MICROSOFT is gearing up to unveil a second next-gen console next month, according to rumours.
The Xbox Series S will reportedly be a cheaper alternative to the Xbox Series X, which was announced by Microsoft last year.
Little is known about the stripped-down Series S, but reports suggest Microsoft will unveil it during an online event in early May.
According to tech site Windows Central, the console will be less powerful than the Series X, but more affordable.
“This system is designed to be affordable but will offer aspects of a next-gen experience currently unavailable to past-gen consoles,” the site reports.
In terms of power, the Series S will sport 4 teraflops of GPU performance rather than the 12TF stuffed into its bigger brother.
For comparison, the Xbox One X – the most powerful Xbox One released to date – has 6TF of power.
The Series S will apparently come with a faster CPU, however, which should give it the edge over the current generation of consoles.
Apparently, it won’t have a disc drive, with gamers relying on game downloads rather than physical discs.
In this sense, it will fill the same entry-level niche as the Xbox One S, which also lacked a disc drive and had lower specs than the One X.
As the Series X is out ahead of Christmas this year, it’s safe to assume the Series S will release around the same time.
The Series S is only rumoured for now, so take any news on it with a pinch of salt.
We’ll likely know more next month, when Microsoft is allegedly holding an online product event.
Microsoft confirmed in December that its new console would be named the Xbox Series X.
The machine will apparently run games at 4K resolution – double that of HD – with the possibility of running 8K.
It will also process games faster so as to “eliminate” loading times. A new Halo title will launch with the console.
Sony has announced it will launch its next console, the PlayStation 5, ahead of Christmas 2020.
Both the PS5 and Series X will reportedly cost around £500, so the Series S could give Microsoft a chance to seriously undercut its Japanese rival.
In other news, a PlayStation fan recently released stunning concept images of the PS5.
Gamers across the globe can now play Google Stadia for free.
And, the PS5 and Xbox Series X could cost a hefty £500 at launch.
Do you plan on bagging one of the new consoles at launch? Let us know in the comments!
