If you’re looking to buy Xbox Series S you’ll likely have an easier time of it than those looking for stock on the fully fledged console. We’ve seen more Xbox Series S restocks hitting the shelves than ever over the last few weeks, with retailers across the US and UK offering more inventory that seems to stay on the shelves for a significant amount of time.
Update: Microsoft UK currently has stock of the Xbox Series S so move quickly to grab this cheap console.
Best Buy and Microsoft have been ruling the roost in the US, but we’d keep a close eye on Very and Amazon in the UK. Plus, Microsoft UK has also just released a new wave of stock as well, so it’s all to play for.
We’re rounding up everything you need to know about where to buy Xbox Series S right here, as well as going into more detail on exactly what you get for your cash in terms of specs and features. Keeping checking the retailers below for the latest updates on their Xbox Series S restocks.
Find the latest information on where to buy Xbox Series X.
Where to buy Xbox Series S – quick links
US:
UK:
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.
Where to buy Xbox Series S in the US
Best Buy
We’ve seen Best Buy offering the chance to buy Xbox Series S a handful of times since launch, so keep checking in. Other retailers like Microsoft have had the console on the shelves a little more regularly, however.
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Microsoft
If you want to buy Xbox Series S through the All Access scheme, Microsoft is your best bet. You can pick up the console through a $24.99 per month payment plan, or pay outright straight away. Stock held a little stronger here last time as well.
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Amazon
Amazon had a good supply of Xbox Series S consoles up for grabs in the pre-order phase, so your chances of buying the cheaper console here are pretty strong. You’ll still want to be fast, though, as there’s no telling how things will run.
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Newegg
If you’re looking to buy Xbox Series S at Newegg, you’ll want to be quick as the previous rounds of pre-orders sold out much quicker here than they did at other retailers.
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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 Xbox Series S 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.
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Xbox Series S pre-orders in the UK
Very
Very is the most recent retailer to offer Xbox Series S stock in the UK, offering up bundles and standalone units in January 2021. Keep your eyes peeled here, then, because those bundles tend to outlast other retailers’ restocks.
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Currys
Currys has had a few waves of Xbox Series S stock over the last few weeks, but have been fairly silent since then. Keep checking in, though, as we’re seeing console hold their positions on the shelves a little easier now.
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Amazon
Amazon has also had a spattering of Xbox Series S restocks in the last couple of months, though these have all sold out fairly quickly. You’ll need to be fast to order here when more units to arrive.
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Microsoft
Microsoft launched its own Xbox Series S stock ahead of release day, giving those with eagle eyes the opportunity to buy Xbox Series S ahead of November 10. While stock does remain out at the moment, we’d keep checking in as we were seeing units flashing in and out all the time.
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AO
The option to buy Xbox Series S from AO has now disappeared, but don’t fret it’s likely to come back with more stock. Not only that but, like Very and Game, AO does also offer higher value bundles. You’re not saving any cash, but it’s a way of securing a console alongside other peripherals that carry a higher price tag.
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- Not sold on Xbox Series S? Here’s everything you get for the PS5 price
Xbox Series S release date
The Xbox Series S launched alongside the main Series X console on November 10, 2020.
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Xbox Series S price
The Xbox Series S price sits at $299.99 / £249.99 / AU$499, which was a little lower than many expected, though with a significantly shorter spec sheet than the Series X, it does fall in line with the larger console.
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 is a tempting proposition for those looking to experience next-gen games without breaking the bank, then.
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.