotional plans. The platform holder is now expected to announce the console next month.
