Microsoft has fired the first major shots in the 2020 Console Wars. Yesterday, the gaming company confirmed leaks and rumors about the Xbox Series S along with our first look at the next-gen console, touted as "the smallest Xbox ever." Today, we get confirmation of the price point of the Xbox Series X, the bigger, beefier, and better-performing version of the console, along with its release date, pre-order date, launch titles, and more!

Here's the info in brief, as provided by Microsoft's own Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox:

  • Xbox Series X ($499) and Xbox Series S ($299) launch globally November 10th; pre-orders start September 22nd
  • Xbox All Access expands to 12 countries (more coming online in 2021), offering a next-gen Xbox (more on that in a bit) and 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate starting at $24.99 a month, with no upfront costs
  • EA Play Comes to Xbox Game Pass at no additional cost
  • Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Watch Dogs: Legion and Gears Tactics will be just two of your launch-day titles; ACV can be upgraded from Xbox One to Xbox Series X at no additional cost

We'll break down more info below, but feel free to check out the following reveals:

Additionally, more specs and details about the Xbox Series S were revealed today, such as the fact that the smaller, cheaper console will be digital-only, similar to Sony's PS5 alternate version. More on the Xbox Series S can be found here.

As for launch titles:

 

And here's more on how Xbox All Access / Game Pass will also act as a financing option:

Xbox All Access is touted as "the easiest way to get the best of Xbox." A financing plan in disguise, "Xbox All Access provides an Xbox Series X, or Series S, along with 24 months of the full Xbox Game Pass Ultimate experience" with no upfront costs. Here's what you get access to, according to Microsoft's own write-up:

  • The next-generation Xbox console of your choice
  • Over 100 high-quality games to play on console, including next-gen Optimized games
  • Over 100 high-quality games to play on PC
  • An EA Play membership to play more than 60 of EA’s biggest and best console and PC games
  • And over 100 games to play from the cloud

It's clear they really want folks to sign up for this service. It's a good amount of content packaged with a financing option so you don't have to outright buy a brand-new console upfront, similar to today's mobile phone / tablet purchasing plans. "Xbox Series S will be available starting from $24.99 a month for 24 months and Xbox Series X will be available starting from $34.99 a month for 24 months." With this plan, and factoring in the $15 / month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate option (with the first month being only $1), you'll save about $50 over two years if you go for the S console, versus buying it outright and subscribing to the Ultimate Game Pass anyway. The "savings" dry up when it comes to the Xbox Series X, so you just have to ask yourself if you'd rather buy it upfront and hope for the best or lock yourself into a two-year payment plan, something you don't need to do if you own the console outright and subscribe to a monthly Game Pass plan. Your choice!

But wait, there's more!

Microsoft is "teaming up with Electronic Arts to provide Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC members with an EA Play membership at no additional cost starting this holiday." Here's what that means:

  • Ultimate members can enjoy EA Play on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Windows 10 PCs; Xbox Game Pass for PC members get EA Play on Windows 10
  • Ultimate and PC members will be able to play more than 60 of EA's PC and console titles like FIFA 20, Titanfall 2 and Need for Speed Heat, and franchise installments from Battlefield, Mass Effect, Skate, and The Sims, in addition to the 100+ games already in the library
  • Some of the best EA Play games will also be available for Ultimate members to play on Android devices from the cloud at no additional cost

Game Pass for PC and the Xbox App will become generally available on September 17th.

Your move, Sony.