You can still snag an Xbox Series X / S before Microsoft’s price hike fully takes effect

1 month ago 18

Sheena Vasani writes about tech news, reviews gadgets, and helps readers save money by highlighting deals and product recommendations for The Verge.

Microsoft increased the price of Xbox Series consoles by up to $100 earlier this week, but thankfully, not all retailers have raised the price (yet). Dell, for instance, is still offering the digital-only Xbox Series X (1TB) for $449.99, saving you $100 on the new MSRP. The smaller, 512GB Xbox Series S is also available at Walmart for just $273.99 ($106 off), while the 1TB model is going for $347 ($83 off) at Walmart.

In case you need a refresher, the Series X is more powerful and capable than the smaller Xbox Series S. The Series X offers support for native 4K resolution, for example, while the smaller Series S is primarily designed for 1440p gaming. Microsoft’s higher-end console also offers 1TB of storage, double the base Series S, along with faster performance thanks to an expanded 12 teraflops of GPU performance.

Both the disc-less Xbox Series X and Series S lack an optical drive, meaning they’re limited to playing digital titles. That being said, they can play all of the same titles, including those offered through Xbox Game Pass — including newer RPGs like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, along with former exclusives such as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

$274

The Xbox Series S is smaller than the 4K-capable Xbox Series X, but it can still play the same digital games — albeit topping out at 2560 x 1440 QHD resolution.

$450

The Xbox Series X is Microsoft’s flagship console, serving as its most powerful (and biggest) option focused on fast, 4K gameplay. The Xbox Series X Digital model lacks a disc drive, limiting you to digital games.