After leaking just before E3 started there has been official confirmation and announcement of the sleeker, slimmer, sharper Xbox One S – Dubbed the most advanced Xbox ever.
The image that surfaced over the weekend on the NeoGAF forums was indeed to be believed and Microsoft has now launched the Xbox One S to the ravenous masses at E3 with a $299 price tag and an August 2016 release date – which isn’t that far off at all.
Also confirmed were the dimensions and specs of this smaller sibling, which for what it lacks in size it makes up for in punching power. The Xbox One S console is 40% smaller than the last Xbox One console and will feature 2TB storage capacity. It will also be capable of 4K Ultra HD video output for games, streaming content such as Netflix and Blu Ray playback with HDR (High Dynamic Range) offering rich colours and greater depth of contrast between light and dark areas.
Another addition is that the Xbox One S will feature backwards compatibility so as well as playing the existing Xbox One library it will also run the older Xbox 360 titles as well, offering an incredibly diverse line-up of great new and classic games.
And just like the PS4, this new Xbox One model will be able to be positioned vertically thanks to the included stand. Not a major selling point but a nice little extra worth noting.
For $399 there’s a lot of value to be found in the Xbox One S if you’re looking to buy your first Xbox One. However, if you already own the last model you may be best inclined to save your pennies till next year and buy the impressive super console Microsoft outlined at the E3 press event – the long awaited Project Scorpio.