Xbox Series S pre-orders opened on September 22 alongside the Xbox Series X and, remarkably, we're still seeing a decent supply in the UK. While some retailers have indeed sold out, you can head over to Very, Microsoft, Amazon or AO to pick up an Xbox Series S pre-order right now, with Currys offering more stock at 12pm today. It's likely that Microsoft allocated more stock of its more affordable console, as it's expected to be a big seller due to its tempting price tag.
If you're in the US and missed out on that initial flurry of activity, we're making sure you're prepared for the next wave. Keep checking the retailers below for more information from your favorite stores, and stay tuned to their Twitter accounts as well - it's the first place you'll hear news of a stock refresh. We're keeping all this information right here, so bookmark this page to stay up to date on the latest retailers offering Xbox Series S pre-orders.
Microsoft revealed on Twitter that there was "record-breaking demand" for both the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X. The company has advised those who didn't get their hands on pre-orders to sign up for notifications with retailers, but that more units with be available at launch (November 10) for those who are unsuccessful in the pre-order department.
Luckily for you, you can sign up for notifications from us where we'll bring you all the retailers offering Xbox Series S pre-orders as new information becomes available.
There's plenty of reasons why the cheaper Xbox is set to be so popular. Xbox Series X pre-orders cost an extra $200 / £200, so the super affordable Series S is uniquely positioned to appeal to a wide range of shoppers.
We're rounding up everything you need to know about Xbox Series S pre-orders right here, as well as going into more detail on exactly what you get for your cash in terms of Xbox One S specs, features, and the release date. You'll find quick links to retailers offering early orders just below, with more information on previous stock levels further down the page.
Xbox Series S pre-orders: quick links
US:
- Microsoft: listed as 'out of stock'
- Amazon: not currently available
- Sam's Club: listed as 'out of stock'
- Best Buy: out of stock, listed as 'coming soon'
- Newegg: out of stock, listed as 'coming soon'
- Walmart: listed as 'out of stock'
- GameStop: out of stock, listed as 'not available'
- Target: in stock and available to pre-order
UK:
- Very: pre-orders live and in stock
- Microsoft: pre-orders live and in stock
- AO: pre-orders live and in stock (with added extras available)
- Amazon: in stock and available to pre-order
- Argos: in stock and available to pre-order depending on your region
- Currys: pre-orders live at 12pm
- John Lewis: currently out of stock
It's easy to see why there's such demand for the Xbox Series X in the US - a $299 price tag is going to be a massive draw for Microsoft's budget bid in the console wars. In fact, the cheaper console has already sold out across most retailers.
Over in the UK, Xbox Series S pre-order stock is managing to hold on at a few stores. It's out there for the taking, but we wouldn't hold off much longer, as other retailers have already run out.
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Xbox Series S, previously dubbed 'Project Lockhart' costs $299.99 / £249.99 / AU$499. It's the cheaper, digital-only alternative to the Xbox Series X. Yes, Microsoft is releasing not one but two next-gen consoles this year.
It's worth noting, however, that certain features like 4K gameplay aren't available from cheaper Xbox Series S pre-orders, as that lower price tag makes way for less powerful specs in the budget model.
This disc-less, next-gen Xbox Series S specs are, however, substantially more powerful than the (now discontinued) Xbox One S All-Digital console, and the CPU, GPU and solid state disc drive storage only trail what you'll get from the Series X.
Xbox Series S pre-orders
Xbox Series S pre-orders are live now, so the race is on to pick up the super cheap next-gen console. US shoppers can get their hands on the $299 console at the following retailers and pre-orders have been live in the UK for some time, but so far stock still seems to be holding on.
Check out the retailers below to head straight to the store offering the best chance of picking up an Xbox Series S pre-order today.
You'll find all these US and UK retailers offering Xbox Series S pre-orders just below, with all the latest and past stock levels and information. That means you have all the information you need to strike right when you need to.
Xbox Series S pre-orders in the US
Best Buy
Best Buy's Xbox Series S pre-orders are live, which means you'll be able to put your name down for the $299 console. If you see stock you'll want to move fast, though as the console has been unavailable for a couple of days now.
View Deal
Microsoft
Xbox Series S pre-orders are live at Microsoft, which means you can pick up the console direct. Stock is currently unavailable but with Microsoft advising customers to stay tuned we expect more to be on the way.
View Deal
Amazon
Amazon has listed its Xbox Series S stock on its site, but there's currently none available for purchase. Keep checking here, because we don't know when this stock will hit.
View Deal
Newegg
Newegg has also offered Xbox Series S pre-orders but they sold out immediately. They might be letting bigger retailers run out of stock first, however, so check back here if you come up unlucky.
View Deal
GameStop
Check for the latest information on GameStop's Xbox Series S pre-orders here. The gaming focused retailer sold out of its allocation fast, but has offered higher priced bundles with more gear in the past. That means if you're really committed to the next generation you might find stock available here.
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Walmart
Walmart is a massive retailer, but they're not so gaming focused as to draw hordes of expectant gamers. When the PS5 pre-orders launched, we saw flickering stock showing up with frequent refreshes, so don't be afraid to keep reloading this page if you don't see any units available.
View Deal
Target
Target has Xbox Series S in stock as of writing, but we're expecting them to sell out soon as other retailers struggle to refresh their stock. View Deal
Xbox Series S pre-orders in the UK
AO
AO's Xbox Series S pre-orders are available now, with added hardware extras on top of the price. The console is also available to pre-order separately.
View Deal
Very
Very's Xbox Series S pre-orders are also live right now, but we wouldn't take this stock for granted, as other retailers have sold out.
View Deal
Microsoft
Xbox Series S pre-orders are now live, with Microsoft offering up its own early orders. The Xbox Series S is currently available right now though.
View Deal
Amazon
Xbox Series S pre-orders are also available at Amazon, and as one of the most popular retailers in the country there will not only be a good amount of units available. The Xbox Series S is currently in stock, but don't wait around too long before you place your order.View Deal
Currys
Xbox Series S pre-orders went live at Currys but quickly sold out. Keep checking here if you're on the hunt, though, because more units might be available in the future.
View Deal
John Lewis
John Lewis has also been named by Microsoft as a retailer carrying Xbox Series S pre-orders. That means you might also be able to take advantage of the excellent electrical warranties this particular shop offers when stock eventually returns.
View Deal
Xbox Series S release date
Microsoft has confirmed that the Xbox Series S (previously known as Project Lockhart) is indeed real, and that its digital-only next-gen console will arrive on Tuesday, November 10, 2020.
That means the new Series X will launch right alongside the more expensive Xbox Series X – both coming right before Black Friday 2020 on November 27.
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Xbox Series S price
Microsoft has quashed the endless speculation over the Xbox Series S price, revealing that the console will retail for $299.99 / £249.99 / AU$499 via its official Twitter account. This falls in line with the Xbox Series S being a lower-cost alternative to the Xbox Series X.
If we compare it to the Xbox Series X's price of $499 / £499 / AU$749, the Xbox Series S undercuts it significantly by $200. In the US, the Xbox One S's RRP was $100 less than that of the Xbox One X at launch, while the Xbox One S All-Digital's launch RRP was $200 less than the Xbox One X's. The Xbox Series S will be a tempting proposition for those looking to experience next-gen games without breaking the bank, then.
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Xbox Series S on Xbox All Access
The Xbox Series S will also be available on Microsoft's Xbox All Access subscription service in select regions, including the US, UK and Australia. Xbox All Access bundles together the console with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on a 24-month plan (giving you access to the latter for the duration) at a price of $24.99 / £20.99 / AU$33 a month, with no upfront costs.
Xbox All Access is offered through various different providers, depending on your region, so if you're in the UK or US you'll want to check the official Xbox site for more details. If you're in Australia, Xbox All Access is offered through Telstra, with pre-registrations open now.
Xbox Series S: specs
Microsoft has revealed exactly what its cheaper Xbox can do in the console's official launch trailer, which you can watch below.
- CPU: Eight-core 3.6GHz (3.4GHz with SMT) custom AMD 7nm
- GPU: 4 teraflops at 1.550GHz
- RAM: 10GB GDDR6
- Frame rate: Up to 120 fps
- Resolution: 1440p with 4K upscaling
- Optical: No disk drive
- Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
The Xbox Series S is up to 60% smaller than the Xbox Series X, making it the smallest Xbox ever made. Games will target a resolution of 1440p instead of 4K on Xbox Series X, and will be capable of 120fps.
There's also support for ray tracing, 4K media playback, 4K game upscaling, variable rate shading and variable refresh rates - same as on Xbox Series X. The console is all-digital, meaning there's no disc drive, and has a custom NVME 512GB SSD.
If you're worried about running out of disk space, Microsoft is also releasing a 1TB expansion card. An external hard drive can also be used to store Xbox One games and backwards-compatible titles.
The Xbox Series S will also support Spatial Sound, including Dolby Atmos, and Dolby Vision via streaming media apps at launch. Dolby Vision support for gaming will also come first to next-gen Xbox consoles in 2021.
Xbox Series S: a digital gateway
The Xbox Series S will primarily act as a digital gateway for both Microsoft’s game-streaming service, Project xCloud, and its ever-growing Xbox Game Pass service (which now also includes EA Play for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Xbox Game Pass for PC subscribers).
Project xCloud aims to leverage Microsoft’s existing data centers across the globe, literally loading up servers with the component parts of multiple Xbox One consoles, and using these to run the games streamed directly to your mobile device of choice.
This means that gamers will be able to play the likes of Halo Infinite, Forza and other classic console and PC big hitters on their phones, tablets or Windows 10 computers.
Meanwhile, Xbox Game Pass is essentially a Netflix for games, allowing subscribers to access lots of Xbox games digitally. The service has grown massively since its launch in 2017, boasting over 10 million subscribers.
Services such as Project xCloud and Xbox Game Pass prove that physical discs aren't always necessary, with Microsoft offering plenty of content for those who choose to go digital-only. Xbox Series S will undoubtedly take this initiative into the next generation, proving that these services alone can support a next-gen console.
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