Xbox One S: The most advanced Xbox yet

If you are into gaming consoles and considering finding a top quality Xbox for sale on Junk Mail, this post is for you. Today the Junk Mail team takes a closer look at the newest console offering from Microsoft – the new Xbox One S.

With the Project Scorpio’s launch looming, the current question on every gamer’s lips is, ‘should I buy the Xbox One S?’

While everyone is heavily anticipating the launch of what Microsoft claims to be the most powerful gaming console of all times; Microsoft’s Project Scorpio, Microsoft’s Xbox brand has recently released the its mid-generation console, the One S.

This new Xbox comes in three sizes: 500GB, 1TB and 2TB. It also comes with support for additional external storage. If the current reviews are anything to go by the One S seems to be more than just an aesthetic upgrade on its predecessor.

The Xbox One S – the slimline hardware refresh that’s billed as the most compact Xbox ever made – is available now with a 2TB hard drive ahead of 1GB and 500GB versions available soon.

– EuroGamer.net

Smaller size, better performance

With the new Xbox console, Xbox seems to have taken their fans’ complaints to heart by reducing the these gaming consoles’ overall bulkiness by 40%. There is a lot of engineering and design difficulty that goes into designing such a powerful gaming console and cooling systems to ensure the console does not overheat while being able to simultaneously reduce the console’s size, so the Xbox team should be commended for the fantastic engineering effort.

What is even more impressive, is that despite the reduced size of the Xbox One S, the power supply is now built into the console, eliminating the hustle of having to plug in an external power source to power up your console.

The downside to the power supply being built into the console is that the cord to connect to your power outlet is much shorter, however as an alternative you always have the option of looking for a longer replacement cord to add more flexibility to where you can place your gaming console.

The Xbox One S comes with a full-matte finish and beautifully placed power button with blinking ventilation dot that differs in size and shape on every side of the console, creating a very polished and unique exterior.

According to Tech-Radar, the smaller Xbox One S comes with a, ‘more efficient CPU and a slightly faster GPU’ than its predecessor, making it better performing gaming consoles, from a hardware perspective, than its predecessor.

The design changes do not end with the exterior!

The new Xbox offers a redesigned user interface that is also available for the older model Xbox for sale as a software update. The changes are small, but they make for a far easier user experience.

Tweaks such as filtering let you sort through games by size, name, recently played and recently updated, making finding downloaded games a faster and smoother process. The User Interface is made even more powerful by the gaming console’s interconnectivity to the Windows 10 ecosystem, allowing you to tap into Microsoft’s Internet Explorer app and Netflix among many other apps offered in the Microsoft App store.

A Note on Xbox Backward Compatibility

Thankfully, the new console comes with backward compatibility which allows you to play older versions of your favourite games on the Xbox One S. However, this is only limited to certain games that appear on the Xbox backward compatibility list so check it to make sure that you can make your weekly 6pm game of Call of Duty online with your friends still on the Xbox 360 gaming console!

Still looking for epic Xbox games to play? Check out our “10 Xbox 360 games you have to play before you die” post on the Junk Mail blog!

Xbox One S Controllers

The new Xbox comes with a redesigned controller, offering a more intuitive textured grip for greater control and overall gaming experience. The thumbsticks appear to be more durable and easier to grip and the controllers come with built-in Bluetooth, allowing you to easily connect to your PC without the use of a dongle or a connection cable.

The only downside to the Bluetooth connectivity function is that according to a Venturebeat Xbox review, the controller does not seem to work with the Steam Link device. Until Valve addresses this compatibility issue, Steam Link users will probably have to settle for a Steam Controller or the Playstation 4 controller to navigate through Steam Link.

More of a PlayStation Fan? Check out our “PS4 the next generation in gaming consoles” post on the Junk Mail blog.

It is also worth noting that the new console’s controller comes with a stronger radio signal that increases the range at which the controller can be used with the Xbox One S with no connection cable. This is quite remarkable and a definite improvement on its predecessor’s controllers.

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Gaming Experience on the new Xbox

Eurogamer ran extensive test on the gaming experience and performance of the Xbox One S. Eurogamer reported a 7% improvement in Project Cars’ graphic performance with the new Xbox from its predecessor. This is not an immense improvement, but certainly worth noting.

With other games such as Hitman, in cut-scene comparison, Eurogamer found that the Xbox One S performed 6.1 % faster than its predecessor. In games that are capped at 30fps frame-rate such as Batman: Arkham Knight and Rise of the Tomb Raider, Eurogamer reported the appearance of less screen tear, frame rate increases by up to 4%, a reduction in frame-rate stutter times and a generally smoother touch in graphic appearance.

Although the in-game performance is not substantial and dependent upon the type of game one is playing, the subtle but increased performance is definitely welcomed by Xbox fans around the world.

4K and HDR Display on the Xbox One S

One major upgrade that has come along with the new Xbox is the new console’s compatibility with 4K/Ultra High Definition and HDR screens. Although the new console makes claim to being able to upscale 1080 pixel games to 4K resolution, from a gaming perspective the actual resolution is nowhere near a true 4K gaming experience.

Unfortunately from a gaming perspective there is not much on the market for 4K gaming, however the new gaming consoles would make for a great video streaming device, particularly with 4K ready apps such as Netflix. We can expect more 4K ready apps on the Microsoft app store in the future, but for the time being Xbox fans will have to make due with Netflix.

Overall the Xbox One S provides a noticeably improved gaming experience. For those who want the familiarity and reliability of an Xbox experience, get the One S while you wait for the Project Scorpio reviews – you won’t be sorry.

If you are interested in the older generation Xbox gaming consoles, be sure to read “Meet the Xbox One: An all-in-one entertainment system” post on the Junk Mail blog.

Looking for an Xbox for sale? Junk Mail is the perfect place to shop for everything from gaming consoles and controllers, to games and console accessories. Selling your old console to save up for a new generation Xbox One? Place your free ad on Junk Mail today!