Xbox One S review

The Xbox One S could be the console you've not had to wait for

If you’re a fan of videogames, you’ll know that both Microsoft and Sony are shaking up the console market this year. Sony has released the PS4 Pro, a supercharged 4k-ready version of the original PlayStation 4, and later this year Microsoft will release Project Scorpio – the most powerful console ever made.

However, the truth is the best console to buy in 2017 might already be here; I'm talking about the Xbox One S. As its S suffix implies, it’s a slimline version of the current Xbox One, albeit with a few added extras. An astonishing 40% smaller overall, the Xbox One S is positively tiny compared to its hulking forebear. It's a gorgeous bit of modern console design, and I actually greatly prefer its white angular chassis to the rather more rounded layer cake design of Sony's newly-announced PS4 Slim. 

It's also pretty attractive compared to Sony's PS4 Pro, and not just in terms of its looks. In a rather surprising move from Sony, neither of its new consoles come with a 4K Blu-ray drive, making them incompatible with UHD Blu-rays. The Xbox One S, however, does come with a 4K Blu-ray drive, giving it a unique advantage over its PlayStation rivals. I'll explain more about what this means and how it works below, but right now it's pretty safe to say that if you're thinking about upgrading your film library, the Xbox One S is definitely the best console for the job at the moment. It's also pretty attractive compared to Sony's PS4 Pro, and not just in terms of its looks.

In a rather surprising move from Sony, neither of its new consoles come with a 4K Blu-ray drive, making them incompatible with UHD Blu-rays. The Xbox One S, however, does come with a 4K Blu-ray drive, giving it a unique advantage over its PlayStation rivals. I'll explain more about what this means and how it works below, but right now it's pretty safe to say that if you're thinking about upgrading your film library, the Xbox One S is definitely the best console for the job at the moment. 

Design, Controller and Ports

Getting back to the Xbox One S's design for a moment, though, you'll be pleased to hear that it rectifies many of the issues I had with the original console. The physical power button, for instance, is no longer touch-sensitive, so you'll never accidentally turn it off while you're dusting, and there's now a USB port on the front of the console rather than the side, making it easier to plug in your controller when you want to charge it.

Likewise, its new controller now supports Bluetooth, making it extremely easy to pair it with your PC or laptop - including Microsoft's own Surface devices like the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book - so you can game on the go or take advantage of Microsoft's cross-buy Xbox Play Anywhere initiative.

Not all digital games support this yet, but compatible titles will give you both an Xbox One and Windows 10 PC version of the game at no extra cost, allowing you to pick up your save on either format without having to buy the game twice. Previously, you had to plug it in via its micro USB connection or buy one of Microsoft's wireless adapters if you wanted to use your Xbox One controller to play games on PC, so the added flexibility is certainly very welcome. 

The controller also has a new textured grip on the rear of the controller. It's pretty subtle, but it does feel nicer to hold in your hand compared to the smooth plastic of Microsoft's standard Xbox One controller. The good news is that these controllers will be available to buy separately as well, so you don't necessarily have to buy an entire console just to benefit from these couple of small tweaks. 

Round the back, you'll find almost the same number of ports, including HDMI input and outputs, a pair of USB ports, an optical S/PDIF out, Ethernet port and an infrared output. The only thing missing is the port for Kinect, which has been ditched here to help streamline the console's overall dimensions. You can still use Kinect with the Xbox One S, but you'll need to buy a separate USB adapter. There's also a standard figure of eight power connector, signifying the fact that Microsoft has finally moved the power supply inside the main chassis, negating the need for that pesky power brick.

Noise and Power Consumption

It still kicks up a fair amount of noise during those quieter moments of operation – when you're browsing the menus or searching for apps, for instance – but once you've got a game or film going, you'd be pretty hard-pushed to hear it. Indeed, our Dr Meter Sound Level Meter recorded the Xbox One S at between 44dB and 47dB up close when it was playing a Blu-ray disc (with the background office aircon hum at 41dB), which is around the same as the original Xbox One.

One thing the Xbox One S does improve on is power consumption. When sitting idle on the menu screen the Xbox One S drew only 30W of power from the mains, which barely changed when I put in a Blu-ray disc. The original Xbox One, however, drew 46W of power on the menu screen and up to 55W when playing a Blu-ray, so the Xbox One S should be slightly less expensive to run over the course of a year.