The Xbox One has already seen a few different versions, the first noteworthy change was the release of the Elite system with a hybrid drive and the impressive Elite controller. As leaks swirled about the net, we learned that the next Xbox system will be the Xbox One Slim, following a trend that the 360 started with its slim line and later the E Model. Following Microsoft’s live press event, we now know that the Xbox One Slim is coming out in August, and starting at $299.99
The new Xbox One looks sleek with its “Robot White” aesthetic.
As noted in our leak, the Xbox One slim will have 4K Ultra HD capabilities. The Slim will also be coming with an improved Xbox One controller that has a textured grip, increased range, and the ability to connect via Bluetooth to Windows 10 PCs and devices through the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. Immediately after the press event, Microsoft shared with us the packages for the Xbox One Slim and what their suggested retail will be.
- 500GB Xbox One S is $299/249 pounds/299 euros
- 1TB Xbox One S is $349/299 pounds/349 euros
- Limited launch edition 2TB Xbox One S will be available in select markets for $399/349 pounds/399 euros
This is similar to what the original Xbox One is being sold for, meaning this new system will be available without a major increase in price and have added features on top of that. I can assume that the 2TB model will be the hardest to come by when the system launches in August 2016 with pre-orders starting as early as today in select retailers.
Take a second to imagine Forza Horizon 3 in Ultra HD 4K on Xbox One Slim.
Continuing the excellence Xbox continues to show in the hardware department, Project Scorpio was also confirmed as the most powerful gaming console ever made and it can be expected to release during the holiday season of 2017. The Scorpio is being created with a monstrous 6 Teraflops GPU to ensure the highest fidelity for 4K screens and deliver unprecedented visuals for VR. Not only that but all Xbox One games and accessories will be compatible with Scorpio. Whether playing on the very first Xbox One or the newest model, players can still play together.
For those interested in the new controller, Xbox is also launching Design Lab, which will allow gamers to order a custom controller with millions of possibilities. Those controllers start at $79.99 with laser engraving available for an extra $9.99. Design Lab is open for orders right now, with the assumption that orders will be fulfilled with the launch of the controller. Folks that want just the new controller will be paying $59.99 which also launches in August.
This is just a small taste of what’s possible at the Design Lab.
Xbox has a ton of cool hardware options just over the horizon. It’s great to see they are keeping all players together with the same games on similar devices, giving gamers tons of options. Not only that, but with the fusion of the Xbox Live ecosystem, many games will be supporting what’s known as Xbox Play Anywhere. Play Anywhere will be a part of select games coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 PC, allowing players to play with PC players or pick up where they left off on Xbox One. In all cases shown at the event, including games like Gears of War 4, Halo Wars 2, Minecraft, and more, games purchased for Xbox One are unlocked on a Windows 10 device. Cross buy for the Xbox One and PC! We’ll go more into Play Anywhere in another post.
Scalebound is just one of several new games supporting Play Anywhere.
Xbox continues to take the feedback from their users to sculpt one of the best multiplayer consoles available. More functionality on Xbox Live is on the way this summer with even more features hitting this fall. It seems that Microsoft truly wants to unite players across devices to expand gaming communities in the easiest ways possible. Things are looking incredibly bright for Microsoft.
Maybe that’s the E3 hype setting in, or it could be the glare coming off the Xbox One Slim.
