In a recent interview, Xbox director of program management Jason Ronald confirmed that the Xbox Series S features reduced game install sizes by 30% over its bigger brother, the Xbox Series X. The big reason why the console is able to do this is thanks to the reduced resolution texture packages needed for games running on the Series S.
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With games targeting a lower 1440p resolution instead of 4K, Microsoft expects that studios won’t be shipping the “highest level mipmaps” to the Xbox Series S, which means the overall files sizes will be smaller. Ultimately, the decision will be up to the developers, though Microsoft is making sure that studios have the flexibility and tools necessary to make these decisions.
The lesser file sizes should make Xbox Series S fans happy considering that the console won’t have as big of a hard drive as the Xbox Series X. While the pricier system features a 1TB Custom NVME SSD, the Xbox Series S essentially cuts that in half coming in at 512GB. While it does support expandable storage through specific vendors, the lower space was necessary in order to keep the price and costs of the machine lower.
Next week is shaping up to be a big week for both Microsoft and Xbox fans as the consoles will finally be available for pre-ordering. While Microsoft has warned fans that console supplies will likely be limited, many are hoping that the event goes off a bit smoother than the PlayStation 5, which also just became available to pre-order. While Sony initially indicated a September 17 pre-order date, numerous retail chains opened pre-orders up earlier than expected, selling out incredibly fast, and leaving many fans out in the cold. The chaotic event even led Microsoft to throw a bit of shade at Sony over the pre-order timing confusion.
Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X launch on November 10, 2020.
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Source: IGN
