The holiday shopping season is basically here, and Microsoft is preparing for it with a new bundle for the Xbox Series S. The “Xbox Starter Bundle” comes packaged with a 512GB Xbox Series S console, as well as three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. The bundle will be priced at $299, which translates to a value of about $50. That’s not a bad savings, and the three months of service will give new Xbox owners access to all of the system’s biggest exclusives. All in all, it’s a pretty great way for newcomers to experience what Xbox has to offer!ย
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
A subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate gives users access to all of Microsoft’s first-party releases, including titles like Starfield, Hi-Fi Rush, and Forza Motorsport. The smallest subscription tier, Game Pass Core, is required for online play, and that’s included with Ultimate, as well. Users also get access to EA Play, which greatly increases the number of games available to subscribers. Last but not least, Game Pass users are often given access to free perks; for example, this month, Texas Chainsaw is being offered as a free movie download. Since The Texas Chain Saw Massacre video game is available on Game Pass, subscribers can get a chance to see the movie and play one of the films in the series.ย
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Xbox Series S vs. Xbox Series X
The Xbox Series S launched in 2020 alongside the Xbox Series X console. Priced at $499, the Xbox Series X is slightly more powerful than the Series S, and it features a disc drive, which means it can play both digital and physical games. By contrast, Xbox Series S users are limited to purchasing games through the Microsoft Store, or playing them through Game Pass. As a rule, Microsoft has stated that all games that release on Xbox Series X must also release on Xbox Series S, so any game that is offered at retailers can be purchased digitally on the Xbox Series S, as well. That has led to some frustrations for developers, but it also makes the Series Sย appealing for anyone looking for a cheap way to play some of the year’s biggest games, including titles like Resident Evil 4, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and Assassin’s Creed Mirage (note that none of these games are currently on Game Pass, however).ย
Two models of the Xbox Series S are currently available. Besides the 512GB version offered in the Xbox Starter Bundle, Xbox released a 1TB Carbon Black model back in September. That version of the system is priced at $349 and the extra $50 gets users a significant amount of extra space. However, at this time, Microsoft has not announced a Carbon Black bundle that includes the three free months of Xbox Game Pass.ย
What do you think of this Xbox Starter Bundle? Do you plan on getting an Xbox system this holoiday season? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter atย @Marcdachampย or on Instagram atย @Dachampgaming!
