Following its leak and subsequent confirmation, Microsoft has announced the release date for the Xbox One S. All pre-orders will be arriving on August 2nd in select regions.
The 2TB system will cost $399, whereas 1TB and 500GB versions will be $349 and $299. The Console will come bundled with an improved Xbox Wireless Controller, which features improved wireless signal, a textured grip, and added Bluetooth support.
Xbox One S Features
The console itself has a new design which makes it forty percent smaller than previous iterations. Its white case houses a built-in power supply, shifted USB ports, and a newly added IR blaster.
More importantly, the device will support Blu-ray disks and can stream films and video at 4K Ultra HD with HDR support. The HDR support will extend to some upcoming games, including Gears of War 4, Forza 3 and Scalebound. 4K gaming support will not be available until the release of Xbox Scorpio, however.
Xbox One S vs Project Scorpio
Some have criticized Microsoft's release of the Xbox One S, believing it is unnecessary when Scorpio is clearly a superior console. Mike Ybarra, director of program management, had this to say about the remarks:
“With Xbox One S, at $299, you're getting 4K Blu-ray, a 4K upscaler for games and video, it's 40% smaller than Xbox One, and has the power supply built in. I think people are going to be blown away when they see HDR games and video, frankly. It's a pretty big difference.”
The merit of the console for many will depend on their budget. Though no official price exists for Scorpio, it will likely cost significantly more than both the Xbox One S and the original Xbox One.
With six teraflops of graphical performance, 4K and VR support, it will become a more premium console, while the S will sit in the mid-range market. With only a small price hike over the original, those who haven't yet purchased an Xbox will probably prefer the slimmer, 4K console.
The Xbox One S can be pre-ordered now from the Microsoft Store.