Back at E3 2016, Microsoft confirmed rumours to the effect by officially announcing the Xbox One S, a revision of their current Xbox One console that is 40% smaller, and comes in a sleek white finish, complete with a slightly revamped controller design, offering slight ergonomic and comfort improvements. The console was given a vague late Summer release window, but now, we know when we can get our hands on it!… Or at least one of the options.
Microsoft has now confirmed that the 2TB Xbox One S, the one packing the largest hard drive and the highest price tag, will release in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and most major territories in Europe and the U.K., on August 2nd. This console will retail for $399.99 USD, and Microsoft claims that availability is limited, so if you want one, better pre-order it fast! Anyone who has already pre-ordered the console however, is guaranteed to receive it on launch day.
If you want a slightly more budget-friendly option, the Xbox One S is also expected to come in cheaper 500GB and 1TB hard drive variations, for $299.99 USD, and $349.99 USD, respectively. Microsoft didn’t yet reveal when these options would be made available to the public, but it’s possible that they will also be released before the end of August, and definitely before the end of the year, particularly with one upcoming Xbox One S bundle confirmed to tie in with October’s blockbuster Microsoft-exclusive release, Gears of War 4. Bear in mind however that Microsoft is also coming up with a new 4K-enabled console, currently dubbed ‘Project Scorpio’, in Fall of next year, so if you want the very most out of your Xbox gaming experience, you might want to keep saving and wait for that, if you’re a serious gamer with a 4K television. The Xbox One S works best as a means to entice more casual buyers who have been on the fence about buying an Xbox One base model, and have no intention of purchasing a 4K television over the next several years.
Keep booting up Eggplante for all major news and updates on Xbox One.