I felt like I needed to write this article to share my thoughts about the newly announced Xbox Series S (Digital Edition) aka “Lockhart”.
The Xbox Series S is one of the next generation consoles that are coming out later this year (end of 2020). This console does not have a disk drive, and requires you to download all your games (or copy them over from a friend at the very least. PS: You’ll need to own the game digitally for this to work).
Who is this console for?
I feel that this console is great for the casual gamer that has fast enough internet (fibre) to download games digitally. Most of my games on my Xbox One X are digital, thanks to Game Pass and the great digital deals you get on the store.
This console may be for you if:
- You own an older Xbox (It’s only a slight upgrade in some areas over the Xbox One X)
- You have reliable, unlimited fast internet (10mbps+) – Downloads are going to be 100GB+ I think.
- You not too concerned about playing games in full “real” 4K/8K graphics. It says that it can run 1440p (half 4k) at 120FPS which is still really good for most gamers.
- Budget conscious for a new console and/or want a Netflix style subscription for games (Game Pass)
How much does it cost?
The Xbox Series S recommended retail price (RRP) is set at around R6,999 (ZAR) which has divided the Xbox fans into two halves: Those that are surprised that the next gen console isn’t breaking the bank so much, and those that are surprised it’s way more than the $299 US based price.
Guess there is one thing in common, the Xbox community is surprised. I was expecting the digital edition to be more (before the $299 price announcement) but understanding that there are a few factors that play into the RRP in South Africa it’s a fair price point in my opinion.
I mean, I do wish it was only R5,000 here but I never expected that to be the case. All tech items in the US are a lot cheaper than here in South Africa. Hopefully there will be some deals when the non-digital next gen consoles release to lower that price point closer to the R5,000 ($299 USD) mark.
When is it releasing?
The Xbox Series S release date seems to be the 10 November 2020 according to IGN Africa.
Things to keep in mind.
Here’s some points that I noticed when researching the Xbox Series S and seeing the social media comments:
- This doesn’t play native 4k. It plays 1440P up to 120FPS and upscaled 4k (which isn’t the end of the world).
- The Xbox exclusives have been disappointing, more will come.
- No disc drive, and no mention of an add-on via USB either (maybe one day?).
- Console is ‘smallest Xbox’ yet.
- Supports Xbox One games (backwards compatible)
- It does have Ray Tracing! (Fancy graphics).
I’m probably not going to get this Xbox unless there is a great deal on it around Black Friday/Christmas as it’s only a slight bump up from the Xbox One X and since there’s no ‘pressing’ Xbox Series exclusives, I think it’s okay to wait a little.
For a full report or article, check out this one by IGN Africa.
Photo by Pedro Barros on Unsplash
