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[etta]

Welcome to the Xbox One S official topic!
This thread will help inform you about all things Xbox One S, including product information and updates, announcements, troubleshooting, and frequently asked questions.


General Information:

Manufacturer: Microsoft
Features: "robot white" colour, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray drive and streaming services, HDR technology, 40% smaller, built-in power supply, vertical/horizontal orientation, and an IR blaster. Controller improvements include Bluetooth support, increased wireless range (when used with the Xbox One S), new thumbstick design to reduce wear and tear, and grips on the back for improved handling. *Note, the Kinect port was removed from the system. Microsoft is offering a free Xbox Kinect Adapter for a limited time if you already own an Xbox One with a Kinect sensor, otherwise you will have to purchase one if you want to use your Kinect sensor on the new Xbox One S.
Release date: August 2nd for the 2TB model (availability limited), August 23rd for the 500GB/1TB models (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK and United States. Availability in additional markets slated for later this year)
Price: $299 USD for the 500GB model, $349 USD for the 1TB model, and $399 USD for the 2TB model
What's in the box: Xbox One S console, new wireless controller, full 4K-ready HDMI cable, AC power cable, 14-Day Xbox Live Gold trial, vertical stand (2TB model only)
Bundles: At launch there are the Halo and Madden bundles, and there will be a Gears of War 4 Limited Edition bundle released alongside the game. Scroll down for more information

Introduction:

Unveiled at E3 2016, Xbox One S is the most advanced and compact Xbox yet with a sharp and sleek design and a coat of robot white paint. It is 40% smaller than the original Xbox One, comes with a built in power supply, and includes the new controller with added texture grips, Bluetooth technology, and improved wireless range. It supports true 4K UHD for video such as Blu-ray and Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Video, as well as HDR technology for both gaming and videos to display richer colours due to the wider colour gamut. There is now a USB port on the front for easier access, and an IR blaster that can be used to turn on other devices like the TV, receiver, and cable box.

Bundles and controllers:

At launch on August 2nd, there will only be a vanilla 2TB ($399 USD) bundle that includes the vertical stand available. Starting with August 23rd, there will a Halo bundle in 500GB/1TB flavours ($299 USD/$349 USD) that includes Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Halo 5: Guardians, as well as a 1TB ($349 USD) Madden bundle that includes Madden NFL 17. On October 7th, there will also be a 2TB ($449 USD) Gears of War 4 Limited Edition Xbox One S bundle that includes a custom designed console, a Limited Edition Crimson Omen controller, and Gears of War 4: Ultimate Edition which comes with the season pass and other goodies like in game items and six Gears packs. The new controllers can also be bought separately, and they come in vanilla robot white ($59 USD), Crimson Omen ($74 USD), and JD Fenix ($74 USD) variations. The robot white controller will be available to purchase separately on August 2nd, while the Gears of War themed ones will be available September 13th.

Specifications and performance improvements:

Due to the embargo lifted on August 2nd, we have just learned a lot more about the Xbox One S' internals. Digital Foundry has released an in-depth article regarding this topic, and they also have a tech interview with Albert Penello, senior director of product marketing and planning.

Digital Foundry - Xbox One S performance boost revealed
(YouTube) Digital Foundry - Xbox One S GPU Overclock! Do Games Run Faster?
Digital Foundry - Tech Interview: Inside Xbox One S

Quick rundown:
SoC - 16nm FinFET (reduced power usage and temperatures, shrinked from 28nm)
GPU - 1.4TF, overclock to 914 MHz from 853 MHz (resulting in framerate per second gains in some titles that are GPU-bound); for games with unlocked framerate, there could be a difference of +5-10 fps in GPU-bound scenarios, for games with a capped framerate (30fps/60fps), the target fps is more stable, can result in less tearing and less frametime issues
ESRAM - due to the GPU overclock, ESRAM is now at 219 GB/s, up from the 204 GB/s
PSU - less overall power consumption, ~30 W less on average
Noise - an increase of ~3 decibels on average

Digital Foundry: There was some confusion at E3 about faster hardware in the Xbox One S to enable 4K and HDR. This says to us that you've either tweaked CPU/GPU clocks or unlocked the deactivated compute units on the GPU. What is actually happening there?

Albert Penello: This is a great question. In the hectic environment of E3 it's not always possible to get into the level of detail necessary to give a complete answer. We stated that the SoC is the same as Xbox One while giving developers access to more power for HDR. The key is that we did not want customers to expect any change in game performance for existing titles. This has caused people to ask more detailed questions which I'm glad we have time to get into. The SoC in Xbox One is the same design as the previous processor. Same GPU, same number of CUs, same memory, same CPU.

As we discussed, we did make some refinements for 4K support and to fit in the new chassis. We also used this opportunity to increase the GPU frequency from 853 MHz to 914 MHz. By making this change, developers creating HDR titles do not have to incur any performance hit. We also decided to make the extra six per cent available to all titles. So some games (ones that utilise dynamic resolution and/or unlocked framerates) may see a very minor performance improvement. Our testing internally has shown this to be pretty minor, and is only measurable on certain games, so we didn't want to make it a “selling point” for the new console.

Digital Foundry: From a software perspective, can you outline what 4K and HDR media support we can expect from Xbox One S on day one and what else may be in the pipeline?

Albert Penello: Beyond what we announced at E3, there is nothing new I can talk about now. But you should expect to see a number of media apps and games announced shortly. In addition, I know some fans have asked for new audio functionality including bitstream support and we're evaluating that as a possible feature in a future update.

Update:

Bitstream support (Dolby-HD, DTS-HD, DTS-X and Dolby Atmos) is being currently worked on:

If it wasn't something we were considering strongly, I would not have mentioned it.

It's really more a question of "when" then "if", but I've learned my lesson in trying to predict the future with certainty.

Mostly I wanted to address that it's a request that we have heard, and let people know there is no HW limitation. It's a software update and now it goes into the large bucket of feature requests that the team has to prioritize.

iFixit teardown confirmed SATAIII and 802.11ac WiFi.



Media:

(YouTube) Official Xbox One S unveiling
(YouTube) Xbox One S - The ultimate games and entertainment system
(YouTube) Gears of War 4 Xbox One S Limited Edition 2TB Console Reveal
(YouTube) The Verge - Xbox One S exclusive first look

(Xbox Wire) Xbox One S Arrives August 2
(Xbox Wire) 1TB and 500GB Xbox One S bundles arriving Aug. 23 with Madden NFL 17 and Halo Collection


Reviews and Impressions:

Check out page 8 and further for GAF impressions!

inthegame.nl review, impressions
Conclusion:

‘I am really happy with Microsoft and their Xbox One S. The system is a lot smaller and it remains silent. It is Sony’s turn to come with a new console because the Xbox One S takes the throne with this console. Not sales wise, but looking at the big picture the One S is the better console. Microsoft has done a really good job and has a clear strategy for the future of Xbox.’

ign.com review
Conclusion:

Therein lies the challenge with recommending the Xbox One S, really: it’s a solid all-around machine, but it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. If it did, it would be easy to say that it’s a welcome hardware refresh and, aesthetically speaking, it’s the Xbox One we should’ve gotten in the first place. But with Microsoft promising the dramatically more powerful Project Scorpio in 15 months or less and the PlayStation 4 Neo rumored to be even closer, the question becomes much more difficult to answer. If you don’t already have an Xbox One and want to buy a new console in the next six months, then Xbox One S makes a respectable case for itself.

gameinformer.com review
Conclusion:

The question remains: Should you purchase an Xbox One S? If your Xbox One works fine, and you don’t have a 4K TV, ignore it for now and keep your eyes on the horizon for Scorpio. The 4K playable options won't do anything for you. Conversely, if you have a 4K TV and you truly want to take it for a spin, the Xbox One S pairs perfectly with this new technology.

windowscentral.com review
Conclusion:

While the One S does not offer a reason for hardcore gamers to upgrade, it's not supposed to either. It is, however, a product that new gamers or those coming from an Xbox 360 would be proud to own. For those looking for a cost-effective 4K Blu-ray player, just grab the One S and get a free gaming console as a bonus.

The Xbox One S is a outstanding mid-stream release from Microsoft. It adds some excellent bonus features that are really impressive for movie fans, but they are not must-haves for current gamers. What really makes the One S shine though is not one specific feature, but the culmination of many smaller improvements over the original Xbox One.

theverge.com review
Conclusion:

The Xbox One S scraps nearly everything I hated about the original Xbox. It’s good-looking, reasonably sized, and also reasonably priced. You can still use it as the center of your home entertainment universe if you really want to — there is an IR blaster right on the console if that’s your jam. But it doesn’t feel like Microsoft is trying to force that issue anymore; the Xbox One’s audacious plan to control your cable box is now essentially a buried option for AV junkies who want to try to figure it out.

Instead, the One S is simply a very, very good console that works like a modern streaming and gaming box should: you can stream video from a multitude of apps and play high-quality games. But despite that, I don’t know who should buy it. Every time I try to come to a final conclusion about the One S, I end up in a logic loop: [...]

thurrott.com review
Conclusion:

If you have a 4k TV, the Xbox One S is an easy choice as it you can now playback content (like Netflix) at the increased resolution. The integrated IR blaster is a sweetener that makes using the console a bit easier as it has the ability to turn on other devices nearby.

Having had the console for the better part of a weekend, it’s a bit too early to give a full verdict on the Xbox One S. But, the experience so far has been excellent and Microsoft has put together a solid mid-cycle update for the Xbox One which means if you are willing to be an early adopter, the Xbox One S appears to be worth the money.

arstechnica.com review
Conclusion:

As smitten as I am by the Xbox One S' redesign, I'm ultimately a little cautious about recommending it. That's Microsoft's fault. In June, the company announced plans to release another console, the aforementioned Project Scorpio, by the end of 2017. The Scorpio will be designed to either run games in 4K resolution or to deliver smoother framerates on 1080p TVs. However, that could cost a ton of money, and the Xbox One S starts at $299 in a 500GB storage model, though that cheaper model doesn't launch until August 27; for now, you can only buy the whopping 2TB storage model for $399. Beyond that, Microsoft is also releasing a heap of its remaining 2016 first-party games on both Xbox One and Windows 10, which might make a new console redundant for anybody with a beefy gaming PC.

Also preventing me from an unequivocal recommendation of the One S is the PlayStation 4. It's already as small and svelte as the One S, and it packs slightly more processing power, all for a comparable MSRP. PlayStation 4 costs $349 for its 500GB model, with a pack-in game. (The 500GB Xbox One S will launch with two Halo games packed in, which will help its value proposition, at least.)

If you really want a dedicated console for modern video games and haven't taken the current-gen console plunge, the One S redesign makes leaning toward Xbox easier, especially if you favor Microsoft's exclusive games over Sony's. And until the "PlayStation 4K" comes out, we don't know of a better way to buy a 4K/HDR Blu-ray player, since those things are currently so expensive. But Microsoft's announcement of Scorpio means this refresh missed its window to feel like a slam-dunk. Call it a solid, good-looking, 4K-boosted lay-up, then.

engadget.com review
Conclusion:

Unless you own a fancy new display or have one earmarked for the future, there's no reason to upgrade from your existing Xbox One. The only benefit you'll see is the increased internal storage space and, even then there are existing Xbox One models with 2TB of room for games and apps. That said, there's a lot to like about the system, especially if your TV can support all the super high-resolution bells and whistles on offer. There isn't one distinct reason to buy one today, but if you don't already own an Ultra HD Blu-ray player, you won't be disappointed if you decide to pick one up. The S is the Xbox One you know, but tailored for the future.

FAQ:

Q: Is the new revised robot white controller included with all models of Xbox One S?
A: Yes, all of the Xbox One S bundles come with the new controller (Bluetooth, grips, increased range)

Q: Does it come with the newest dashboard and 4K playback out of the box?
A: Not at launch, you will have to update the OS and apps to get 4K playback. Maybe as they manufacture more, Microsoft will start including the Anniversary Update in the box.

Q: Does 4K work for games and movies/tv shows/streaming?
A: True 4K only works for movies/tv shows/streaming. Games will upscale to 4K instead.

Q: What is HDR and what do I need?
A: HDR (High Dynamic Range) is basically more colours, better blacks, and better whites. Current technology (8-bit) only allows for 16 million colours. HDR is 10-bit and allows for 1 billion colours. More colours = more vibrant image rendered. Xbox One S uses the HDR10 open standard (which is also by far the most common standard), but not the Dolby Vision proprietary standard. Some TV models use only Dolby Vision and not HDR10, but some manufacturers like Vizio have issued software updates so that their Dolby Vision models (Series P and M) will support HDR10 (and thus supporting Xbox One S' HDR standard). Also look for the UHD Premium sticker on the TV box, this means that the TV fully supports the HDR10 open standard. If it does not have the UHD Premium logo but says it does support HDR, make sure the HDR is HDR10.

Q: Do games need to support HDR for the feature to work, and if so, which games support HDR?
A: Yes, games need to support HDR, and so far only Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3, and Scalebound have been announced to support HDR. You basically need three things for your eyeballs to see glorious rich colours: the source media to support HDR, the device said media is played on to support HDR, and the TV said device is plugged into to support HDR.

Q: Can you use an external HDD on the Xbox One S?
A: Yes, you can use any USB3.0 external HDD that is at least 256GB in size on the Xbox One S.

Q: Does my 4K cable box work on the Xbox One S in 4K?
A: I actually don't know this, I just thought of this question as I was typing up this section of the OT. I would assume that the HDMI pass-through has been upgraded to support 4K cable boxes, we will find out for sure soon.

Q: Do I need to upgrade to the Xbox One S if I don't have a 4K TV?
A: Like all things in life there is a scale you have to balance. Fortunately, the Xbox One S brings several improvements, meaning you can weigh and consider the various factors and see which ones mean more to you. If 4K is the only factor that matters to you, then no, you don't need it!

Q: Does Xbox One S have any extra performance?
A: No. This is just a revision of the Xbox One.

Q:

A: Maybe. They haven't announced anything yet, just the robot white for now.

Q: What 4K TV should I buy?
A: Check out Xbudz' guide thread: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1260069


More box shots:
Robot White 1
Robot White 2
Robot White 3
Robot White 4
Gears LE w/ Crimson Omen controller 1
Gears LE w/ Crimson Omen controller 2
Gears LE w/ Crimson Omen controller 3
JD Fenix controller

Thanks to The Flash for that glorious gif and everyone else who helped.

 

[Granadier]

That title. sogood.gif

Spoiler

40% better than other titles

 

[Garrett Hawke]

I wonder when the controllers will be available separately

 

[Toki767]

When will it come in black?

 

[Kaydan]

Trading in both my 360 and XB1 for the 1tb Halo bundle. August 23rd can't come soon enough!

 

[etta]

I wonder when the controllers will be available separately

When will it come in black?

Thanks for reminding me about these, I will add them to OT.

August 2nd for robot white controller. September 13th for the Gears of War ones.

 

[Outlaw Torn]

I wonder when the controllers will be available separately

Amazon says the 2nd as well.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GW3H3U8/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[Menitta]

Fantastic OP, and I feel bad that the main thing I came away from it is: "Man, Recore looks so good."

Gotta grab myself one of those controllers.

 

[PrinceKee]

Sexy console just wished it was in black. Also hate my last years model Vizio 4K tv doesn't do HDR. I wasn't even thinking about it when I bought my tv...

 

[vaderise]

I thought the S was Struggle against Scorpio.

Spoiler

JK. Looks sexy as hell.

 

[The Flash]

Wow, etta. Great moves. Proud of you.

 

[Arttemis]

I'll grab one when they bring back black.

 

[Granadier]

Wow, etta. Great moves. Proud of you.

Wow, Flash. Great post. Proud of you.

 

[OdysseusVA]

I dunno

Are VCRs sexy?

 

[chronic_archaic]

A part of me wishes I held off if I knew this was coming earlier this year when I got mine for $350 + $50 GS giftcard, but I suppose I can't really take advantage of the extra features and I prefer the two tone black look... it's a close call though.

 

[vaderise]

Obligatory gif.

 

[Hawk269]

I wonder when the controllers will be available separately

Extra New controllers should be available on Tuesday as well.

 

[U2NUMB]

Can not wait to get mine...

 

[FireBeaver]

Hmm, this seems like a good time to finally give in and buy an Xbox One. I've been holding off on getting one for quite a while but with the very cheap price and the Slim, I'll probably go for it. At this point it has enough great games to make a purchase worth it, Plus, backwards compatibilty is always great.

 

[DigitalScrap]

When will it come in black?

This is what I'm waiting for as well. I'll get rid of my "Day One" X1 and get a black S.

 

[Colonel Nasty]

Not a lot of time left but if you pre order from Best Buy tonight you get 30$ off a second controller including the new model. I grabbed the dusk shadow

 

[Hawk269]

Can not wait to get mine...

Same here. I just traded one of my Xbox One's towards it and I had some Gift Cards from stuff I traded in a while back. When all said and done, I had to kick in $20.00, so just paid that off. So I am 100% paid in full and just waiting till Tuesday. My Store said they might stay open on Monday night, but he was not 100% sure as of today.

 

[Heysoos]

I gotta be strong. I have the Gears console preordered.

 

[Zeta Oni]

Great job on the OT OP

Gonna be getting the 500GB console on release, really excited to hear some more impressions.

 

[Baroquemantic]

That gray and blue Gears controller is dope.

 

[Mohasus]

That recore image looks so cool. Where can I find the original art for that?

 

[SOR5]

Its got me

 

[Hip Hop]

Got to try the console at Comic Con, it looked awesome.

The new controller was great too. I thought the grip would be have been more pronounced, but they did it very subtle. Not that it's a bad thing.

Will be trading in my old black controller for the new one.

 

[NeOak]

Q: What is HDR and what do I need?
A: HDR (High Dynamic Range) is basically more colours. Current technology (8-bit) only allows for 16 million colours. HDR is 10-bit and allows for 1 billion colours. More colours = more vibrant image rendered. You also need an HDR-ready TV, either HDR 10 or Dolby Vision. If you see the word HDR slapped anywhere on the TV box, you're good to go.

This is wrong.

1. "Old" HDR is not may not mean HDR10 or Dolby Vision (Edit2: Due to Vizio not using HDR10, just Dolby Vision)
2. XBO S only supports HDR10
3. TV has to support HDR10. Some TVs only support Dolby Vision. (Edit2: Some Vizios)

https://support.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/console/troubleshooting-4K-and-HDR-on-xbox-one-s

For HDR, make sure your TV supports the HDR10 media profile. Check your TV manual to verify. Some manufacturers may not mention HDR10—look for support of BT2020 and HDR, or some of the names in the previous list. (Also, there are two HDR formats: Dolby Vision and HDR10. Your TV can support both, but it must at least support HDR10.)

 

[Spring-Loaded]

Xbox Onesie is still what comes to mind when i see that.

 

[Slayer-33]

Sexiest console ever, damn.

-edit wow the gears one looks awesome too

 

[etta]

This is wrong.

1. "Old" HDR is not HDR10 or Dolby Vision
2. XBO S only supports HDR10
3. TV has to support HDR10. Some TVs only support Dolby Vision.

https://support.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/console/troubleshooting-4K-and-HDR-on-xbox-one-s

What do you mean for number 1? Also, aren't all Dolby Vision (12-bit) "backward compatible" with HDR-10 (10-bit)?

 

[Odoul]

Had no plans on picking up a PS4 or XB till 2017.

Recently replaced my TV which doesn't have component and my OG 360 only has component/composite and no HDMI.

Probably gonna pick up a 1TB when Gears 4 drops, and give my 360 to brother. If he wants it.

 

[Menitta]

That recore image looks so cool. Where can I find the original art for that?

I just set it as my wallpaper.

 

[LordBaztion]

nice title. I should stop entering in S thread or I may risk buying one.

 

[NeOak]

What do you mean for number 1? Also, aren't all Dolby Vision (12-bit) "backward compatible" with HDR-10 (10-bit)?

Confused the HDR thing.

No, there are actually some TVs that do not.

http://www.cnet.com/news/dolby-vision-vs-hdr10-how-to-survive-the-hdr-tv-format-war/

Some Vizio TVs for example have Dolby Vision support but not HDR10 support. Some did get updated to support it, but without that software update there is no HDR10 support.

And Dolby stuff is proprietary, so no. It isn't "backwards compatible".

 

[ShdwDrake]

Sexiest console since the PS2 slim.

 

[Menitta]

Sexiest console since the PS2 slim.

IDK, man. Dat Gamecube handle...

 

[Hawk269]

This is wrong.

1. "Old" HDR is not HDR10 or Dolby Vision
2. XBO S only supports HDR10
3. TV has to support HDR10. Some TVs only support Dolby Vision.

https://support.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/console/troubleshooting-4K-and-HDR-on-xbox-one-s

I have not seen a 4k TV that *ONLY* supports Dolby Vision. The ones that have DV also have HDR10 support. So far all UHD Disks support HDR, so if there were ONLY DV TV Sets they would not have any movies as of yet because all current released UHD movies support HDR10. Also, what do you mean with #1?? I don't see where he says OLD HDR?

I have the Samsung UHD player and about 15 UHD Movies and all look fantastic on my HDR Sony 940d. I can't wait to check out gaming in HDR, but the first game that supports it is Forza Horizon 3.

 

[Nowise10]

So excited for Tuesday.

 

[NeOak]

I have not seen a 4k TV that *ONLY* supports Dolby Vision. So far all UHD Disks support HDR, so if there were ONLY DV TV Sets they would not have any movies as of yet. Also, what do you mean with #1?? I don't see where he says OLD HDR?

I have the Samsung UHD player and about 15 UHD Movies and all look fantastic on my HDR Sony 940d. I can't wait to check out gaming in HDR, but the first game that supports it is Forza Horizon 3.

I messed up on the first one. Some "HDR" Vizio TVs are HDR but with Dolby Vision and not HDR10.

Don't ask me why. I posted a link.

And you quoted pre-edit >.>

 

[Arc]

Why isn't this out in black.

 

[J_ToSaveTheDay]

Reeeealllllly tempted to get in on this Xbox One S. I might get a 4K TV next year around tax return time, but wouldn't immediately get the HDR boost on my 1080p BenQ monitor.

I think I'm just gonna hit up my local Best Buy and GameStop and if either of them have it in stock I'm gonna go ahead and pull the trigger...

EDIT: Hopefully there will be plenty of time between this Xbox One S and next Spring's tax season for plenty of research to be done on the best HDR 4K TV for gaming with the Xbox One.

 

[BabyFaceKillah]

hopefully i get it tuesday

Why isn't this out in black.

only issue i have with it right now...

 

[JrBaconCheeseburger]

Good job on the thread.

I can't wait for Tuesday.

Make it happen Amazon.

 

[cackhyena]

So most, if not all of my games are on my 1tb external hooked up to my xb1. If I get the S, plug that in and sign in...am I good? That simple?

 

[malfcn]

It's a sexy beast.

 

[InfiniteCombo]

My entertainment center has black electronics, but man is that white unit sexy.

I'm drowning in a giant backlog at the moment so I won't spring for this just yet. I'll buy it to reward myself when I put a nice dent in my backlog.

 

[Hawk269]

So most, if not all of my games are on my 1tb external hooked up to my xb1. If I get the S, plug that in and sign in...am I good? That simple?

Yup. There might be some syncing it will do and you will get a small message saying "we are getting your game ready" but that on average is less than 30 seconds or so. The syncing thing, depending on game can take a bit longer. I think what it does is retrieve your data for the game from the cloud servers. But again, it is not too much time. I am in the same situation, I have external loaded with games, just waiting for my "S" to release.

You will also have the update to do that was recently was released as well. So your time frame from turning it on to being into a game will take a little time because of the update.

 

[jstevenson]

Beyond more colors, HDR has better support for near-black and is brighter overall for brighter scenes and especially brighter specular highlights.

As such, it's not just more color, but brighter images in general, brighter highlights (explosions etc), and better near-black detail.


Someone else already mentioned the HDR10 vs Dolby Vision thing.