Microsoft Axes Two Xbox One Consoles As Xbox Series X Launch Approaches
But what about the current family of Xbox One consoles? Well, Microsoft has confirmed that two of its three currently-produced consoles are being discontinued as it ramps production of the Xbox Series X. In this case, the high-end Xbox One X and the entry-level Xbox One S All-Digital Edition are getting the boot.
The $399 Xbox One X was released on November 7th 2017, and is [currently] the most powerful gaming console on the market. The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition was introduced on May 7th, 2019 with a $249 price tag. Interestingly enough, that’s a rather short lifespan for the console, although it was widely criticized from the onset for not being much cheaper than the existing Xbox One S.
The only member of the family that will soldier on with the Xbox Series X launch approaching is the mid-tier Xbox One S ($299). That console was first introduced on August 2nd, 2016.
According to a Microsoft representative, "Gamers can check with their local retailers for more details on Xbox One hardware availability.” With production ending and retailers likely looking to clear inventory to make way for the Xbox Series X, you should keep your eyes peeled for some pretty enticing discounts in the coming weeks and months. While buying a console that is knocking on death’s door probably isn’t ideal for many gamers, there is a vast library of Xbox One games to keep you entertained for years to come if you decide to go that route.
With that being said, the incoming Xbox Series X is powered by an 8-core/16-thread 3.8GHz AMD Zen 2 processor and a 12 TFLOP Radeon RDNA 2 GPU. It will come standard with a 1TB PCIe 3.0 SSD and will have expandable storage via a proprietary 1TB PCIe 3.0-based expansion cards produced by Seagate. Microsoft also recently stated that the Xbox Series X will be compatible with nearly all Xbox One games (or at least the ones that don’t require Kinect hardware).
Microsoft hasn’t announced pricing for the Xbox Series X yet, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it rings in at $499 or higher when it launches later this year.
