Quick Summary
Xbox announced three new consoles during its Games Showcase event at the weekend.
There are two new Xbox Series X models, one without a disc-drive, the other with double the storage, and a new Xbox Series S is coming with a 1TB SSD. There’s no sign (nor likelihood) of an Xbox Series X Pro, though.
Those following the last few months of Xbox Series X Pro rumours might be disappointed to learn that Microsoft has no plans to release a mid-generation upgrade to its existing console line-up.
It has instead announced three new Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S variants coming in time for the “holidays” with larger storage space and/or tweaked design. One, in fact, takes something away.
Announced during the Xbox Games Showcase as part of Summer Game Fest, the All-Digital Xbox Series X comes in “Robot White” and has the same 1TB of SSD storage as the original model. However, it ditches the disc drive, with a slight saving on price.
This, it turns out, was the all-digital console many reported as an Xbox Series X Pro a little while ago.
Also joining the lineup are a 1TB version of the Xbox Series S, which almost doubles the SSD capacity to 1TB over the current model, and a 2TB version of the Xbox Series X with a star-spattered design called “Galaxy Black”.
The existing consoles will remain on the market too, making for an impressive range of alternatives depending on customers’ budgets.
As from the forthcoming holiday season, you can get an Xbox then from £249.99 / $299.99 to $599.99 (expected to be £549.99 in the UK).
What you’re unlikely to now get is an Xbox Series X Pro or anything that resembles the circular Xbox “Brooklin” leaked last year.
Speaking during the Games Showcase presentation, Xbox’s president, Sarah Bond, unveiled the trio of new models but also hinted that the company is concentrating on a next-gen machine rather than a mid-gen refresh.
“It’s our mission to make Xbox the best place to play,” she said. “By including the titles from our own studios in Game Pass at launch, by bringing your games into the future with our commitment to game preservation, by pushing the technical boundaries in our future hardware, and empowering you to play your games anywhere you want – on Xbox consoles, PC and cloud.
“This is what defines Xbox today and in the future, and we’re hard at work on the next generation.”
This suggests we’ll have to wait a while for an Xbox Series X follow-up, although better news is that whatever comes next will at least be backward compatible once more.
The ball’s now in PlayStation’s court.
