Xbox Series S price comes with a scary hidden cost 😱

The Xbox Series S price looks too good to be true – and it just might be

Xbox Series S
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Shabana Arif
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The Xbox Series S was officially confirmed by Microsoft as a real console that exists last week, and the price, pre-order, and release dates for both the all-digital console and the Xbox Series X were revealed shortly afterwards.

With speculation that the both the Xbox Series S and PS5 Digital Edition would be priced at around $399 in the US, sitting alongside the Xbox Series X and PS5's predicted $499, fans were thrilled to find out that the digital-only next-gen Xbox will retail for just $299 / £249 / AU$499; but it might not be as sweet of a deal as you think. 

The Xbox Series S trades less power for a more attractive price point, and it caused a bit of a furore this week with reports that it might not be able to outperform the Xbox One X. While that was eventually explained by Micosoft, the console's modest 512GB SSD is a potential problem, especially with next-gen games increasing in size.

The current solution is the upcoming Xbox Series X Seagate SSD, which is compatible with both consoles; it's the first storage option announced by Microsoft and features a "custom engineered memory to expand the storage of the Xbox Velocity Architecture."

Unlike the PS5, the Xbox Series X/S require SSDs that use its proprietary technology, meaning if you want to expand your storage, your options are going to be limited and you're over a barrel when it comes to pricing.  

In his Xbox Series X hands-on video, games journalist Tom Warren cites rumours that put the price of the next-gen Xbox's SSD at around $200. By the time you've added that to the Xbox Series S' price tag, you're looking at the same price as the Xbox Series X and its 1TB SSD.

Even if the PS5 Digital Edition can't match the Series S' price – with a recent leak suggesting it'll come in at €399, in line with the $399 / £349 / €399 we've heard being bandied around so far – it could still work out cheaper if the SSD isn't as expansive as the one required by the Xbox Series S. 

We're still waiting on pricing for SSDs for both consoles, as well as confirmation of compatible options, but it's worth bearing in mind if you're ready to pre-order your Xbox Series X/S. 

Shabana Arif
Shabana Arif

Shabana worked at T3.com as News Editor covering tech and gaming, and has been writing about video games for almost a decade (and playing them since forever). She's had bylines at major gaming sites during her freelance career before settling down here at T3, and has podcasts, streaming, and video content under her belt to boot. Outside of work, she also plays video games and should really think about expanding her hobbies. If you have any tech or gaming tips, shoot over an email or DM her on social media.

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