“Should I buy this new Xbox One? What is it, even?”
Florence Fu/Tech Insider
These are the kinds of questions I’ve been hearing since
Microsoft announced a new version of the Xbox One – dubbed the
“Xbox One S” – on June 13. Here’s the long and short:
-
It’s
much
smaller than the original Xbox One (a 40%
reduction, according to Microsoft). -
It’s white instead of black
(duh). -
It plays all the same games
that the Xbox One does, including backwards compatible Xbox 360
games. -
It’s capable of playing 4K
video (though, notably, it’s not capable of running 4K games,
which
requires
much more
serious hardware
). -
It can run some upcoming
games with HDR graphics (the lighting in the game is of a wider
range, thus making it look slightly better – this only works if
you have an HDR-capable TV, and
most people don’t). -
It costs the same as the
original Xbox One, at $299 to start.
So, should you get one? Maybe! The truth is that it depends on
one crucial factor.
I already own an Xbox One – should I get an Xbox One S?
“Probably not” is the short answer here, and Microsoft would tell
you the same thing.
The Xbox One S isn’t a meaningful upgrade to the original Xbox
One if you’ve already got one.
It’s not intended as a “successor” to the original Xbox One in
the way that the iPhone 6 is a successor to the iPhone 5, or even
in the way that the iPhone 5S was a successor to the iPhone 5.
Think of the original Xbox One as an iPhone 6 Plus, and this is
the regular iPhone 6. Same great device, smaller form factor.
Florence Fu/Tech Insider
Is it prettier? Yes. Is it smaller? Sure is. Can it be stood up
vertically? You bet (with a $20 optional stand – ugh).
But unless you’re way into watching 4K/UltraHD movies (and also
own a 4K/UltraHD television), there isn’t any new functionality
worth buying into. There are no games that will only run on the
Xbox One S, no experiences you can have that can only be had
there.
Perhaps you really like the new Xbox One S gamepad, which has
rubberized grips and Bluetooth connectivity (making it easy to
use with PCs)? You can totally buy that separately, and it will
work with your original Xbox One.
Microsoft
Or maybe you were sold on the HDR gaming, and you’ve got an
HDR-enabled TV? Only two games support this feature thus far –
“Gears of War 4” and “Forza Horizon 3” – and we don’t expect it
to go wide anytime soon. Unless Microsoft pays developers to add
it to their games, there’s little incentive to bother.
Of course, if you just really like how it looks and are feeling
ready for an upgrade, the Xbox One S is a good deal at just $299.
That’s $50 less than a PlayStation 4, and it’s a brand new
console. Also, yeah, it’s a hell of a looker. Agreed.
Florence Fu/Tech Insider
I don’t own an Xbox One – should I get an Xbox One S?
If you are at all interested in owning an Xbox One, this is the
Xbox One you should buy. No equivocations, no caveats – the Xbox
One S is now the correct purchase if you’re looking to buy an
Xbox One.
It’s the best looking Xbox One you can buy, it costs the same
amount ($299) as the original, and it’s got a few nice perks. You
know how most game consoles have a massive external power supply?
This stupid thing:
The
original Xbox One power supply. It’s gigantic and no one likes
it.
Microsoft
The Xbox One S has no external power supply. That’s tremendously
convenient.
It’s possible you will find an older Xbox One for less money
(Microsoft dropped the price to $279 recently), and you may be
tempted to snag one of those instead. By all means, you do you –
that’s not a bad choice either. I, personally, would drop the
extra $20 for the newer Xbox One S.
What about this “Project Scorpio” I’ve been hearing about?
You may have heard about the other new Xbox One that’s
coming out.
It’s currently codenamed “Project Scorpio” and is planned for
launch in “holiday 2017.”
Microsoft has yet to show Project Scorpio, but it has
shown the chip powering it (seen here).
Microsoft
Here’s the skinny:
-
It’s much more powerful than
the original Xbox One/One S, capable of powering 4K/UltraHD
gaming and “high-end” virtual reality headsets (like the Oculus
Rift and HTC Vive). -
It will run all Xbox One
games, as well as backwards compatible Xbox 360 games. -
It’s going to cost a lot of
money (though we don’t know how much just yet).
Should you wait for Scorpio? Probably not.
It’s planned for a holiday 2017 launch – more than a year away! –
and that could totally change. Wouldn’t you rather be playing
video games for the next year? “Overwatch” is pretty fantastic,
and it’s out right now.
Blizzard/YouTube
If you already own an Xbox One, or an Xbox One S, will you need
Project Scorpio? Also probably not – it’s intended for folks who
own 4K/UltraHD televisions, who want to play games at the
highest-possible resolution, and who may want (or already own) VR
headsets. By the time Scorpio launches, that group of people will
be larger, but the majority of us will be fine with the current
versions of Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
The right answer to all of these questions, regardless of what
I’m suggesting here, is to do what makes the most sense to you.
If you’re standing in front of your wall of collector’s edition
Xbox One consoles, pre-order slip for the Xbox One S in-hand,
rest assured that you’ve made the right choice. If you’re holding
out for a VR-capable Xbox One in 2017, keep holding out. And if
you’ve just purchased an original Xbox One, I’ll see you soon in
the colorful arenas of “Overwatch.”
Source: xbox one – Google News
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