Microsoft Releases 1TB Xbox Series S, Just in Time for Starfield

Microsoft's newest Xbox model gives entry level gamers extra storage space for only $50 more

Starfield is this week's biggest game. But it isn’t Microsoft's only noteworthy release this week. A brand new Xbox Series S with expanded storage hit store shelves Sept. 1, right in time for the early access release of Bethesda Game Studios' Xbox exclusive space epic.

The 1TB version of the digital-only Xbox sports a new, all-black finish and doubles the storage of the baseline model. The new Series S retails for $350, whereas the older, all-white model sells for $300.

The Series S serves as a more budget friendly entry point for gamers on the fence about upgrading their last gen consoles. While the Series S isn’t as powerful as the PlayStation 5 or its sister console, the Xbox Series X, the surprisingly small console nets gamers many of the advantages that come with the current slate of gaming machines. In addition to having the same library of games as the Xbox Series X, it offers Quick Resume, which lets players switch between games and apps like they would on a smartphone, as well as drastically faster load times and improved performance capabilities over the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

It can't measure up to the Series X on performance, at least on current gen titles, but optimization can go a long way to giving Series S players a stable experience. Current gen exclusive Starfield, as noted by Eurogamer’s Digital Foundry, runs tremendously well on the Series S.

The Series S is also the cheapest way to jump into Microsoft’s subscription service Xbox Game Pass, which includes dozens of older games, as well as brand new ones like the aforementioned Starfield.

The Series S does come with a few concessions. While it can run all the games that are too graphically intense for older machines like the Xbox One and PS4, it sacrifices 4K output to do so, opting for resolutions that range between 1080p and 1440p. 4K is instead saved for video content and older titles.

There is also no option to play from a disc. The extra storage space on the new Series S helps mitigate this, but even with 1TB of capacity, players who don’t want to spend time constantly managing their storage will likely still need an expansion card.