Xbox One S: It's Pretty, But Should You Buy One?

Many Xbox fans are raving over the new Xbox One S (myself included), but a lot of people are also wondering if they should run out to trade in their Xbox One original for this new smaller console. It seems normal now for companies like Microsoft, Apple, and Samsung to push new products into the marketplace every year, so it can be a little confusing to know what is worth buying, especially when the price tag in in the high hundreds of pounds/dollars range. Considering that the Xbox One is only a few years old the choice can be a little trickier, since it's newness has barley had time to wear off. Still, there are many people asking, "Should I buy the Xbox One S?" Should you? Lets take a look at the new shiny upgrades and decide.

Have You Heard of Project Scorpio?

Almost as soon as the Xbox One S was announced, Microsoft turned around and informed their followers that they were currently working on the next big console design, dubbed "Project Scorpio." Not much is known about the project, but it is rumored to be able to play 4K games and possibly even be a launch for virtual reality. Also, it will still incorporate all the new goodies that come with the Xbox One S, so a buyer really has to consider if they want to spend money on the S, when the next bigt hing is just a year away as it is slated for late 2017; take that into account as we go down the Xbox One S's benefits.

4K Video Streaming and Blu-Ray

4K technologies are without a doubt the biggest thing to hit the TV industry since HD and curved TV's, and it seems to actually offer up something new and worthwhile, unlike certain products (looking at you 3D TV's). So the fact that the Xbox One S can stream 4K video and has a built in 4K Blu-Ray makes it a very compelling product for consumers. This is especially true when you compare the price of a regular 4K player to the Xbox, which is multi-functional and can do way more than a stand-alone player. Still, in order to benefit from the Xbox's 4K you also need a 4K TV, so if you don't already have one of those then you might need to think a little harder on the Xbox One S, because now your £350/$399 purchase will get close to a thousand pounds/dollars. Also, keep in mind that it can only stream/play things formatted for 4K, so you're not going to get 4K games, that will come with Project Scorpio.

High Dynamic Range Support

Next to 4K the biggest visual advance for the Xbox One S is its ability to play some games with High Dynamic Range Support, or better known as HDR. This means that the system has a little more power to make games look sleeker due to the ability to enhance colors and shading. Simply put, your lights will be lighter and your darks will be darker, so it makes a very smooth picture. The bad news is that as of today only a handful of games have been designed to run this way, notably Gears of War 4 (which is sure to be amazing) and Forza Horizon 3. So, you really have to ask yourself if it's worth spending hundreds of Pounds/Dollars/Euros to get that experience for a handful of games before Project Scorpio appears, especially since those games will still run fine on the original Xbox One.

New Console and New Controller

Admittedly, the Xbox One S does come with a pretty cool controller that seems to have incorporated everything that was extra for the Xbox One controller into one nice little package. Some changes are pretty small but welcome, like added grip to the hand rests and more durable analog sticks, while others are a little more advanced. Say goodbye to wireless adapters and sitting right in front of the TV, because the new controller has built in Bluetooth so you can play your games more easily on Windows 10 computers, and the range has been increased to where you can be across the room and play your game.

Still, as nice as the improvements are, it would be wise to really think about spending the money for the whole console just for one of these bad boys, especially since you can just buy them individually and use it with your Xbox One. If you already have the add-ons and your controller is still functioning well, then it might be worth it to wait until Project Scorpio comes out since that controller is bound to have these features, and maybe even more. Though, if you really can't wait and you need a new controller then we would suggest spending £50 versus £350.

It is Way Smaller Than its Older Brothers

Following tradition the Xbox One S is the smaller and sleeker counterpart to the Xbox One, kind of like the 360 Slim to the Xbox 360, but to a whole new extreme. Unlike the slim which was only 17% smaller than the 360 and with less memory, the Xbox One S is 40% smaller with a whole terabyte more memory! No one is going to deny that the new system looks very nice sitting on an entertainment system, but you still have to ask if size matters to you that much to go out and spend that much money. This is especially true because we have no idea what Project Scorpio looks like, so you may be paying for a smaller package just to turn around and get something a little bigger. The choice all depends on your preference.

There is no doubt that the Xbox One S is a fantastic addition to the Xbox family, and it is also a great preview for the obviously greater things to come from Project Scorpio; however, making the choice to buy one is not so cut and dry. If you own an Xbox One right now, and even own some of the accessories, you are better off just keeping it and starting a savings fund for Project Scorpio. The new benefits are amazing, but we can probably assume the next console will be a tad more expensive, so in that perspective a year is not that long to wait.

Still, there are some die hard Xbox fans out there that will always want the next console, so if you are one of them then go for it and enjoy it. Now, if you're brand spanking new to the console generations and you want to buy an Xbox right now then getting the Xbox One S is going to be your best bet. Not only will you get to get ready for Scorpio, but also when the new console does come out you will get a higher trade in value to put towards the newer model.

References:

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one-s

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/project-scorpio

Main picture by MegaMEX2001via Wiki Commons/ CC BY SA-2.0