The Xbox One S is finally official. Announced at Microsoft's E3 press conference, the Xbox One S is, as its name implies, a slimline version of the Xbox One, shrinking the console down by a massive 40%. That's quite the feat of engineering, especially when you consider that the Xbox One S also has an integrated power supply - something the original Xbox One was sorely lacking. You're also getting a lot more storage with the Xbox One S, as Microsoft confirmed it will have a massive 2TB hard disk on board, giving you even more space for all those disk-hungry new releases.
Even better, it will have a 4K Blu-ray drive and support 4K video output, allowing you to watch Netflix in 4K and use it as a 4K Blu-ray player. This is excellent news for anyone who doesn't fancy shelling out for Samsung's UBD-K8500 or Panasonic's DMP-UB900, as both of these are probably going to be around twice the price of the Xbox One S. It also has an IR blaster, so you can use your TV remote to turn down the volume and press pause as well as the standard controller options.
It won't be able to play games in 4K, mind. That's reserved for the also newly-announced Project Scorpio - Microsoft's next proper console that will launch in holiday 2017 next year. However, Microsoft did say that all Xbox One and Xbox One S games and accessories will be compatible with Project Scorpio, so anything you buy now won't be a waste of your hard-earned money.
Speaking of which, there will be a new Wireless Xbox One S Controller to accompany the console, which has a new textured grip and improved wireless range. It's not yet confirmed how much this new Wireless Controller will cost, or whether it will be included in the box, but we'll update this article as soon as we get confirmation.
Microsoft also announced the Xbox Design Lab, which will allow you to personalise your Xbox One controller with up to 8 million different customisation options. You'll be able to change the colour of the main controller, d-pad, the analogue sticks, and even have your gamer tag emblazoned on the front. It's currently unknown how much this will cost on top of the controller's normal price, but with so many different colour combinations on offer, it's certainly looks like a fun way to make your Xbox experience truly your own.
So when can you get your hands on the Xbox One S? Not long, it turns out, as Microsoft said it will launch worldwide this August. As well as the 2TB Launch Edition, which will retail in the UK for £349, there will be a 1TB Xbox One S available for £299 and a 500GB version available for £249. Whether this will prompt a price-drop for the original Xbox One or whether its predecessor will be fazed out altogether is currently unknown, but either way, the Xbox One S certainly looks like a compelling piece of kit while we wait for Scorpio to arrive next year.
