Get Your Wallets Ready: Xbox Series X and Series S Pre-Orders Are Open (Well, Sort Of)

Xbox Series X | $499 | Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, GameStop, Microsoft, Target 
Xbox Series S | $399 | Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, GameStop, Microsoft, Target

With “leaks” abound regarding Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S pricing, Microsoft went ahead and started confirming details on a random Labor Day night, and now the cat has fully emerged from the cozy little Xbox-shaped bag it was hiding in.

We now know that you’ll have to scrounge up at least $300 to join the next generation of Xbox with the 1440p-donning Series S. The Xbox Series X, meanwhile, is confirmed to weigh in at $500. If these figures mesh with your spirit, you’re probably wondering where you can secure a day one purchase.

Where to Pre-Order Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S

Hoping to get your order in today? The floodgates open at all major retailers (listed below) at 8AM Pacific, or 11AM Eastern. A successful purchase will hopefully secure your spot for a console to hit your doorstep on the United States’ November 10, 2020 street date.

Xbox Series X

Xbox Series S

How Much Will the Xbox Series X and Series S Cost?

Microsoft has confirmed you can get a next-generation Xbox starting at just $300. That’s the cost for the Series S, which incidentally mimics a mini subwoofer. You’ll get the same games and equivalent GPU features for graphical fidelity and gaming performance, but this one is only ideal if you aren’t ready to graduate to 4K.

Those looking for the best possible experience will want the Xbox Series X, and Microsoft has confirmed it’ll start at $500. This is the same sticker price the Xbox One and Xbox One X had at launch, which is just fantastic considering how much of a performance bump you’re getting.

Both consoles will be available via Microsoft’s Xbox All Access program, which hooks you up with hardware and Game Pass for one low monthly cost. If you’re gunning for the Series S, that’s $25 per month, and Series X buyers can opt for a $35 monthly charge, both over 24 months. That works out to $600 and $860 respectively in the long run, which is actually about $20 cheaper than rounding this all up at full retail. Oh, and Game Pass also now includes EA Play, which makes this deal even better.

Xbox Series X vs Xbox Series S

As mentioned before, the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S mostly differ at maximum resolution—the former will support 4K (2160p), while the latter targets 1440p at a maximum 120 frames per second for gaming.

You’ll still get 4K upscaling for games on the Xbox Series S, though, including support for DirectX raytracing, variable refresh rate, and it can stream video in full 4K in supported media apps.

But there are other differences, such as the fact that the Xbox Series S won’t have a disc drive and its SSD tops out at 512GB as opposed to 1TB on the beefier Series X.

We’ll need to wait for more hard info to see just how much graphical and performance parity we’re talking about between the two, but it sounds like the Series S should provide a fully competitive next-gen gaming experience at an approachable price point.

Xbox Series X/S Accessories

It’s almost as hard to find Xbox Series X accessories right now as the console itself. Thankfully, most first-party Xbox One accessories will work just fine on the next gen models, including the $179 Xbox Elite Controller Series 2. You can also grab an ordinary wireless controller if you’re not interested in spending triple digits.

You’ll also find that many of the latest headsets will work with the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S out of the box, like the Astro A50 Wireless Gen 4 or Turtle Beach’s Elite Pro 2. Feel free to stock up on these things as you need ahead of the consoles’ arrival.

What About the Games?

Microsoft’s aim with the latest console gaming generation is to maintain as much cross-platform functionality as possible. This means most games launching within the first year of the Series X’s debut will also be playable on Xbox One. The kicker? Many of those games will automatically look and play better when and if you decide to upgrade to a more powerful console. Those are called Smart Delivery games, and just for you, we’ve already highlighted all eligible titles you can pre-order or buy today.

Choice titles include Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and Halo Infinite. Microsoft also dropped a bombshell announcement that it acquired Zenimax Studios, the umbrella covering studios like Bethesda, Arkane, and more. With the news, Microsoft announced that new games, hopefully including Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield, will launch on Xbox Game Pass day one.

This deal was originally published in September 2020 and updated with new information on 9/22/2020.