If you’re looking for where to buy Xbox Series S you’re not alone. The cheaper Microsoft console has been out in the wild for just over a month now, however stock has been incredibly difficult to find. However, we are seeing more frequent Xbox Series S restocks than we are the Xbox Series X or PS5 – in both the US and UK. That means there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to buy Xbox Series S before the Christmas deadline.
The Series X costs an extra $200 / £200, so the super affordable Series S is uniquely positioned to appeal to a wide range of shoppers. So far, it’s been slightly easier to buy Xbox Series S, with stock levels lasting a little longer overall in both the US and UK – but we still wouldn’t wait too long, these have been flying off the shelves.
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, features, and the release date. You’ll find quick links to retailers offering early orders just below, with more information on previous stock levels further down the page.
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
Best Buy held its own in Xbox Series S pre-orders all those weeks ago, but its site struggled to keep up with demand. Once stock drops, then, we’d recommend you keep trying here as competition is going to be high.
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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
Currys
Currys is the most recent retailer to offer stock of the Xbox Series S, though there’s still no word on the more expensive model yet.
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Very
Very was one of the first retailers to offer the Xbox Series S. What’s more you might be more likely to pick up a higher value order here, as Very reserves stock to be sold alongside more expensive peripherals. If you’re willing to go all out on your next console purchase, then, you might have some luck here. As of November 17, we’ve seen the console come back into stock.View Deal
Amazon
Amazon is likely to have a good supply of Xbox Series S stock when it does eventually open its doors. Competition is going to be high though so we wouldn’t sleep in for this one.
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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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John Lewis
The Xbox Series S was difficult to find on John Lewis during the pre-order window, but the retailer was named by Microsoft so units are on their way. Not only that, but you might even be able to take advantage of John Lewis’s excellent warranty guarantee scheme here as well.
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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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GAME
Game went live with its next-gen console pre-orders a little earlier than planned, which made for an exciting midnight but let those who missed out down. We might see a similar thing happening this time around, so you’ll want to be quick here.
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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.
Xbox Series S price
Microsoft has quashed the endless speculation over the Xbox Series S price, revealing that the console will retail for $299.99 / £249.99 / AU$499 via its official Twitter account. This falls in line with the Xbox Series S being a lower-cost alternative to the Xbox Series X.
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 will be 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.
Xbox Series S: $299 at Microsoft
The Xbox Series S is now in stock at Microsoft – but move quickly because these units won’t last long. Keep refreshing the page if you do come up short though, there might be more consoles waiting in the wings.
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