While Xbox’s ridiculously powerful Project Scorpio is still a while off, there is a new Xbox One coming later this year. As you likely already know, the Xbox One S is a smaller, sleeker and slimmer Xbox One that comes with a refined version of the system’s controller.
It also has support for HDMI 2.0a,, 4K video, that new-fangled High-dynamic-range imaging (which, if you have a compatible TV, means more vibrant colours and a higher range of luminosity), and has the power supply stuffed on the inside. To cram everything inside and keep the unit smaller, the new Xbox One also doesn’t have a dedicated Kinect port, which may signal the final nail in the coffin for Microsoft’s underutilised motion-sensing peripheral.
Interestingly, to enable this sort of stuff, it mean that there may be a slightly better GPU in the new Xbox One. While the difference is likely slight, it seems that the Xbox One S may come with a bit of a performance increase.
That’s according to Gears of War boss Rod Fergusson, speaking to Polygon. He says that the Xbox One S allows Gears of War to perform a little better, or at least look a little better. Gears of War 4, you see, uses the same sort of dynamic resolution scaling that many Xbox One games employ to keep the frame rate up. On the Xbox One S, the game needs to adjust that resolution a little less frequently to maintain its target frame rates of 60fps in multiplayer, and 30 fps in the single player and co-op.
So that’s nice – but I really do find Microsoft’s marketing message here a little muddy. They’ve announced a new revision of the Xbox One at the same time that they’ve said it’ll be redundant in a year anyway. That said, given the astronomical specifications of the Xbox One Scorpio, it’s likely to cost quite a bit more than the $299 the new Xbox One S will be retailing for – so it’s likely meant for a small subset of console gamers who want the shiniest graphics, but couldn’t be arsed with PCs.
Last Updated: June 14, 2016
Original Heretic
June 14, 2016 at 15:03
“Fears of War”?!? HA!! Typo win!
Geoffrey Tim
June 14, 2016 at 15:05
Guck ogg.
Alien Emperor Trevor
June 14, 2016 at 15:06
You got Warframe on the brain. 😀
Original Heretic
June 14, 2016 at 15:07
No worries, Geoff, I’d totally play a game called Fears of War. Sounds like a horror game set it World War 2.
Lord Chaos
June 14, 2016 at 15:09
I’d rather set it in the first one
Original Heretic
June 14, 2016 at 15:13
Po-tay-to, po-tah-to. Doesn’t matter which war it’s in, there are always atrocities that can be used for a horror genre. Hell, it could be the Vietnam War. Just look at Apocalypse Now. Platoon. Horrific things were done. War is the perfect backdrop for horror. Because war is horror. And war? War never changes.
Lord Chaos
June 14, 2016 at 15:14
War does change, just look at all the dlc for Fallout 4. 😛
Original Heretic
June 14, 2016 at 15:17
The game might change (for the better, definitely for the better), but war doesn’t.
Geoffrey Tim
June 14, 2016 at 15:22
Sounds like a game about Trump winning the Us elections.
Original Heretic
June 14, 2016 at 15:29
That game will need to come with a disclaimer. “no Mexicans were harmed in the making of this game”.
Admiral Chief Maximum Effort
June 14, 2016 at 15:24
Get Matty to review that
Lord Chaos
June 14, 2016 at 15:06
Can’t believe it’s E3 already. Feels like I’ve been living under a rock these last few months
Raptor Rants
June 14, 2016 at 15:22
Here’s a shiny new XBox One S (The s stands for small doesn’t it?) Aaaaaaaaaaand dead in a year.
Why?
Geoffrey Tim
June 14, 2016 at 15:23
Different markets. Same as there’s a Nvidia GTX 960, and a GTX 1080. Those who just want to play some X1 games can pay $299, those who want to play them at killer settings can lay out $799 or whatever.
Raptor Rants
June 14, 2016 at 15:25
Right…
http://new2.fjcdn.com/comments/You+do+know+some+places+can+t+get+faster+internet+right+_773c6da37639bd7553d3bba0f1f6d961.png
Admiral Chief Maximum Effort
June 14, 2016 at 15:26
Still EggsBawks though…
Raptor Rants
June 14, 2016 at 15:30
I guess that makes sense. I just can’t understand why consoles are going this route. Consoles were always meant to be the buy and forget. There wasn’t meant to be a “superior” version of the one you have. If that makes sense? That complex choice was meant to be left with PC’s where your choice of budget determined your performance. Now that’s coming to console and it just feels… wrong
Geoffrey Tim
June 14, 2016 at 15:31
Hi, Remember me? I’m the Sega 32X with the Sega CD addon as well.
http://videogamecritic.com/images/systems/32x.jpg
Admiral Chief Maximum Effort
June 14, 2016 at 15:32
BONER
Lord Chaos
June 14, 2016 at 15:33
That’s one way to burst someone’s rant bubble.
Admiral Chief Maximum Effort
June 14, 2016 at 15:41
Geoff throws spanner in rant, it is super effective
Raptor Rants
June 14, 2016 at 15:42
Darnit dude. Now I have to admit I am wrong. I don’t like that.
*grumbles you win this time Geoff*
Jonah Cash
June 14, 2016 at 16:49
Yes but to be fair to @rapto@LlewellynCrossley:disqus this was a one off situation. For the most part consoles are: you buy the new version you are pretty sorted for 5 years or so. I also feel that your budget will now determine what console you get, which to me also feels a bit wrong.
HvR
June 14, 2016 at 16:55
http://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2016/03/64DD-Attached.jpg
Pieter Kruger
June 15, 2016 at 09:01
So this will also upscale games to 4k?
Francois Knoetze
June 15, 2016 at 10:00
Nope. Just bluray and netflix. Scorpio wil do the upscaling etc next year. What a beast of a machine that will be.
Pieter Kruger
June 15, 2016 at 10:09
Think you’re wrong, the Xbox One S looks like it will upscale to 4K and the Scorpio will render 4K natively?
Francois Knoetze
June 15, 2016 at 16:10
Interesting. Will have a look.