Up close with Microsoft’s 1TB Carbon Black Xbox Series S and Starfield controller & headset [Gallery]

Graphic and material updates make mouth-watering revisions

On Sunday, Microsoft had a hardware announcement! While it wasn’t an Xbox Series X Pro, and it wasn’t a streaming stick (save SOMETHING for gamescom, I guess?), it *was* something that was much-needed. The company finally bumped the Xbox Series S to 1TB, as Game Pass has become incredibly popular (and hey, Starfield is coming up and will probably need A LOT of that space.

The 1TB Xbox Series S is aiming to set itself apart from the peasants by dropping it in an (admittedly sexy) Carbon Black colorway, to match the Series X. Launching on September 1st, the 1TB console gets a bump to $349, which is $50 than the MSRP of the 512GB Series S. That Series S is regularly on sale for less than $250, though, so this is almost like a $100 price jump.

Microsoft also revealed special edition accessories for Starfield: a new Xbox controller and a headset retailing for $79 & $129 respectively. Both of those are available for order now, and will be arriving in the hands of players soon. There’s also a nifty “constellation edition” of Starfield on the way, complete with a functioning watch and case, that’ll run for $299 when it arrives in September.

At the company’s Xbox Fanfest in LA we were able to get up close with the accessories and console and came away mighty impressed. The controller’s graphic execution mimics the HUD and controls of the starship nicely, and the gold D-pad is a really nice touch. But it’s the transparent bumpers that have us excited, because when they vibrate the mechanism behind them is visible. It’s very cool.

The Xbox Series S Carbon Black is a nice extension of the Xbox family, putting it visually in line with the Series X. The darker color feels much more premium than the current white Series S, and its completely matte finish is a nice, modern take (goodbye glossy black forever). The darker color will also let it really hide, too, because couple that with its scale and it is discreet enough to fit on a bookshelf or entertainment center without drawing attention. Unless you want it to, because it’s kinda really nice.

All images in this post are property SideQuesting/Dali Dimovski, taken on June 11, 2023 in Los Angeles.