Xbox Series S Black 1TB Console Unveiled

[btarunr]

Microsoft unveiled a variant of its affordable Xbox Series S game console, which now comes in a carbon black trim. The console comes with 1 TB of SSD storage, and Microsoft is pricing it at $349, a $50 premium over the regular Xbox Series S with 512 GB storage. With NAND flash prices on a downward trend, Microsoft is looking to solve the problem of local storage for its Series S console, by doubling the capacity of local storage. The console also includes a matching black controller. The new 1 TB carbon black Xbox Series S is expected to be available from September 1, 2023.



A video presentation by Microsoft follows.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

Ripoff. The $299 model should be 2TB by this point. Or it should have a user upgradeable drive, its not hard to do, sonys been doing it for years.

 

[Nihilus]

The new WD 512GB expansion cards are $80 so this would be a $30 savings over buying a standard Series S then upgrading yourself so not bad all things considered.

Important to note that the standard Series S has about 360 GB of usable storage after the o/s is factored in. This would upgrade that to about 870 GB of usable storage so really more like a 2.5x increase in storage.

 

[mrnagant]

Ripoff. The $299 model should be 2TB by this point. Or it should have a user upgradeable drive, its not hard to do, sonys been doing it for years.

But it's black.

 

[Nihilus]

Ripoff? If you say so. Let's not pretend inflation isn't real for both customers and manufactures.

$300 in 2023 money is just $256 in 2020 money so nearly a $50 price drop over those 3 years.

Compare that to the One S Era over the same 3 year span. $300 in 2020 money was still $284 in 2017 money so just a $16 drop in those 3 years.

Meanwhile a 64 GB Switch runs $350.

 

[ZoneDymo]

Wonder if they did anything on these new units to limit emulation functionality more

 

[Luke357]

This one should have been $299 and the base model should have had a small price cut but it does look cool so I'll give it that.

 

[WorringlyIndifferent]

$349 for an already obsolete console with a still-pitiful 1TB of storage?

Haven't developers been complaining about the Series S being woefully underpowered and dragging down development goals because the hardware is just too weak and the memory is just too small? Pretty cool of Microsoft to continue putting a massive anchor on game development by forcing devs to continue designing for obsolete hardware. Real cool.

 

[chrcoluk]

Ripoff. The $299 model should be 2TB by this point. Or it should have a user upgradeable drive, its not hard to do, sonys been doing it for years.

So 2TB high endurance nand, APU, controller, PSU, motherboard, case, packaging all for $299?

$349 for an already obsolete console with a still-pitiful 1TB of storage?

Haven't developers been complaining about the Series S being woefully underpowered and dragging down development goals because the hardware is just too weak and the memory is just too small? Pretty cool of Microsoft to continue putting a massive anchor on game development by forcing devs to continue designing for obsolete hardware. Real cool.

Well devs want to be lazy, use easy to use but poor performing engines and dont spend much time on optimisation.

Microsoft have stated this isnt a 1440p/4k console, so with the S specs, there is a problem with their workflow if they cant get 720p/1080p out of it at stable frame rate. It does have the same CPU as the X almost which is the most important thing, for the GPU all they need to do is downscale, turn down shadow resolution etc.

 

[Nihilus]

M8gmmmm

So 2TB high endurance nand, APU, controller, PSU, motherboard, case, packaging all for $299?


Well devs want to be lazy, use easy to use but poor performing engines and dont spend much time on optimisation.

Microsoft have stated this isnt a 1440p/4k console, so with the S specs, there is a problem with their workflow if they cant get 720p/1080p out of it at stable frame rate. It does have the same CPU as the X almost which is the most important thing, for the GPU all they need to do is downscale, turn down shadow resolution etc.

Yep, the same tech junkies that claim this is overpriced despite giving a family years of entertainment will gladly pay $1000+ for the shiney phone that is forced into obsolescence.

This is 100 cash gas station candy bars. The cost of 5 games. About 3 truck fill ups.

Microsoft has already taken a $50 hit for each of these consoles in the last 3 years just by inflation. I'm not sure what more people want other than to have an excuse in deflecting there pc gaming frustrations.

 

[Luke357]

M8gmmmm


Yep, the same tech junkies that claim this is overpriced despite giving a family years of entertainment will gladly pay $1000+ for the shiney phone that is forced into obsolescence.

This is 100 cash gas station candy bars. The cost of 5 games. About 3 truck fill ups.

Microsoft has already taken a $50 hit for each of these consoles in the last 3 years just by inflation. I'm not sure what more people want other than to have an excuse in deflecting there pc gaming frustrations.

What gas station sells candy bars for $3? And to fill my truck up from zero to 20 gallons it would be about 4.55 fill ups to be $300 I understand what you are trying to say but it doesn't work when your numbers are wayy off. Cost of 5 games is fair though.

 

[Nihilus]

What gas station sells candy bars for $3? And to fill my truck up from zero to 20 gallons it would be about 4.55 fill ups to be $300 I understand what you are trying to say but it doesn't work when your numbers are wayy off. Cost of 5 games is fair though.

2019 data loss on candy so not far off.

U.S. candy and chocolate average price by segment 2019 l Statistic | Statista

The price for chocolate candy outpaced non-chocolate in 2019, averaging 2.27 U.S.

www.statista.com

Full size trucks always have at least 26 gallons and many have 36 gallon tanks including my old F-150.

I exxagerates a bit but not overly so.

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

At first I thought it a ripoff 50 notes for black detail but tbf that drive size increase makes it fair.

 

[anonJSD]

Sigh... Phil Phil Phil... why you do us like this??? ps5 Pro coming and microsoft decides to improve storage on the console that's holding xbox back. What they should be doing is binning the series s off altogether, or at the very least not enforcing support for series s on developers, not encouraging more to buy it. They are never going to be able to create games the series x is capable of when developers have to create everything to run on the potato that is the series s. It's like a 3rd of the power, barely an advancement on last gen and should be looking to phase it out, but no. The series X is more powerful than the ps5 so a ps5 Pro may just level that playing field, as i dont imagine there being too much of an improvement. But whilst the series s is still being endorsed it is sony's Gen. They have just put the nail in the coffin, stupid short sighted business decision, oh Phil... sigh. In a few years when I'm looking at the games Sony can make and I'm still playing a sort of crossover between last gen and what should be the current gen I will be forced to go and buy a playstation and use my series x as a door stop as its essentially a series s whilst the s exists. Heart broken. Hopefully everyone will start boycotting the series s (both editions) and force Microsofts hand