The Xbox One S is official. All those Xbox One leaks have been confirmed, and the Xbox One S comes equipped with plenty of quality-of-life upgrades, including new HDMI ports to support 4K streaming and media. The most obvious features are the vertical stand (bundled with all new Xbox One S consoles), the streamlined Xbox One controller, and the white colorway that better matches the original Xbox 360. That’s just scratching the surface — we’ve scrounged together all the confirmed information fit-to-print and collected it in one location for you to peruse..
Scroll down to learn how the Xbox One S is different than the original Xbox One — what’s new, what’s different, how the hardware compares, how much it’ll cost, and the release date. The Xbox One starts at 299$, and you can preorder it right now. Hopefully we can make your purchasing decision just a little bit easier.
[UPDATED 7/18: Xbox One S Launch Edition August 2nd release date revealed.]
Xbox One S vs. Xbox One
The Xbox One S is the Slim version of the original Xbox One. The Xbox One S is also the smallest Xbox yet, taking up even less room in your media cabinet than the Xbox 360 (S). That isn’t the only feature, the new Xbox One S comes with other hardware upgrades and features not available on the original Xbox One. Here’s a quick overview of everything new.
Xbox One S Hardware – What’s New? What’s Changed?
The Xbox One S, officially announced on June 13th during Microsoft’s E3 Press Conference,
- 40% smaller than the original Xbox One.
- Supports 4K Streaming Services (Netflix & Amazon Streaming)
- Supports 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray media.
- HDR Sets for wider color range
Gears of War 4 is set to be the first game released to take advantage of the added HDR Sets. Don’t worry, you won’t need HDR Sets or the Xbox One S to play Xbox One games. Other than the hardware changes listed above, there are no other changes to the system. The Xbox One supports 4K media, but does not support 4K game resolution, so all the other internal systems aren’t getting an upgrade.
There’s plenty more that’s changed. The Xbox One S has been streamlined in other important ways in comparison to the Xbox One.
- Integrated Power Supply (No more heavy power supply brick.)
- Can be used vertically (Vertical Console Stand Included with all bundles.)
- Can be purchased with a new 2TB HD.
- Front USB Ports
- Removed Kinect Port (Kinect can now use a new USB adaptor.)
- White Color Redesign
The Xbox One S also includes a streamlined and redesigned controller. Here are some of the new features:
- Improved Connectivity Range
- Bluetooth
- Textured Grips
- Comes included with all three new Xbox One S bundles.
Those are all the improvements and changes released so far. Here’s how much you can expect to pay, and when the new console drops into retail.
Xbox One vs. Xbox One S – 4K Output
The original Xbox One is capable of 4K output, but was severely hindered by its HDMI port. The new redesigned Xbox One S adds proper 4K support thanks to an upgraded HDMI 2.0a port.
- The original Xbox One included the HDMI 1.4a port
- The Xbox One was only capable of 4K output at 30Hz
- The Xbox One S includes the HDMI 2.0a port
- The Xbox One S is capable of 4k out at 60Hz
Xbox One vs. Xbox One S – Performance
Everything under the hood is unchanged, and there will be NO PERFORMANCE DIFFERENCE between the two console versions. Both versions of the Xbox One can play the same games and feature the same graphics performance, framerate, and resolutions.
The Xbox One S is a purely optional upgrade if you already own an Xbox One console and is not required for future games.
Xbox One S – Price
The Xbox One S comes in three bundles; 500 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB versions.
- Xbox One S (500 GB Bundle) – $299
- Xbox One S (1TB Bundle) – $349
- Xbox One S (2TB Bundle) – $399
All versions of the Xbox One S come bundled with:
- (1) New Steamlined Controller
- (1) Vertical Stand
- (1) Power Cord
- (1) HDMI
Xbox One S – Release Date
The Xbox One S will be available at retail on August 2nd, 2016. Additionally, the Xbox One S is available for preorder on Amazon right now.
The original Xbox One released on November 22, 2013. It’s been three years, and the bulky box finally has an upgrade under it’s belt. Are you interested in pre-ordering? Waiting to purchase? Or looking for the next price-drop? Let us know in the comments!
