The Xbox One S: Here’s What You Need to Know

When Microsoft released the Xbox One S at the E3 convention, they received a lot of cheers from excited gamers around the world.  The console is set to be released next month, and many owners of the current Xbox One are wondering whether they should buy the new console or stick with the original.  Want to know more so you can make an informed decision?  Keep reading.

1. It’s Gorgeous

The Xbox One S is really stunning to look at, and it’s almost as if Microsoft have given the console a Stormtrooper like skin.   Mainly white with a black trim, the new console is also smaller than the original – a whopping 40% smaller to be exact – something that will be good news for many gamers who believe the current console is a bit oversized.  The Xbox One S can also stand vertically – great news for those who are unhappy with the current horizontal box.

2. It Supports 4K and HDR

The Xbox One S has been built to support 4K and HDR, which is great news for those of you who also use your console for watching streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime.  The new console also has a 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray player built into it – and it works out a lot cheaper than buying a 4K Blu-ray player separately.  On top of this, the new console is also available with 2TB of memory.  Most regular gamers ended up buying extra memory from companies like offtek.co.uk to ensure they had enough storage space for all of their games.  Although heavy gamers will probably still need to get an external memory source, their hard drives won’t fill up as fast as they did on the 500 GB model.

3. There’s a New Controller

The Xbox One S comes complete with a slightly revised controller.  Not only is it white, designed to match the console itself, but it also seems to be more durable than the original One controller.  The analogue sticks have been revised to be more hard wearing, and the back of the controller is also fitted out in a grippy material – something that a lot of RP gamers have been asking for for some time.  However, for those who don’t want to upgrade, the Xbox One Elite controller can provide you with the same… for a price.

4. There’s No Kinect Port

Whilst we’re sure this won’t affect most Xbox gamers, the Xbox One S has been designed without a Kinect port.  So, if you’re used to using your Kinect to issue commands to your console, you’ll need to connect it up via the USB port.  The Kinect hasn’t really been a big seller for Microsoft, though, so we’re not that surprised to see them give up on it.

So should you upgrade to the new Xbox One S?  If you’ve not yet upgraded to the One, it’s definitely a good choice.  However, unless you’re a console collector, you may want to wait until the release of Project Scorpio in 2017.