When Phil Spencer told a small panel at Microsoft's Build Developer Conference he wasn't "a big fan of Xbox One and a half," I had almost given up hope on a smaller console coming our way in 2016 despite the mountain of evidence that pointed to its existence.
The Xbox One S – or Xbox One Slim, as it's more colloquially referred to – has been a rumor for some time, but it wasn't until E3 2016 that we got all the details on Microsoft's mini machine.
At first glance, it's a radically different console, almost to the point that it'd be unrecognizable without the signature Xbox One jewel. It's a thin, angular box the size of a Blu-ray player with a porous white exterior and a reconfigured button arrangement that's more pragmatic than its predecessor.
We knew it'd be smaller, and that turns out to be true. To quantify that point, it's actually 40% smaller than the original. The system can now stand upright, a feat that you'd never want to try with the first one.
And, the touch-capacitive eject and power buttons have been replaced with more logical – and accident-proof – physical ones.
We had hoped it'd be able to stream 4K High Dynamic Range (HDR) content, which it does. And, we hoped that it'd replace the already obsolete HDMI 1.4 port with a new HDMI 2.0a connector, which it did.
What that means is you'll be able to stream Netflix and Amazon Instant in 4K HDR, while using the upgraded internal Blu-ray player to read the next generation of physical media.
What we didn't see coming was the Xbox One S's ability to play games in HDR and at slightly higher framerates – something no other game console on the planet is currently capable of – or that it'd cost just as much as the original Xbox One, starting at $299 (£249).
However, all of these features that we've been craving for have come with a trade-off: the new Xbox One S forgot – or forgoed – a standard Kinect port on the console. In order to use the Kinect, the Xbox One S requires you to pick up a USB adapter, which Microsoft has said it will provide to anyone who asks for one.
While the lack of Kinect capabilities will affect very few gamers, the removal of a Kinect port is one last kick in the pants for all the gamers forced into buying the more expensive console bundle two short years ago.
But, the latest update coming to the Xbox One platform – also coming in August – ensures that for whatever the Xbox One S is lacking in hardware, it will make up for with software.
Design
Advanced electrical engineering. Moore's Law. A miracle. Call it whatever you want, but the Xbox One S defies what we thought was possible, integrating a massive power supply and an expansive 2TB hard drive into a chassis one-fourth the size of the original.
How Microsoft pulled it off, I'll never know.
Well ... actually, I might. Something tells me it has to do with porous siding that allows for better airflow. This would enable Microsoft to use a smaller fan – in tandem with the repositioning of the hard drive directly behind the disc tray, instead of in the back right corner.
Moving the hard drive allows the power brick (essentially a power supply unit that you'd find in a desktop PC) to be seated inside the console instead of sitting next to it, creating unnecessary clutter on your entertainment shelf.
While components have shifted on the inside of the box, the shell of the system has undergone a transformation of its own.
Again there are two physical buttons in place of the capacitive touch buttons for power and eject on the face of the console, and the sync and USB 3.0 ports have been brought from the side of the unit to the lower half of the front face.
There's an IR blaster on the front of the console that allows you to turn on other devices, like your TV, audio/video receiver and cable/satellite box.
The only thing missing is that standard port for Kinect, which I mentioned earlier.
Also, if you like your consoles in loud color schemes – or anything other than white – you're out of luck. Microsoft has only announced one color so far but, thanks to the new Xbox Design Program, at least you can make controllers in any fashion that you'd like.
0 commentaires: