Microsoft touts smaller, faster Xbox One game consoles at E3

Although it won’t be quite as good as native 4K, it will mean those with Ultra HD displays will get a taste of gaming at the higher resolution before the holiday 2017 launch of the Xbox One Scorpio.

During the presentation, Microsoft also heavily promoted its new Xbox Play Anywhere initiative, which will allow users to play games on both the Xbox One or Windows 10 computer. “We have the same SOC architecture as Xbox One today”, explains a Microsoft spokesperson.

Apparently, the new console will also include a vertical stand – meaning it can perch alongside your TV rather than having to sit underneath it.

The big news in the game console wars right now is the unveiling of Microsoft’s Xbox One S, something that is not the actual successor of the current and bulkier Xbox One many may have right now.

Microsoft boss Phil Spencer said that the company could’ve shipped a next-gen Xbox this year, but it would not have been 4K-capable. The console is also believed to feature more RAM and improved memory bandwidth over the Xbox One’s 8GB DDR3, plus an improved CPU. The console will be compatible with Xbox One games and accessories. While the initial Scorpio announcement emphasized the fact that all games will be playable on all versions of the Xbox One, that doesn’t seem to be technically true.

Now that we know the Xbox One S “Scorpio” is on the way and will have 4K video capacity with HDR as well, a couple questions still remain.

“I don’t want anybody to think this is somehow a performance boost for Xbox One games”. That’s why we said HDR on-screen, and that’s what we want to be explicit about.

How do you feel about Xbox One Demos at E3 running on Windows PCs to present stabilized, smooth versions of their games?

It’s still too early to say that this move of unifying two gaming platforms will increase market share for Microsoft but it certainly has good potential.