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40,135 commentsXbox One S console available with 500GB, 1TB & 2TB
Xbox One S price comparison from £4.38
Smaller Console and 4K: Xbox One S
Launched in August 2016, the Xbox One S is the successor to Microsoft’s Xbox One. It’s smaller in size, has a slightly improved controller, caters for 4K video output and a few other structural changes have been made as well.
The question for gamers is, does it offer enough improvements and add-ons to make upgrading to the new model worthwhile? And how does the Xbox One S measure up against the competition from other manufacturers?
Xbox One S: Ultimate Gaming and Entertainment System
For those who aren’t familiar with the Xbox range of gaming consoles, they were launched by Microsoft in 2001 as a competitor to Sony’s PlayStation range and consoles from Nintendo, like the GameCube. Since then, the original Xbox has been succeeded by the Xbox 360 in 2005, which was then followed by the Xbox One in 2013. The Xbox One S is the first redesign of the Xbox One since its initial launch.
The Xbox One was a major new departure compared to the Xbox 360. It brought in much more online functionality, the ability to hook-up with HD TVs, greater processing power, 16 times as much memory and a radically improved controller.
So, what about the Xbox One S? The Xbox One S basically features the same hardware architecture as the original Xbox One. However, there are some notable changes:
- It has been radically reduced in size (by a factor of 40%).
- The new model allows 4K video output (for videos, not games).
- The controller has been redesigned, adding extra grips at the back and better Bluetooth compatibility with non-Xbox devices.
- The power brick used to charge the Xbox is not inside the console’s chassis, not external.
- The Xbox One S can be stored vertically, not simply horizontally.
- The new Kinect interface allows for voice recognition as well as motion sensing.
Xbox One S: Next Level Console
Different Versions of the Xbox One S
At the moment, Microsoft have only released a single standalone version of the Xbox One S. The standard package came with 2TB of memory to store your games and other software, but bundles featuring 500GB and 1TB versions have now also hit the market.
Bundles currently available include:
- Standard 2TB White Xbox One S bundles that come with a controller and 4K Blu-ray output
- 500GB, 1TB and 2TB bundles featuring major titles like Battlefield 1, FIFA 17 and Gears of War 4 that come in blue, white, black and red varieties.
- A special edition Minecraft Favourites bundle featuring the Minecraft Xbox One Favourites pack, the Windows 10 version of Minecraft, the Builders Pack and a standard 500GB Xbox One S system.
Main Specifications of the Xbox One S
The major specs of the Xbox One S are as follows:
- 500GB, 1TB and 500GB storage options
- 1.75 Ghz eight-core AMD CPU
- 1.23 TFLOPS Radeon graphics card and increased GPU speed from 853 Mhz to 914 Mhz
- 8GB DDR RAM
- HDR (high dynamic range) graphics capability, offering richer colours and sharper contrast
- 4K video output and the ability to upscale 1080 hp games to 4K level graphics
- UHD Blu-ray capabilities
- 40% smaller than the original Xbox One
- Features an IR Blaster to activate other devices in the home
- Fully backwards compatible with Xbox One games and most Xbox 360 games
Should You Buy an Xbox One S?
The Xbox One S is an impressively streamlined, powerful piece of kit, but many people will still doubt the need for an update to their existing Xbox One. From a gaming perspective, you can see their point.
The Xbox One S doesn’t feature noticeably improved graphical or processing performance over its predecessor.
However, bear in mind that the Xbox One S has been built with the future in mind. The inclusion of 4K functionality and HDR graphics points towards a new generation of gaming titles that have more advanced visuals and make more demands on the video processing abilities of consoles. When these new titles emerge, the Xbox One S will be in prime position.
High Dynamic Range on the Xbox One S
Until then, there are some other good reasons to upgrade in any case. For example, there’s the compact size of the Xbox One S. Consoles like the Xbox 360 or Xbox One have historically been fairly bulky, but the Xbox One S has made a real breakthrough in this regard. Weighing just 2.9kg, it is much lighter to move around than the Xbox One (at over 3.5kg) and beats the 3.3kg PS4 Pro as well.
The 4K UHD Blu-ray functionality is another massive plus. If you are a TV or movie junkie and really value the clarity and crispness of 4K video, no other gaming console offers this. What’s more, the Xbox One S is much cheaper than the leading dedicated UHD Blu-ray players on the market, so in that sense it’s worth buying just for the Blu-ray capabilities alone.
The Xbox One S is also the right product for people who haven’t purchased an Xbox One in the past. The price level is competitive with new Xbox One bundles, the new machine features vastly improved graphics potential, it’s smaller and the controller is better.
All of this means that most new Xbox users are better off opting for the Xbox One S. However, there may be exceptions. For instance, if all you want is a machine to play FIFA 17 and have no interest in 4K video, you can pick up original Xbox Ones at much cheaper prices than the Xbox One S.
The Xbox One S Kinect
One of the most attractive aspects of the Xbox range is the collection of accessories that Microsoft have produced and continue to update.
The most important Xbox One S accessory is probably the Microsoft Kinect sensor, which doesn’t come packaged with the console and needs to be purchased separately. Buyers can’t plug their existing Xbox One Kinect devices into their new console either, as Microsoft have removed the Kinect port, replacing it with a USB-based Kinect adapter.
Existing Xbox One users don’t have to buy a new Kinect though (at least not for a while). Microsoft are enabling upgraders to apply for a free Kinect with adapter, although new users will have to buy their own.
Is it worth seeking out a new Kinect adapter for the Xbox One S? It all depends on your personal gaming tastes. The Kinect is a motion sensing device, and has been used in a number of popular Xbox titles, including Just Dance, Xbox Fitness, and Disney Fantasia. Those titles are heavily slanted towards kids and fitness fanatics, so if you fit into those categories, a Kinect might be worthwhile.
Kinect also makes it easier to link your console up to other devices like HD TVs. If you want to make the most of the 4K Blu-ray capabilities of your Xbox One S, it makes sense to invest in a Kinect.
Other Accessories for the Xbox One S
If you haven’t yet been persuaded that it’s the right time to upgrade from the Xbox One, or you are choosing between the Xbox One S and the PS4 Pro, the range of other accessories could be a major factor.
The next generation wireless controller is a step forward from older Xbox One handsets. The Bluetooth hook up allows you to use the controller with Windows 10 PCs and it also works with 3.5mm stereo headsets. Then again, the controller also works perfectly well with original Xbox One consoles, so it’s not a specific selling point for the Xbox One S.
Other accessories that can be used with the Xbox One S include media remotes, external Seagatehard drives that add up to 4TB of capacity and a handy vertical stand made for the Xbox One S. Whether these add-ons make the console more appealing than Sony’s PS4 Pro or other PS4s is up to you.
How Does the Xbox One S Compare With Other Consoles Like the PS4 Pro?
For many gamers, this is the really important question. The original Xbox One has been a massive success, with millions of worldwide sales. However, the console is three years old now, and the new version hasn’t made any revolutionary technical advances. Does it still measure up to competitors like the PS4?
The most relevant comparison for those seeking a cutting-edge console is between the Xbox One S and Sony’s PS4 Pro (which was also released in 2016).
While the Xbox One S has retained the fundamental technical features of its predecessor, the PS4 Pro has improved its graphics performance significantly. The new PS4 graphics card delivers 4 TFLOPS, while the Xbox One S manages 1.4 TFLOPs.
For gamers, this means that Sony’s console may deliver higher resolution gaming experiences at a faster speed. However, this is counterbalanced by Microsoft’s decision to include Ultra HD Blu-ray video output. This means that you can use your Xbox to play Ultra HD films, something that the PS4 cannot do.
The Xbox One S also has a size advantage. Measuring just 22.9 x 29.2 x 6.35cm, it’s much smaller than the new PS4, which itself has been reduced in size. So, if you take your console on the road or don’t have much room at home to play with, Microsoft’s offering could be ideal. On the other hand, the PS4 Slim is even smaller and lighter. If space is absolutely crucial, it could be your best bet.
Storage could be important as well. The Xbox One S offers more basic disk space than the PS4 Pro, with 2TB out of the box. This will make it easier to store ever-expanding game libraries, saved games, videos and movies. However, the PS4 Pro allows users to use removable disks, essentially providing unlimited storage space (at a price).
Another useful comparison is between the Xbox One S and Nintendo’s Wii U, particularly if the system is going to be used by children.
The Wii U can’t compete on first person shooters or driving sims, but it has some fantastic interactive kids’ titles like Splatoon and Mario Tennis. However, the Wii U is a year older than the original Xbox One and Nintendo are planning an update, so it’s lifespan may be limited.
If you want a child-friendly console with staying power, an Xbox One S with an updated Kinect interface is a good way to go and you can expect plenty of kids’ titles in the future. But if you want a console with a wide selection of games right now, you can pick up Wii U bundles at a fraction of the cost of an Xbox One S.
Microsoft’s support services are another thing that buyers need to factor in whether they are weighing up a Wii U or a PS4 Pro. Microsoft offer plenty of ways to interact with their support teams, including their Twitter feed and the support boards at xbox.com. Their Twitter team is known for their prompt responses, so if you have teething problems, they should be able to sort them out.
Finally, price is a factor. One of Microsoft’s aims in releasing the Xbox One S was to outflank Sony on price. For a newly released system, the Xbox One S has a very low price tag, and remains cheaper than the PS4 Pro (though this difference is likely to narrow).
Things to Think About Before Buying an Xbox One S
At this stage, it’s worth recapping a few pros and cons of the Xbox One S before you take the plunge.
On the plus side, the Xbox One S is beautifully compact and streamlined. It offers 4K Blu-ray output to HD TVs, with the promise of 4K gaming when new titles arrive. The new controller offers better grip, while the Blu-ray drive is much cheaper than most dedicated players on the market. The Xbox One S can also be stored horizontally or vertically.
On the minus side, the Xbox One S doesn’t offer greatly improved graphical performance over its bigger brother and its processing power is roughly the same, while the Sony PS4 Pro boasts more graphical speed. Existing Xbox One users will need to order a new Kinect as well.
If you love high resolution movies or TV, the Xbox One S is ideal. If you are a casual gamer who loves film and TV, it’s even better. But if you are a serious gamer, the Xbox One S offers nothing new, until genuine 4K games arrive and the cost of upgrading might not be worthwhile.
What About Project Scorpio?
Before you make your Xbox One S purchase, there’s another very important thing to remember. If you are a serious gamer and you always need to be on the cutting edge of the console scene, you may want to hang back – Project Scorpio is on its way.
Microsoft announced the imminent arrival of Project Scorpio at E3 2016, and made waves by claiming that it would be the most powerful games console ever. Most importantly, this next generation machine will offer advanced VR functionality, which could be the next big thing in console gaming.
To deliver a VR gaming experience, the machine will be around six times as powerful as the Xbox One and Xbox One S – a huge improvement.
Then again, there are good reasons to predict that the Xbox One S will remain well catered for by developers long into the future. Most importantly, VR gaming doesn’t come cheap. Microsoft have no plans to develop and sell their own VR headset, and Project Scorpio owners will have to buy their own from manufacturers like Oculus Rift.
The price point of the Project Scorpio itself will almost certainly be double that of the Xbox One S. This makes the new Xbox the perfect choice for gamers who want a step forwards on their old systems, but aren’t bothered about plunging into the world of VR gaming.
The Best Xbox One S Deals
If you want to search through all the Xbox One S bundles and add accessories, heading to Microsoft’s Store website is a good place to make your purchase. Not only will it provide information about the specs of different bundles, you can also ask questions in the customer support forum to help make the right purchase.
However, there are plenty of online and high street retailers in the UK with competitively prices Xbox One S bundles, and they will almost certainly offer better deals than Microsoft’s own retail site.
This is particularly the case at certain times of the year. Black Friday and Cyber Monday kick start the festive sales season and are a great time to pick up Xbox One S bargains. Check out the retail sites of merchants like Tesco, GAME, Very, John Lewis, Zavvi or Argos for seasonal deals that should cut big percentages from the listed price at Microsoft.
These sales last until well into the New Year, with bigger reductions after Christmas, so if you miss out on a particular Black Friday deal, you might still make savings in the January Sale.
Aside from the festive season, new product rollouts are often a good time to pick up a cheap Xbox One S or a game. For example, the release of the Xbox One S in 2016 has seen price reductions on older Xbox One bundles, and if Project Scorpio is released according to plan (in mid-2017), the price of the Xbox One S should fall too.
Best Prices on Xbox One S at HotUKDeals
Whatever time of year you plan to make a games console purchase, all the latest deals on Xbox One S packages are collected at HotUKDeals. It’s the easiest way to buy a Xbox One cheap and stay informed about all of the leading gaming consoles.