Xbox One S Launches August 2 for £349.99

Microsoft has announced the smaller Xbox One S will be arriving in “select regions” on August the 2nd (you can check where below).

Microsoft (MSFT) has officially picked a date for the launch of the Xbox One S, as the tech giant looks to gain ground against Sony and its strong-selling PlayStation 4. Microsoft promised to share more details on the specific availability dates of these two options “soon”. Fans who purchase the 2TB version of the Xbox One S will receive a free Vertical Stand with their console.

The One S follows the trend of gaming console manufacturers releasing smaller, more power-efficient revisions of their current-generation consoles before releasing updates with more powerful components. If you want to wait until later in the year you could also pick up the 500gb bundle for $299 or the 1tb for $349. You’ll also get a new Xbox One controller with the machine, which features a stronger signal, Bluetooth support and an overall tweaked design.

The retail price for the Xbox One S matches the cheapest UHD Blu-ray player available, with Samsung and Phillips both offering their standalone players for $399. Now, you must be wondering how much you would have to dish out for the “fitter” Xbox One.

One of the three USB ports and the pairing button have also been moved to the front of the console alongside the new IR blaster, which is “for increased accessibility”.

In addition to more processing power, the Xbox One S will include a 4K Ultra HD disc drive with High Dynamic Range (HDR) to create the smoothest visuals for games and movies.

The 2TB hard drive size is a welcome improvement to the 500GB and 1TB limits found on previous Xbox One systems, and the $400 price tag means the slimmer system will effectively replace the original chunky console.

Interested gamers can pre-order the console from the official Microsoft Store, or a variety of online retailers like Amazon.