Xbox Series S specs list

By Matt Brown
last updated

The full specs breakdown for Xbox Series S, Microsoft's affordable new console headed into the next generation.

Xbox Series S Vertical
Xbox Series S Vertical (Image credit: Microsoft)

Xbox Series S

Source: Microsoft (Image credit: Source: Microsoft)

Microsoft has unveiled the Xbox Series S, its budget-friendly entry in its next-generation console family, headed to market alongside Xbox Series X this November. The device scales back graphical prowess to pursue a lower price tag, featuring several flagship Xbox Series X features, but scaling back to a sub-4K resolution. That comes condensed into Microsoft's smallest Xbox to date, scheduled to launch for just $299 in the U.S.

The Xbox Series S boasts promising hardware for the price, making for a lucrative entry point into the next generation. With Xbox One hardware to steadily phase out with time, the upgrade delivers enhanced visuals, reduced loading times, ray tracing support, and other hallmarks of Xbox Series X for less.

Here are the Xbox Series S specs, based on what we know so far.

List of Xbox Series S hardware specs

Xbox Series S Internals

Source: Microsoft (Image credit: Source: Microsoft)

While the Xbox Series S shares many features with its sister console, Xbox Series X, the hardware inside packs some notable differences. The lower-tier console is expected to cut back the specifications in several key areas, including the GPU, RAM, and onboard solid-state drive (SSD) storage. The device also loses the disc drive in the process, making the trade-off as a digital-only experience. But that still leaves highly-capable console, proving increasingly alluring when entering the next generation on a budget.

Here are the likely Xbox Series S hardware specifications as they're known so far, compiled both from Microsoft, and third-party reports, ahead of the official breakdown still to come.

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CategoryXbox Series S
Processor8x Cores @ 3.6 GHz (3.4 GHz w/ SMT) Custom Zen 2 CPU
Graphics4 TFLOPS, 20 CUs @ 1.565 GHz Custom RDNA 2 GPU
Memory10 GB GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth8 GB @ 224 GB/s, 2GB @ 56 GB/s
Internal Storage512 GB Custom NVME SSD
I/O Throughput2.4 GB/s uncompressed, 4.8 GB/s compressed
Expandable Storage1 TB Expansion Card (matches internal storage exactly)
External StorageUSB 3.2 External HDD Support
Optical DriveNone, digital-only
Performance Target1440p @ 60 FPS, up to 120 FPS
ColorRobot White, Black
DimensionsUnknown (60% smaller than Xbox Series X)
Price$299, £249, €299
Release dateNovember 10, 2020

For a deeper dive into how Xbox Series S compares to Xbox Series X, don't miss our full breakdown of the features, hardware specs, and what it means for you.

Xbox Series S launches November 10, alongside Xbox Series X.

Xbox Series X/S

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Matt Brown
Matt Brown

Matt Brown was formerly a Windows Central's Senior Editor, Xbox & PC, at Future. Following over seven years of professional consumer technology and gaming coverage, he’s focused on the world of Microsoft's gaming efforts. You can follow him on Twitter @mattjbrown.

8 Comments
  • I'm sorry, but I have to laugh to myself when I see USB 3.2 (assuming gen 2) support. An external HDD is tapped out at 3.0 speeds, which is darn close to SATA III (5Gbps vs 6Gbps respectively). But the fastest HDDs and even SSHDs aren't going to utilize anything faster. Hopefully, queue bigger ext SSDs for cheaper!
  • Well you could get a USB 3.2 external enclosure I have a m.2 Indian me external enclosure that is USB 3.2 and can fully utilize the Xbox series X or Series s right now I'm not even utilizing the full speeds of my enclosure on my one X. Though I am getting better load times
  • *deleted* Replied to the wrong comment.
  • I think they should have gone for 1TB storage considering the device is digital only. 512gd is probably sufficient for most people and if you manage your games etc then it is OK. But for people who live in areas where internet has caps etc consistently downloading and removing games could be annoying and or prohibitive.
  • Disc machines do not save any space. The games are still installed to the hard drive.
  • The key word is SSD. A good 1 TB NVMe SSD costs around 200 EUR, almost as the console itself. Even the PS5, regular and digital, won't have a 1 TB SSD.
  • only half a GB of storage...
  • This thing is almost the same size as my Sony 4K blu-ray player (which is TINY.)
    Amazing engineering as it's not much bigger than a full-size hard-cover BOOK.