The Xbox One has a serious exclusive games problem. How can Microsoft match Sony’s stellar roster? Microsoft has given Xbox head Phil Spencer a vote of confidence, promoting him to executive vice president of gaming. In return, Spencer will be expected to solve the company’s immediate problem: The Xbox One doesn’t have enough big-name exclusives. As we tumble into the mass-consumer era of this console generation, the Xbox One is far behind the PlayStation 4 in terms of global install base. Microsoft refuses to release hardware sales numbers, but analysts we spoke to estimate the Xbox One at around 35 million, compared to the PlayStation 4 at more than 73 million. That yawning 2-to-1 disparity is unlikely to get better this year. A look at the two companies’ 2018 exclusives roster makes for grim reading, at least for Xbox fans. The Xbox One’s confirmed 2018 exclusives include State of Decay 2 , Crackdown 3 and Sea of Thieves . These are interesting games from good studios, yet all but the most rabid of fans must admit that this is a less invigorating prospect than Sony’s solid lineup. The high-profile cancellations of two Xbox One games over the past two years, in PlatinumGames’ Scalebound and Lionhead’s Fable Legends , were blows to Microsoft’s slate of exclusives. Spencer knows he’s got a problem. He said so himself. “Our ability to go create content has to be one of our strengths,” he told Bloomberg late last year. “We haven’t always invested at the same level. We’ve gone through ups and downs in the investment.” Finding the games that will energize the Xbox One is going to be the biggest challenge of his long career. Analysts’ view. We spoke to four analysts who all agreed that Microsoft needs to act soon, and that major acquisitions are by far the most likely route. “Microsoft recognizes this as an important issue,” said Piers Harding-Rolls, director of research and analysis at IHS. “Hence, Phil Spencer’s comments about investing more in delivering first-party content.” “Sony’s going to be aggressive at this stage of the hardware cycle,” said SuperData Research CEO Joost van Dreunen. “It gives the impression that Microsoft’s exclusives portfolio is pretty meager. They haven’t had that consistent content agenda like Sony has and so that’s why I think they now come up [a] little short. Some of their titles didn’t perform all that well.” Microsoft has a cash pot of at least $130 billion, boosted by recent tax cuts that heavily favor large corporations. When you consider that the market capitalization of a company like Electronic Arts is around $35 billion, it looks like a handy war chest. “Microsoft overall had a great year,” said David Cole, owner of DFC Intelligence. “But that had nothing to do with the Xbox One. For the Xbox team, they’ve got to make some pretty big strategic decisions. They need to explain a strategy for how they can be relevant going forward in the game industry.” Rumors of acquisitions are a perennially favorite pastime in the game industry. But with Microsoft’s exclusives problem, married to its lagging behind PlayStation and its pot of gold, the gossip has intensified recently. Acquisition rumors. Some of the names being thrown around as possible acquisitions by Microsoft are, frankly, astounding, even unthinkable. But the fact that they are doing the rounds is instructive. The most recent one we heard (from a reliable source close to Microsoft) was, in fact, Electronic Arts. We also heard a whisper about Valve and about Korean outfit PUBG Corp., which Microsoft last year signed to a timed exclusive for its hit survival shooter, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds . “Because of where we are in the lifecycle of all these things, I’m expecting to hear Microsoft announce something very, very shortly,” said van Dreunen. Another reason for optimism about an acquisition comes from internal shifts within Microsoft. Spencer was promoted in the fall to executive vice president, gaming, where he has a much bigger say over how video games fit into the company’s overall strategy. “He came on at a time when the Xbox One was in a bad position,” said Cole. “I think he’s made the best of a bad situation. The overall strong position of the company is positive because it gives the room to invest in gaming.” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is more enthusiastic about games and Xbox than his predecessor, Steve Ballmer, greenlighting the $2.5 billion purchase of Minecraft developer Mojang as one of his first major acquisitions in 2014. Patchy record. It’s worth looking at Microsoft’s patchy history of game industry acquisitions. Mojang was Microsoft’s first game studio acquisition since Lionhead in 2007. Lionhead was closed in 2016. Prior to that, Microsoft bought Rare in 2002. Rare has proven to be a disappointment, relegated until recently to punching out Kinect games. This year, it makes something of a return with the unusual multiplayer pirate adventure Sea of Thieves . “Sony has a lot of internal studios, and that means they are going to have more exclusive games than Microsoft,” said Michael Pachter, a senior analyst with Wedbush Securities. “Sony has always been about first party and Microsoft wanted to emulate that, but they allowed studios like Rare and Lionhead to fade away.” A promotional shot from Halo 5: Guardians . 343 Industries/Microsoft Studios. Microsoft’s biggest studio success was Bungie, which it acquired in 2000, fueling the Halo series through three generations of consoles. But Bungie is no longer a part of Microsoft. Its hit sci-fi shooter series Destiny overshadowed replacement internal studio 343 Industries’ Halo 5 . Back in 2013, while he was corporate vice president of Microsoft Studios, Spencer said he planned to open new internal studios and incubators, but these seem to have mostly come to nothing, with decent work like Project Spark fading away. Some of Microsoft’s teams do great work. Turn 10 Studios and Playground Games release a Forza Motorsport or Forza Horizon title every year, respectively. The ID@Xbox program is doing a competent job of attracting great indie games, like Cuphead . This year, a number of smaller exclusives will arrive on Xbox One, including Ashen , Deep Rock Galactic and The Darwin Project . But none of these are likely to make a difference against Sony’s behemoths. And, of course, Sony too has a strong slate of indie exclusives, including an attractive PlayStation VR lineup. No doubt, Microsoft has some secrets up its sleeve. A new Gears of War to follow The Coalition’s 2016 Gears of War 4 would be a welcome addition, but there’s no word on it, outside of a passing mention in Microsoft’s recent announcement about Xbox Game Pass. It’s possible that a studio like The Coalition is working on a big new IP, although this seems unlikely, given that company’s false start with its earlier attempt to create something new to take on Sony’s Uncharted series. And, of course, Microsoft has Mojang, but the studio’s biggest game isn’t a Microsoft exclusive — Minecraft is available on just about everything. We know there’s a new Tomb Raider game coming from Square Enix, but whether it will be a yearlong Xbox One exclusive like 2015’s Rise of the Tomb Raider is an open question. Commercially, it’s more difficult to argue for this than it was earlier in this console generation. Rumors are knocking around that shooter brand Perfect Dark might make a comeback. British studio Electric Square is staffing up significantly to work on an Xbox One exclusive. Looking forward. Certainly, we can expect something at E3 this year. In November, Xbox publishing manager Shannon Loftis told GameSpot: “I think our offering is good and it is solid. I definitely hear that gamers want more. Would we love to have two-dozen more super-strong exclusives? You bet. We do have more coming; more that are in the works that we’re not talking about now.” But it will take a lot to close the perceived quality gap with Sony, positioning Microsoft as a viable contender in this generation. After all, it now faces a serious threat from Nintendo’s runaway success with the Switch, which that company is achieving through exclusive games as well as smart hardware design. “On top of PlayStation 4’s continued success, the Switch had an incredible year,” noted Cole. “Once Microsoft falls behind, they may start to be seen as a secondary platform.” All this brings us back to the potential for an acquisition that might give Microsoft a pool of development talent, some great new IP and potentially, big new games ready at hand for release on Xbox One. Tomorrow, we’ll look at the most (and the least) likely targets of a big Microsoft acquisition. Microsoft Xbox One S review: Xbox One S is the best Xbox you might not want to buy. Xbox One S is the best Xbox yet. The Xbox One S is the most feature-filled console Microsoft has ever made, but that doesn't mean you should buy it. by Jeff Bakalar. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15. Microsoft Xbox One S (1TB) 7 Related Models. Hot Products. Apple iPhone X. Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Google Home Mini. Google Pixel 2 XL. The Good The Xbox One S is a slick looking game console that's 40 percent smaller than the original and ditches the infamously gigantic power brick. It can display 4K video from streaming services and Ultra HD Blu-rays, and supports HDR contrast on video and games. The updated controller works with other Bluetooth devices, too. The Bad 4K, Ultra HD Blu-ray and HDR settings only work with newer TVs, and may require some trial and error. The updated controller feels cheaper than its predecessor. Project Scorpio, the more powerful Xbox One successor, arrives in late 2017. The Bottom Line The Xbox One S is the console Microsoft should have delivered three years ago, but there's little reason to upgrade if you already own the original box. Review Sections. CNET Gaming Consoles Microsoft Xbox One S. Update 8/4/16: Several spec teardown reports have uncovered slight difference in the graphical hardware performance of Xbox One S. Specifically, Xbox One S has a small GPU clock increase of 914 MHz from 853 MHz and an ESRAM bandwidth increase of 219 GB/s from 204 GB/s. These bumps are only noticeable in-game in a small number of situations. In fact, they exist only as an bonus side effect of Microsoft ensuring HDR content performs without a hitch. This is more like it. The Xbox One S is the version of the console that Microsoft should've first released back in 2013 instead of the lumbering beast that we got. It's better in a number of ways, making it even more of a worthy alternative to Sony's PlayStation 4. Xbox One S offers a far more attractive enclosure, options for a bigger hard drive, a slightly redesigned controller and some video perks for owners of 4K TVs. It starts at $300, £250 or AU$400 for the 500GB version; $350, £300 or AU$500 for a 1TB model; and $400, £350 or AU$549 for 2TB. That last model is available to buy as of today in the US (and includes the vertical stand that otherwise costs $20 when purchased separately in the US), while those with the smaller hard drives will be available later in August, bundled with games such as Madden 17 and Halo. (Additional bundles will follow later in the year -- including a pricier 2TB Gears of War 4 version in October -- and may vary by region.) Sounds like a slam dunk, right? Unfortunately, it's never that simple. The One S doesn't get an across-the-board "buy it now" recommendation for two reasons. First off, it doesn't deliver huge improvements for anyone who already owns an Xbox One. But more importantly, Microsoft has already promised that the next Xbox -- dubbed Project Scorpio -- will be arriving in late 2017 with with the seriously amped-up graphics and VR-ready hardware that audiences are clamoring for. When it's all said and done, the Xbox One S should be primarily viewed as a slimmed-down version of the Xbox One that introduces a mildly updated controller and provisions for 4K display. It's not going to warp you into a state-of-the-art gaming experience. Pragmatically, you're probably better off nabbing an older Xbox One, which are now being sold at fire-sale prices. But if you are getting an Xbox One for the first time, have an interest in the bundled games and aren't saving your pennies for 2017's Project Scorpio, the One S is certainly a good all-round gaming and entertainment deal. What's new in the Xbox One S. There's a short but significant list of improvements and changes to the Xbox One S. Smaller, cleaner design: To start, it's 40 percent smaller, which considering its power supply is now internal, is impressive. It's also stark white, with some slick plastic moldings flanking the entirety of the box. I think it's the best-looking Xbox Microsoft has ever designed. The One S can also stand vertically, too. The 2TB model we received for review packs in a stand. If you buy one of the other models, you can get the stand separately for $20. 4K and HDR video: Xbox One S gets a fairly beefy upgrade on its video capabilities, with 4K resolution (3,840x2,160, or four times as sharp as standard 1080p HDTVs) and HDR (high dynamic range, which is basically enhanced contrast and color). Keep in mind: those features only work on compatible TVs and 4K functionality only works with a small but growing list of compatible video content. 4K can currently be accessed through streaming video services such as Amazon and Netflix (as long as you have the bandwidth to support it and pay for their premium tier) and those new 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs. Certain games, meanwhile, will eventually be able to take advantage of HDR visual improvements, but don't look for PC-like 4K graphics -- the games are merely upscaled to 4K. So no, you're not getting native 4K gaming out of an Xbox One S. In fact, only a limited number of games will feature HDR and none of them are out yet. They are Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3 and 2017's Scalebound. New controller design: The Xbox One controller has been updated for the S, too. It has a more streamlined top section, better range and textured grips. It can also use Bluetooth to connect, which opens the door for compatibility with other devices -- no more annoying dongles, at least on Bluetooth-compatible PCs. The One S controller (right), compared with its predecessor. Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of the new controller's design. It's not a drastic departure from the original, but there's just enough of a change to make it feel cheaper. The plastic textured grips don't feel good the way rubberized ones do, but thankfully the triggers seem unchanged. The D-pad also feels slightly less tactile -- I even noticed differences between two of the new controllers side by side. IR blaster and receiver: Still present is the IR port for controlling the console with a remote, but the Xbox One S also features an integrated IR blaster to control or power on other devices in the room. And it still does everything the old Xbox One does: The good news is that you're not losing anything with the Xbox One S compared with its predecessor. Around back the console offers a lot of the same ports as the original Xbox One, though noticeably absent is a dedicated Kinect port. You can still attach Kinect to the Xbox One S, you'll just need a special $40 (!) adapter. Either way, the omission of a Kinect port should give you an idea of how that peripheral is regarded at Microsoft HQ. HDMI-in and -out ports are still there, so you can still make use of the Xbox One's live TV integration if that's something that appeals to you, but I never found it overly useful. Suffice it to say, the One S plays all existing Xbox One games, and a growing list of Xbox 360 games. It also includes all of the encouraging software improvements Microsoft has made over the past few years, including the redesigned interface, support for the Cortana digital assistant (using a microphone headset), compatibility with the Windows Store and, soon, additional cross-play options with Windows PC gamers on certain titles. 4K and HDR scorecard. I want to personally thank the Xbox One S for introducing me to the hot mess that is the world of 4K and HDR formats. I considered myself fairly fluent in the language of home theater, but I was bewildered at the insane of amount of granularity and confusion that the format is currently plagued with. Hot Products. Apple iPhone X. The best iPhone asks you to think different. Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Excellent, powerful -- and pricey. Google Home Mini. Google Home Mini sounds great but lacks vision. Google Pixel 2 XL. Google Pixel 2 XL: What we know so far. August Smart Lock (2017) August's affordable Smart Lock is solid, even sans Siri. This week on CNET News. Discuss Microsoft Xbox One S. Be respectful, keep it clean and stay on topic. We'll remove comments that violate our policy. Xbox Design Lab. Starting at $79.99 with free shipping. Pick your team. Make it yours. Xbox Design Lab. Green Bay Packers. Choose your team. New England Patriots. Choose your team. Pittsburgh Steelers. 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News - 4 hours, 15 minutes According to Blizzard's online store, the Shanghai Dragons jersey is the most popular, followed by the LA Gladiators. Read More. Overwatch League Jerseys. Slideshow - 4 hours, 35 minutes Read More. Respawn's Star Wars Game Could Be Released by March 2020, EA Unsure When Battlefront 3 Will Be Released. News - 5 hours, 12 minutes EA offers a small update on the future of its Star Wars games. Read More. Star Wars Battlefront II Misses Sales Expectations, Microtransactions Will Return 'In the Next Few Months' News - 5 hours, 35 minutes After falling 1 milion short on projected sales, loot boxes will make a comeback to Battlefront 2. Read More. EA Confirms New Battlefield for 2018, Anthem Officially Coming in 2019. News - 6 hours, 45 minutes Electronic Arts has confirmed previous reports that BioWare's upcoming… Read More. Overwatch Patch Nerfs Mercy and Junkrat. News - 7 hours, 23 minutes Recent changes from the PTR server have been implemented on PC and console. Read More. Battlefield 1: Apocalypse DLC Details Revealed. News - 13 hours, 21 minutes Battlefield 1 Apocalyse expansion has two exclusive aerial maps and a new aerial mode. Read More. PUBG: Latest Xbox One Update Balances Vehicle Gameplay. News - 16 hours, 21 minutes Updates to the Xbox One and PC versions make fairly different changes. Read More. The Esports Highlights of the Week for January 29. News - 22 hours, 59 minutes Counter-Strike produced some of the most thrilling esports viewing ever this week! Read More. Kingdom Hearts 3 Director Will Appear at Union X Fan Event. News - 1 day, 1 hour The fan event will be held in April at the House of Blues Anaheim in Anaheim, California. Read More. 15 Games Every Dark Souls Fan Should Play. Feature - 1 day, 8 hours Whether you prefer precision-based combat, huge, secret-filled worlds, compelling boss fights, or a combination of each, there's something here for everyone. Read More. Independent UK Retailer Consider Boycott of Xbox Products in Wake of Game Pass Announcement. News - 1 day, 9 hours Xbox Game Pass is "fantastic" for consumers, but "kills [retail] outright," retailers have said. Read More. Monster Hunter World Gets Street Fighter 5 Ryu and Sakura Costumes. News - 1 day, 11 hours Monster Hunter World and Street Fighter 5 crossover continues with early access to Ryu costumes for PS4 players with SF5 save. Read More. Sea of Thieves Datamine Reveals Probable Features in the Full Game. News - 1 day, 12 hours The Sea of Thieves closed beta has been datamined to reveal a hidden list of features planned for the full release. Read More. Dragon Ball FighterZ: Datamine Seems to Reveal DLC Characters. News - 1 day, 13 hours 8 avatars and 2 game modes have possibly been discovered. Read More. Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition Gets a Release Date. News - 1 day, 14 hours The chibi remake will arrive on the App Store and Google Play in February. Read More. Assassin's Creed: Origins Will Get a New Game Plus Mode. News - 1 day, 14 hours A community manager reached out to fans on Reddit to confirm that the heavily requested mode. Read More. Monster Hunter World: 5 Million Copies Shipped in 3 Days. News - 1 day, 15 hours Capcom's monster-slaying epic has made a very solid sales start. Read More. Capcom Offering £50,000 for Evidence of Real-Life Monsters. News - 1 day, 15 hours Prove the existence of one of ten real-life mysteries and get some very nice loot. Read More. 10 Cryptids to Catch. Elon Musk's 'Sentient' Flamethrower Could Be in Borderlands 3. News - 1 day, 16 hours Randy Pitchford wants The Boring Company's flamethrower in his next big game. Read More. Monster Hunter World Dev Looking Into Matchmaking Issues on Xbox One. News - 2 days, 1 hour The development team at Capcom is currently looking into the matchmaking issues players are having on Xbox One. Read More. How to Make the Most Out Of Monster Hunter World's Crafting System. News - 2 days, 8 hours The tips will help you become a regular Tim Taylor of the Monster Hunter World. or Al Borland if you're not into being electrocuted. Read More. Fortnite Party Service Down, Epic Working on Fix. News - 3 days, 6 hours You can't play a match with friends currently, but Epic Games is actively looking to resolve the issue. Read More. Editor's Picks. The Rock's 10 Best Movies. We break down Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson's 10 best roles. Xbox One online safety and privacy settings for parents and children. Xbox One has age-appropriate controls and settings that you can adjust to suit your family’s needs. Access these settings from either Xbox.com or an Xbox One console—though you can only change content and app settings from the console. From Xbox.com. Change privacy and safety settings for you or a child. Sign in to the adult's Microsoft account at Xbox.com. If you’ve forgotten your account email address or password, see the Lost Account Solution or the Lost Password Solution. Due to the secure nature of these settings, you may be asked to enter a security code that we’ll send to the alternate phone number or email address previously saved to your account. Select the account you want to look at. Review the settings currently in place and update those you want to change. Save your changes on each tab before moving on to the next. From your Xbox One console. Change privacy and safety settings for you or a child. Sign in to your Xbox. (If you’re changing the settings for a child, sign in using an adult’s account.) Scroll left on the Home screen to open the guide. Select Settings > All Settings. For your account: Under Privacy & online safety , select Xbox Live privacy . Choose a default, or customize your settings by selecting View details & customize. For a child’s account: Under Account , select Family . Enter your password or passkey, and then select the account you want to update. Select Privacy & online safety , and then choose the default settings, or customize by selecting View details & customize. Manage app privacy settings. When you download apps from Microsoft Store, each app requires permission to access data from your console. On your Xbox One console, select Settings > Privacy & online safety > App privacy . Choose from the list what you’d like to give permission for by selecting the check boxes. If you’re signed in with a child account, you’ll need your parent to sign in and give permission for apps to access your data. Sign in with an adult’s account. Go to Settings > Family . Select the child account you’d like to manage, and go to Privacy & online safety > App privacy to give permission. If multiple gamers are signed in, apps can only access data everyone has given permission for. When you give apps permission on a console, it’s only saved on that console. If you use multiple consoles, make sure you give your apps permission on all your consoles. Xbox One S vs Xbox One: Time to upgrade? Xbox One S vs Xbox One: Is it worth buying either console with Xbox One X now the most powerful console on the market? TrustedReviews has collected everything you need to know. Xbox One S isn’t a significant upgrade over the Xbox One, but does provide some cool benefits. Owners now have access to HDR support and a 4K blu-ray player, something PS4 Pro sorely left out. To put things simply, if you already own the original console there isn’t much incentive to upgrade. Sure, there’s the addition of HDR and 4K blu-ray support, but you’ll need an impressive 4KTV to make any use of these features. If you don’t already own one, though, it’s definitely worth considering a purchase. However, with Xbox One X out now, it makes things a little more complicated. TrustedReviews has broken down everything you need to know about the two consoles below, for anybody considering picking it up. Xbox One S Price: How much should you pay? With the Xbox One now discontinued and Microsoft continuing with the two main consoles of One S and One X, the One S has become significantly cheaper. Bundles are available for as littles as £200, which could go lower in sales. Xbox One S is 40% smaller with built-in power supply. The Xbox One S is 40% smaller than the original – a considerable reduction. Given that the original Xbox One is a chunky machine – at 333mm x 276mm x 78mm, it dominates the comparatively slight PS4 – this is an important change. However, PS4 Slim gives Xbox One S a run for its money in terms of sheer dimensions. Plus the power supply is now built-in. So, 40% smaller and no bulky power supply? That’s a pretty big tick in favour of the Xbox One S. 4K Ultra HD, 4K Blu-ray and High Dynamic Range support. Arguably the standout feature for Xbox One S. Not only does the Xbox One S support 4K video playback from streaming services like Netflix and Amazon, it’s also a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player. This makes the $299/£249 starting price excellent value compared to dedicated Ultra HD players currently available. Our testing suggests the Xbox One S is a more than competent Ultra HD Blu-ray player, so AV fans should hold no fears in that regard. While the original Xbox One is technically capable of supporting 4K gaming and video, it has an HDMI 1.4a port, meaning it can only output 4K at 30Hz, which is very limiting. The Xbox One adds support for HDMI 2.0a, so it now supports proper 4K 60Hz output. Sign up for the newsletter. Get news, competitions and special offers direct to your inbox. Xbox One S has a slight performance bump. Much like PS4 Pro, the Xbox One S is not the beginning of a new console generation, but an expansion of a platform we already know and love. But it does offer a very slight improvement over its predecessor. The Coalition head Rod Fergusson revealed to Polygon that his team had taken advantage of additional raw GPU and CPU power for Gears of War 4 , to improve frame rates. Ferguson claimed his engineers have been able to, as Polygon puts it, “leverage the additional power to reduce the frequency of the frame rate or resolution penalties.” A Microsoft spokesperson then confirmed, via The Verge, “We have the same SoC architecture as Xbox One today. “For games that want to take advantage of HDR, we gave developers access to a small amount of additional processing power.” Overall though, don’t expect games to look noticeably different on Xbox One S to Xbox One thanks to the additional power, instead only getting minor stability improvements. Xbox One S can upscale games to 4K. The upscaling capabilities of the Xbox One S were revealed by Jeff Henshaw, Group Program Manager at Xbox at an E3 session . Henshaw said: “It’s not native 4K, but the Xbox One S can upscale games from 1080p to 4K.” It means the Xbox One S will be able to offer gaming at a higher resolution than its predecessor, although it won’t quite be as good as native 4K. In our review, we found the Xbox One S is good at upscaling games and 4K video content – better than the TV we tested on. It can be stored upright. That’s great news, though the stand is an optional extra, unless you buy the 2TB model, which includes a stand. There’s no dedicated Kinect port. Not a huge surprise, given its increasing irrelevance, though owners who want to use Kinect can do say via a USB adapter. The adapter is sold seperately and can be ordered directly from Microsoft. Don’t expect any new Kinect games on the horizon, though. But there is an IR blaster. In the place of a dedicated Kinect port, the Xbox One S comes with an integrated IR (infrared) blaster. That means you can configure your Xbox One S to turn on other devices, like your TV, audio/video receiver, and cable or satellite receiver. The idea is that you can reduce the number of remotes you need to control your stuff. New controller adds Bluetooth. Not content with the already excellent Xbox One controller, or the incredible Xbox One Elite Controller, Microsoft’s unveiled the Xbox One S controller as well. The pad has a new textured grip, exchangeable colour covers, extended range and – most importantly – now has Bluetooth so you can use it with a PC wirelessly. Xbox One S vs Xbox One: Should you upgrade? There’s no doubt the new Xbox One S is a better all around console than its predecessor. Not only does it slim down the original console’s bulky frame, the Xbox One S comes with a load of features that make a far more desirable device. Firstly, you get a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player. Currently, those things will cost you upwards of £400 on their own. Secondly, you can stream 4K at the proper 60 Hz in HDR from apps such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video. Plus, there’s even a slight performance boost. The console benefits from extra processing power, too. It probably isn’t worth it for most Xbox One owners if you don’t care about 4K video, but it looks like a good upgrade if you fancy getting into Ultra HD Blu-ray. And if you don’t already own an Xbox One, the smaller size and great features make it very tempting indeed. But what about Xbox One X? While at the tail end of 2016 the choice between the two consoles seemed like a no-brainer, as we move closer the the supposed “holiday 2017” launch date of the Xbox One X, the proposition becomes even trickier. There’s still so much we don’t know about Microsoft’s all-powerful machine – most importantly, how much it will cost – but the fact this unit will represent a significant upgrade over anything that has come before it means that the idea of buying an Xbox One as a first-time buyer now becomes a bit of a tough sell. With Microsoft fully unveiling the Xbox One X at E3, it’s now easier decide whether you’re willing to wait for the next big thing. Will you be buying or upgrading to an Xbox One S? Let us know in the comments. Xbox One S. Sections. Page 1 Xbox One S Page 2 Specifications and features Page 3 UHD Blu-ray, HDR and Verdict. Smaller than Xbox One 4K game upscaling It's a cheap UHD Blu-ray player HDR compatible Improved, grippy controller. Not native 4K in games. Key Features. Review Price: £350.00 4K games upscaling HDR 10 support HDMI 2.0 UHD Blu-ray HDR gaming compatibility 2TB storage. What is the Xbox One S? Microsoft has released a new Xbox, although it’s not exactly a new console. The Xbox One S is a subtle upgrade to the existing Xbox One, rather than a proper successor. Don’t be fooled, though, because it has more than a few surprises in store. While the Xbox One S is deep down the same console Microsoft released in 2013, there have been significant changes. It’s far slicker and prettier, fixing many of the original console’s aesthetic issues. It also adds 4K and high dynamic range (HDR), which means your games and videos can make the most of the latest TVs. It doesn’t offer the big graphical bump of the PS4 Pro. Nor does it benefit from the major horsepower boost of the next-generation Xbox One X. But what it does have may make it the best-selling console of 2016: it’s the most affordable UHD Blu-ray player on the market. The Xbox One S is the only console to play 4K Blu-rays. This could make the Xbox One S a surprise hit with movie fans on a budget, who are looking for an inexpensive way to enjoy 4K content. It could help rocket 4K Blu-ray sales too, in the same way the Sony PS3 did with standard Blu-rays. What’s more, it’s actually a decent UHD Blu-ray player. Xbox One S – Design and Controller. The Xbox One has had a total makeover, and it’s a huge improvement. Microsoft hasn’t confirmed what the “S” stands for, but we’re taking a guess at “slim”. The case is 40% smaller, which makes the Xbox One S only a little bigger than a PlayStation 4, and smaller than the dinkiest of mini-ITX PCs. This is particularly impressive given that the power supply is now integrated. No longer will you need to find extra space to squeeze in a massive power brick on the side. It’s also possible that S is for “sexy”. Suddenly an Xbox is the most attractive thing in my AV rack, and that’s not something I ever expected to write. The chunky air conditioner-style grilles have been replaced with a subtle pinhole design. The original’s glossy black plastic, which was a dust magnet and suffered scratches way too easily, has also been ditched. The Xbox One S is matte all over, and has a Stormtrooper chic thanks to its white with black accents. I like it, but some may find a bright white box too conspicuous. I’m sure it won’t be long before other colours appear; there’s already a limited edition blood red Gears of War 4-themed version on the way. Sign up for the newsletter. Get news, competitions and special offers direct to your inbox. There are plenty of less obvious tweaks too, but they’re welcome nonetheless. The power switch is now a physical button, which is a lot less susceptible to accidental activation than the Xbox One’s touch-sensitive offering. There is a USB port and a controller-pairing button at the front, where before they were hidden away at the side. Can the new Xbox One please stand up? Yes it can. The old Xbox One could only be placed flat, but the One S can be flipped over onto its side. You’ll need a plastic base to hold it up for ventilation purposes. This comes bundled with the 2TB edition, but otherwise it’s sold for an extra £20. The controller has been tweaked, too. It feels half way between the basic Xbox One pad and the super-expensive Xbox One Elite Controller. It retains the ergonomic shape of the previous model, but the rear now benefits from a more grippy texture. Apparently, exchangeable colour covers are an option too. I’m not particularly bothered about pimping up my controller, but I’m a fan of the added traction. I played Star Wars: Battlefront plenty during testing, and I found the controller upped my game. The finish made it a little easier to maintain a stable grip while fighting rebel scum, and my accuracy improved. I died less in manic moments, where a quick combat roll can make all the difference. The thumb sticks are made of a new material, supposedly more capable of withstanding punishment. Only time (and abuse) will tell how tough it is, but I didn’t feel any difference in use. As for power, the pad works on AA batteries. They last a good while, so I don’t mind them. Some people prefer the Sony PS4 controller’s built-in battery approach. It may be more environmentally friendly, but the battery has proved to be poor and I’m forever having to plug it in. I wish Microsoft would ship controllers with its “Play and Charge” kits – it would be a good compromise. Thankfully, Microsoft has finally added Bluetooth functionality to the controller. This won’t be a big deal to Xbox users, but will be a godsend for PC gamers looking for a decent gaming pad. Now PC gamers can use Xbox controllers without shelling out for an Xbox USB Wireless Controller Adapter. Xbox One X review: A console packed with raw potential waiting to be fulfilled. Leading up to the announcement of the Xbox One X, prominent analysts and commentators said that anything above $399 would be a death sentence for the console, despite all the technology crammed into the box. Even when you disregard the Xbox One X's $499 pricepoint, and when you factor in the price of the 4K television required to use it optimally, you know this isn't a console for everyone. If you're looking to buy an Xbox One X, you can't just consider the 4K box itself. You also have to consider the ecosystem attached to it: games, media, and beyond. Unlike purchasing a gaming PC, with a console purchase, you're also locking yourself into a specific storefront. You're also trading the potential versatility of Windows for the out-of-the-box usability of a closed, standardized hardware ecosystem. The Xbox One X and Xbox landscape are a whole lot different than the original Xbox One in 2013. If you're already a diehard Xbox fan, Microsoft knows you're going to buy this box. But for lapsed fans who left the platform for PlayStation 4 at the start of this generation, or Microsoft ecosystem users looking to jump in for the first time, the Xbox One X is by no means a guaranteed win. Here's why. Xbox One X tech specs. Xbox Wireless Controller. one-month Xbox Game Pass trial. 14-day Xbox Live Gold trial. Hardware features and design. There's no denying how powerful the Xbox One X is. It's virtually impossible to create an equivalent gaming PC at this price point, even when you disregard some of the console's additional aspects like UHD Blu-ray and its uniquely compact design. The Xbox One X is, in fact, the smallest Xbox ever made, featuring a slimmer depth profile than that of its standard HD brother. Like previous consoles, the Xbox One X's design is intentionally unremarkable. It's a black box, designed to disappear in among your other TV peripherals in your media center. The reverse has a grill to promote air flow, and the Blu-ray drive has changed position slightly from that of the S, hidden neatly under the larger top section. The most remarkable thing about the physical design is the amount of power Microsoft managed to squeeze into such a small space. Like the S, the X can be positioned vertically, but as of writing, there's no official stand for the standard edition Xbox One X, which might prove annoying for some. However, there are some third-party options already popping up. Overall, the most remarkable thing about the physical design is the amount of power Microsoft managed to squeeze into such a small space. Microsoft pioneered new computing methods to get the most out of the X's hardware, boosting memory bandwidth and overall computing capabilities in the process. The customized chips help the X punch above its weight range, combined with powerful cooling techniques and some industry-leading design principles, ported across from Microsoft's billion-dollar Surface PC line. Speaking of cooling, the Xbox One X is never blisteringly hot to the touch when it's running 4K games, and considering it has an internal PSU and 6TF of computational power, that's an achievement. The top portion gets a little warm, but it's by no means worrisome. The reverse vents dissipate heat well, just make sure that your X is going to be properly ventilated. At peak, you're looking at around 155 degrees F (68 degress C). Despite all that cooling, it's also silent. My external HDD is louder than the console. My Razer Blade laptop, by comparison, sounds like a jet engine even running games at just 1080p, with the One X coming in at just 42 dBA during peak loads. The Xbox One X is warmest at the back of the box, where the heat is ventilated. As you can see from the top image, the X (left) definitely runs hotter than the S (right). As far as ports are concerned, Xbox One S owners will find the Xbox One X familiar. Two rear-facing USB 3.0 ports are joined by a front-facing port. There's your standard glowing power button, an Xbox Wireless pairing button, SPDIF optical audio, a port for Ethernet, and the return of HDMI-in and -out. Like the S, there's no Kinect port, as Microsoft recently announced its support of the peripheral is coming to an end. While the ports are familiar, some of the features, at least where HDMI is concerned, will be exclusive to the Xbox One X. The new box will eventually support HDMI 2.1 via a firmware update, which brings a potentially crucial feature in the form of Variable Refresh Rates (VRR). VRR over HDMI is going to be a staple of the next generation of TVs and displays, and several Xbox One X games are already advertised on the store as supporting VRR. While you won't really be able to take advantage of this on day one, the X is futureproofed for this standard. What VRR does is synchronize the frame rate of the game directly with the display. At the moment, if your game isn't able to output frames at the speed of your display, you will either get a dropped or torn frame, known as screen tearing. VRR solves this by updating your display only when it receives an image from your console, leading to a far smoother, higher-quality experience. While we can't test this today, the Xbox One X will be the only console that does this for the foreseeable future. Overall, it's hard to argue against the quality of the Xbox One X's physical attributes at this price point. But a console is only as good as its software and services. Software and media. For the most part, the Xbox One X OS is identical to that of Xbox One S. You might think the beefier hardware in the X might lead to an even snappier experience, but if there are any performance gains, they're almost imperceptible. The main difference between the Xbox One X and S in terms of OS features is a flashy new boot animation, which celebrates the Scorpio engine and the powerful internals Microsoft baked into this device. Additionally, the Xbox One X can record video games in 4K with HDR. Right now, the best solutions for achieving this functionality are often quite expensive or PCI-e based, designed for desktop computers. For Microsoft to include such powerful recording features in the X, which now supports external 60 minute captures to a separate HDD, is truly laudable. Sadly, you can still only share 1080p clips on Xbox Live, and the 4K HDR screenshots are difficult to work with, outputting as .JXR and .PNG files that need to be combined to be viewed outside of the console. Hopefully, Microsoft will fix this in the future, because it's pretty silly. It doesn't feel like Microsoft is 'all-in' on 4K content. If you're unfamiliar with the Xbox One OS, it was recently updated to promote speed and usability. You can access a special Guide menu from anywhere, whether it's TV, movies, apps, or games, giving you access to friends lists, Xbox achievements and beyond. For Xbox One X buyers, the greatest feature is the fact you can back up your entire Xbox One to an external HDD, and simply move the whole thing to the X on launch day. There's no huge fuss during set up, except for an 800MB update. On the media side of things, Microsoft emphasized the amount of apps that now support 4K video. You have the UHD Blu-ray player obviously, and offerings like Netflix and Amazon Video. If you're in the U.S., there will be even more 4K-capable services. It is, however, incredibly annoying, that Microsoft itself isn't leading the charge on 4K digital distribution for TV and movies. If you're someone who has been investing in digital movies from the Windows and Xbox stores for years, the amount of 4K content to purchase on those storefronts is anemic. You can count a number of 4K movies available to buy from Microsoft on one hand, as of writing, and there's little indication this is going to change in the near future. They're also ridiculously expensive. It doesn't feel like Microsoft is as "all-in" on 4K content as it might like us to think. Apple recently announced that movies purchased through iTunes would be updated to 4K for free. In this case, Apple TV dominates the Xbox One X as a 4K media center. But ultimately, you're likely here for the gaming, not the media experience. Xbox One X gaming. At the time of writing, there's only a handful of games available to demo with Xbox One X enhancements, but Microsoft is aiming to get around 70 titles up during launch week, with over 150 in the roadmap. We'll be focusing on the games we have had hands and eyes on, including Gears of War 4, Assassin's Creed: Origins, and Killer Instinct. Make no mistake, with the right TV and the right games, the Xbox One X will blow your mind. First, let's describe exactly how the Xbox One X handles its "Xbox One Enhanced" games, because it's not entirely straightforward. The first thing to note is it's up to developers whether games get enhanced specifically to take advantage of the Xbox One X horsepower. But that's not the full story. Make no mistake, with the right TV and the right games, the Xbox One X will blow your mind. Games that have been developed with change resilience in mind, namely dynamic resolution scaling, will have an edge on the Xbox One X, achieving their target resolutions and frame rates more often. The speedier HDD will also help with load times, so you will get a better experience from the X, even when a game hasn't been patched. Playing an unpatched Assassin's Creed Origins was noticeably better on the X, with more consistent frame rates. Beyond that, the Xbox One X will enlist supersampling techniques to render more beautiful images on enhanced games, even on 1080p displays, and developers are taking advantage of the ability to include different graphics settings to boost things like frame rate and general quality over resolution, acknowledging that not everyone will have a 4K display. At least for the games we have available now, the difference between a supersampled 4K image on a 1080p display is quite hard to discern, frankly. There are simply not enough pixels to showcase the full beauty of a 4K image on a 1080p display. The amount of raw potential in the Xbox One X is staggering. You will see improvements to textures, foliage density, and draw distances, when developers focus their efforts on physical upgrades, rather than flat resolution bumps. On 1080p displays, perhaps the best use of the X horsepower is when developers transform a 30 frames per second (FPS) game to 60 FPS, as we've seen with Rise of the Tomb Raider and Gears of War 4. It's far more dramatic a difference than the supersampled 1080p images, so hopefully developers will continue to offer 60 FPS modes where possible. There's a lot of "hopefully," in this section, and that's because a lot of the features and capabilities of the Xbox One X rely so heavily on what developers do with the hardware. As a gamer, you will want to know whether or not your investment in the console is going to pan out in terms of support from third-parties, and it's hard to say at this point. In games, you'll be able to see finer and distant details far more easily on 4K enhanced titles. For the games that are supported, the Xbox One X achieves things previously only possible with higher-end gaming laptops and custom-built desktop PCs, such as native 4K visuals, occasionally with 60 FPS frame rates. Throw in HDR lighting on a high-quality TV, and games like Gears of War 4 simply look vivid, next-gen, and almost frighteningly immersive. Higher resolution textures supported by millions of extra pixels create a sharper image across the board, particularly in the details of distant objects or intricate designs, such as the textures on enemies and weapons. HDR gives the game some truly dramatic lighting, which elevates the campaign's cinematic qualities far beyond what the standard Xbox One is capable of. Another game that sports truly noticeable improvements, surprisingly, is 2008's Fallout 3. Microsoft is working to tidy up some of the Xbox 360's classic games, some of which really struggled on the old console. Fallout 3 on the X now looks like its maxed-out PC counterpart, which gives the classic title a new lease on life. Gears of War 4 and Fallout 3 are both great examples of the Xbox One X's capabilities, but having played Assassin's Creed Origins at 4K, it is the best looking game I've ever seen, particularly since I've been slugging through the blurry Xbox One S version over the past few days. The extra pixels pushed by the X produce crystalline scenery that showcases games at their absolute best. It's about the glistening, intricate architecture of forgotten catacombs in Rise of the Tomb Raider, the detailed reflection of the pock-marked moon as you trek through Gears of War 4's ruins, and the sand-blasted hieroglyphs on an Assassin's Creed Origins ancient temple. The amount of raw potential in the Xbox One X is staggering. It's hard to talk about gaming potential on the Xbox One X without mentioning virtual reality (VR), or in Microsoft's case, Windows Mixed Reality. Microsoft originally touted VR as a driving factor behind the Xbox One X's specs, but since then all mention of VR has gradually disappeared from the console's marketing. As of writing, there's no Mixed or VR content available for the Xbox One platform, and Microsoft says its focus for WMR is on PC right now. It's a safe bet we won't see VR on the Xbox One X any time soon either. The 4K resolution makes such a huge difference, though, and that's frustratingly difficult to demonstrate in an article or a video unless you're viewing it on a large 4K display yourself. So, the million-dollar question: Is it worth the price of admission? Xbox One X review conclusion. Games on the Xbox One X, on a decent 4K display, are truly awe-inspiring. The big studios pushing the technology to its full utilization are ushering the next leap for console gaming, offering an experience that, up until now, was restricted to higher-end PCs. That's the thing about the Xbox One X – it's remarkably gimmick-free. There's no Kinect, there's no VR or holograms. It's razor-focused on delivering the best console gaming experience possible, and as long as Microsoft is able to produce the full amount of developer support it claims to have, Redmond will have achieved its aims. The biggest question marks hanging over the Xbox One X have less to do with the console itself, and more to do with the ecosystem. There is very little 4K video support on the Microsoft Store, from a company that seems increasingly risk-averse and unexciting in the consumer space, killing consumer products, services, and games with worrying frequency. After experiencing a game with Xbox One X enhancements, particularly 4K, it's truly hard to go back to standard HD. What will Xbox One X support look like in a year? What exclusive photorealistic games are on the way that will use the X to its full potential? Microsoft doesn't answer any of those questions, putting the onus on third-party developers and old (sometimes very old) games to do the heavylifting in the short term. There's 150 plus games on the way, but we don't have a definitive roadmap for launch week, and it's something you should be aware of. Stalking Egypt in 4K in Assassin's Creed Origins or battling waves of grotesque monsters in Gears of War 4 proves the sheer genius of the Xbox engineering team, allowing console gamers to experience truly high-end gaming for the first time without an expensive gaming PC rig. The difference isn't big enough to make me want to go back and play old games though, and there's no concrete information on when more recent games on the enhancement list will get the 4K boost. After experiencing a game with Xbox One X enhancements, particularly in 4K, it's simply hard to go back to standard HD. There are no doubts about the hardware potential. It's just that as of writing, it's hard to know for sure how much waiting you'll have to do to see the console and that expensive 4K display achieve their money's worth. And that's unfortunate. With the hardware totally nailed, it all depends on how much faith you're willing to put in Microsoft to deliver those games, and how long you're willing to wait for that promised 4K content. Incredible 4K potential. Future-proofed for VR and FreeSync VRR. Amazing power in a tidy package. Xbox One X Enhanced games are relentlessly immersive. Little 4K media in the Xbox Store, and what is there is expensive. Price of entry is high when combined with a 4K TV. The timing of future 4K game patches is unclear. Xbox One X launches on November 7, 2017 for $499. This review was conducted using units provided by Microsoft. Jez Corden. Jez Corden is a Senior Editor for Windows Central, focusing on Windows 10, Surface, Xbox, and gaming. He drinks a lot of tea, and I mean a lot . Follow on Twitter, Mixer and Instagram and SoundCloud. Free Xbox One And 360 Games With Gold For November 2017 Available Now. Free is a nice price. Last updated by Eddie Makuch on November 15, 2017 at 2:52AM. Please enter your date of birth to view this video. By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's. You are now subscribed. We're now comfortably into November, and if you haven't already claimed them, that means the next set of Xbox One and Xbox 360 Games With Gold titles are waiting for you. A total of four games across the two platforms will be available over the course of the month, as well as one that's stuck around from last month. Xbox One owners can now pick up the racing game TrackMania Turbo, while puzzler The Turing Test, a holdover from October, will continue to be free through November 15. On Xbox 360, the Sega Saturn remake Nights Into Dreams is available at the low, low price of free for the first of the month. Later this week, starting on November 16, Tales From The Borderlands will go free on Xbox One, while Deadfall Adventures will drop to $0.00 that day. Both Xbox 360 games are playable on Xbox One through backwards compatibility. Xbox One. News and features related to Microsoft’s Xbox One. WW2 Zombies: Darkest Shore DLC – How To Get The Secret PPSh Wallbuy. Skip the Mystery Box and buy the awesome PPSh from a secret wall-buy location in ‘The Darkest Shore’ DLC. WW2 Zombies: Darkest Shore DLC – How To Shoot Dr. Straub | Still Lurking Guide. Put a bullet in Dr. Straub, the mastermind behind the undead outbreak in ‘The Darkest Shore’ with these quick tips. EA Sports UFC 3 Impressions – Knockout Anyone Who Dares to Stand in Your Way. EA Sports UFC 3 is one of the best mixed martial arts games I ever played. 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