XBOX One S – Is It Worth Upgrading?

Release Details

The XBOX One S was just released this week on August 2nd. This marks the first hardware upgrade for the XBOX One that was released back in 2013. There are three models in total as we have seen before, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB. Microsoft has decided to release the 2TB $399 model first. The other two models will be available “soon”. The 500GB model will be sold for $299 following up the 1TB model for $349. Let me start by saying the design is the first thing that jumps at you. XBOX has been long needing a new design since it has not changed much from the original XBOX 360. Let’s compare the XBOX one VS XBOX One S.

XBOX One vs XBOX One S

As you can see the new XBOX One S is 40% smaller than the XBOX One. The design gets better, the new XBOX has half solid texture and the other half patterns. This was done partially to make it blend in and partially to help with the cooling. There is a large circle on the patterned side at the top to help cool all the components inside. The new system can also be stood up and the 2TB model comes with the free stand. You will need to pay $20 if you purchase one of the other two models.  Now you can also say goodbye to the power supply brick that we have been dealing with since forever. The S has a built in power supply just like the PS4.

One of the major improvements is the fact that the XBOX One S supports 4k video resolution, HDR streaming and gaming. This does not mean it plays 4k games, big difference. There are other minor improvements such as GPU clock went from 853 MHz to 914 MHz and ESRAM bandwidth from 204 GB/s to 219 GB/s. The controllers have also been slightly redesigned and now include Bluetooth to connect. On the other hand there are already user complaints about the plastic controllers feeling cheap and not the same as the rubberized ones.

Verdict

Overall the XBOX One S has a new fresh design but the release timing was horrible. It should have been delivered 3 years ago. As some of you may know Microsoft will be releasing a new XBOX with major hardware upgrades. “Project Scorpio” will fully support 4k gaming and virtual reality. It is expected to be released at the end of 2017. So taking all the specs and facts into consideration I can only justify the upgrade if you have the cash to spare, a 4k TV or are in desperate need of space. Bottom line I would not upgrade at this time with Project Scorpio around the corner.