Xbox One S (1 Viewer)

[Lord Dalek]

4K on the S is basically "future proofing" it. As far as the PS3 to the PS4, I'll never stop complaining at how shit the PS4 is for media compared to the PS3 seeing as they seem to be done updating anything. That medial remote they put out for the PS4 still doesn't work properly.

Exactly, Microsoft is jumping on the fact that the cost of 4K monitors is really starting to fall and people are going to want a relatively inexpensive means to use that technology (if not entirely to the fullest). Meanwhile Sony's spending two years on what amounts to a fifth column update.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

It should be noted the PS4 media remote wasn't made by Sony.

I think streaming tech is overtaking bluray at this point and most consumers are going to shift with it. Either buying digital or using Netflix, 4K will have more impact via online services. But those require a bit of an investment (good internet, extra cost for 4K streaming from a service, etc.).

And on top of that, honestly....the Xbox One's games aren't as good as what the PS4 has. That's why its so far behind. Yeah, its cool that it does 4K, but MS is doing so poorly right now against Sony because they positioned their console as too much of a media box and not enough of a gaming one. Regardless of personal feelings about whether or not you are excited about buying a "cheap" 4K player, its not the best business strategy.

 

[Ruz-El]

It should be noted the PS4 media remote wasn't made by Sony.

Well, as the only officially licensed remote as advertised by Sony, it should you know, STILL FUCKING WORK.

https://www.playstation.com/en-ca/explore/accessories/universal-media-remote-for-playstation-4/

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Of course, the 500GB XBone S will now be the cheapest UHD BD player on the market. Here's hoping it's a li'l less glitchy than the current Samsung model.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

The PS3 did not sell well at all until way into the generation. In the end, I believe it outsold 360s in total, but for the first few years it was behind.

IMO the $600 price tag had a lot to do with that.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

It was actually $500 for one model and $600 for the other, but yeah, the price is part of what killed the PS3.

That said, in the long run, the PS3 barely outsold the 360, something like 86 million to 85 million. But both were trounced by the Wii at 110 million (which didn't play anything besides videogames).

 

[Sam Posten]

I really don't personally care how much a system sells. If it has enough to entice me, I'm in. If it still flops at least I got what I wanted out of it.

Does the S have the guts to move big numbers? At $299 with UHD hell yes. It's got room to spare cutting down prices and bundling more in as time goes by too. But that's almost irrelephant to me, it is going to let me put 4k playback in at least one more room so I'm in on one. And if Sony has something to match it's not hitting any time soon.

PLEASE Microsoft, add a backlit Bluetooth remote ASAP tho!

 

[DavidMiller]

Couple comments the PS3 launched one year after the Xbox 360 not two. November 22, 2005 Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 on November 17, 2006.

You can't compare the PS4 (Neo) to the "S", it should be more inline with the Xbox Project Scorpio which arrives in 2017. The "S" is just a refresh of the Xbox One.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

The rumors of the Neo were closer to the Scorpio than the S. MS said they debated releasing Scorpio this year and opted to wait another year.

 

[Sam Posten]

I don't believe that is correct Morgan, source?

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Which part? Not to sound like a jerk, but you can Google it if you don't believe it. If you mean "Neo being similar to Scorpio" then it's hard to judge because there's almost zero concrete info about the Neo, but the rumors seemed to be heavy on the suggestion that it would do 4K gaming and be much more powerful than the PS4, which is what Scorpio is aiming for.

It has also come out that the One S is only going to be available in the $400 2 TB version in August, with the cheaper models coming in December. That's a little bait-and-switchy to me, to announce it as this incredible deal but push the deal off.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

The XBone S is a refresh, in the same way the first XBox 360 slim was a refresh; they upgraded the internal hardware, but not enough to change generations, and added some new "toys" in the process. What I really like about this iteration is the amount of ventilation. Should go a long way to preventing any "red ring o' death" style meltdowns.

 

[Sam Posten]

No the part about releasing Scorpio in 2016

 

[DavidMiller]

The XBone S is a refresh, in the same way the first XBox 360 slim was a refresh; they upgraded the internal hardware, but not enough to change generations, and added some new "toys" in the process. What I really like about this iteration is the amount of ventilation. Should go a long way to preventing any "red ring o' death" style meltdowns.

I follow the gaming industry pretty close and my partner is a Microsoft Xbox MVP. I have not heard of any issues with Red Ring of death with the Xbox One. Heck they went away in the 360 way before the slim. They really fixed that problem after the first year or so. I went through four 360 "Red Rings of death so I would know. I bought several "generations" of the 360.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Yes, but this will be the first XBox console where the power supply is internal AND the size is reduced by 40%, so the amount of ventilation on this version should go a long way to preventing a "meltdown", if you will.

 

[DavidMiller]

Yes, but this will be the first XBox console where the power supply is internal AND the size is reduced by 40%, so the amount of ventilation on this version should go a long way to preventing a "meltdown", if you will.

I actually think there is a bigger risk (one I'm willing to risk). The Xbox One has a ton of venting and the power supply gets warm which you are now moving it inside the box. I guess I'm saying I don't think there has been an issue with venting this generation.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-exec-scorpio-wipes-out-generational-boundarie/1100-6440985/

"As for why Microsoft is releasing Scorpio next year, McCarthy explained that 2017 is a "really natural" time to release a system that takes advantage of 4K TV sets, which are growing in popularity and dropping in price. Another Xbox executive, Phil Spencer, said earlier this week that Microsoft considered releasing Scorpio this year, but decided against it."

 

[Lord Dalek]

The XBone S is a refresh, in the same way the first XBox 360 slim was a refresh; they upgraded the internal hardware, but not enough to change generations, and added some new "toys" in the process.

Well some have already reported that this may be it for console generations in general and there really is nowhere else to go. Even Scorpio and Neo only amount to mid-generation updates in the eyes of technical writers.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Wouldn't surprise me; I mean, when you look at the progression in consumer electronics from videotape to DVD to HD and now 4K, the technology seems to have hit a wall in terms of noticeable difference.

 

[Sam Posten]

The article Gamespot links doesn't actually say that tho, maybe it's in the podcast?