Xbox One S review

     

 When the Xbox One launched, our first impressions weren’t great. It was huge, needed an external power adapter, and came with Kinect – an accessory we knew we’d never really use. Throw in its unforgivably high price at launch and Microsoft’s weird obsession with TV, and it’s easy to see why the original Xbox One has been outsold so comprehensively by Sony’s PlayStation 4. Fast-forward three years, and Microsoft has just launched the Xbox One S. 

Simply put, the Xbox One S is a slimline Xbox One that does everything we wanted it to do the first time around, and includes 4K and HDR for good measure. So is the Xbox One S finally a match for the PS4, and is it worth upgrading to one if you already own an original Xbox One? Read our review to find out.

Xbox One S review: Console

The original Xbox One isn’t the most compact, svelte console we’ve ever seen, and, visually at least, the new Xbox One represents a significant upgrade. Around 40% smaller than the standard Xbox One, the new Xbox looks crisp and compact, with simplistic patterns and sharp edges making it look strikingly utilitarian. If you didn’t know it was a games console, you’d be forgiven for thinking the new Xbox One was part of a high-end hi-fi system.

Take a closer look at the Xbox One S, however, and you’ll soon realise this isn’t just a cheaper, slimmer Xbox One. In several areas, the Xbox One S is superior to the standard model. At the front of the machine, the Xbox One S replaces the Xbox One’s touch-sensitive buttons with positive-feeling mechanical ones, which means you can’t turn the Xbox One S on by accident. What’s more, Microsoft, has also moved the USB socket from the side of the console (why on earth was it there in the first place?) to the front.