Our Exclusive Showdown Between The Xbox One And Xbox One S (2024)

• 

  Xbox One

  Absolutely outdated.

  The Xbox One launched in 2013 to compete with the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Wii. Microsoft later launched two further models, the Xbox One S and Xbox One X, which offered hardware upgrades.

  Pros

  • Backward compatibility supports many Xbox 360 games.
  • Kinect sensor enables motion control and voice command functionality.
  • Integrated multimedia center for gaming, TV, and streaming services.

  Cons

  • Original model's bulky design hampers placement in entertainment setups.

• 

  Xbox One S

  The slightly better option.

  The Xbox One S is a compact and sleek gaming console from Microsoft, offering 4K Ultra HD video streaming and HDR support. It features a built-in power supply and is available in various storage options, enhancing gaming and entertainment experiences.

  Pros

  • Compact design is 40 percent smaller than original Xbox One.
  • Built-in power supply eliminates bulky external power brick.
  • Supports 4K video playback and HDR for enhanced visuals.

  Cons

  • 4K gaming limited to upscaling, not native 4K rendering.
  • Minimal performance gains over original Xbox One for gaming.

The Xbox One and Xbox One S consoles from Microsoft represent two generations of their flagship gaming system. The original Xbox One launched in 2013 as a powerful all-in-one entertainment device, while the Xbox One S debuted in 2016 as a slimmer, lighter refresh with some hardware improvements under the hood.

Yes, we're aware neither of them do not have any cultural importance anymore, but if there is one thing about TheGamer, it's that we like to pit stuff against each other just to see which one wins. It's a cruel-cruel world out there, and I just want to watch it all burn. Let's do this, shall we?

Design

Looks aren't everything, but they sure are a damn good place to start when it comes to console comparisons. At first glance, you'll notice that the One S easily beats the original chonky design of the Xbox One. As it turns out, the good folks at Microsoft reduced the form factor on the One S by a staggering 40 percent to give you a more minimalist white/black prism design that would play well with most entertainment centers. The finish also looks great, and an added bonus here is that the physical power and eject buttons blend pretty seamlessly into the front face.

Take the Xbox One, though, and we have this sort-of-oversized VCR look with a large black box, a massive exterior and a slot loading disc drive. It has a very dominating presence that takes up quite a bit of space. It also collects fingerprints and dust like crazy, which we're not too big one.

Under the hood, the Xbox One S improved on a few components. For example, it added a built-in IR blaster to control your TV and AV receiver. It also includes a built-in power supply, so there’s no more bulky external power brick. The slimmer design results in better airflow and ventilation to prevent overheating issues. Overall, the Xbox One S offers a more refined industrial design perfect for blending into your living room or den.

For video output, both consoles offer HDMI 2.0a ports that can technically support 4K video streaming and Blu-ray playback. But only the Xbox One S can upscale games to 4K resolution. So, on a 4K TV, games will look sharper on the Xbox One S thanks to improved anti-aliasing and image quality. However, neither console can play games natively in 4K, so that's a bummer.

Performance & Hardware

Both consoles share an almost identical AMD accelerated processing unit (APU) combo of an 8-core Jaguar CPU and Radeon graphics chipset, with only slight clock speed differences. Both have 8GB of DDR3 RAM with 32MB of fast ESRAM to bolster graphic intensive applications and games. In other words, game performance and visuals are quite similar across both generations of Xbox hardware.

The Xbox One GPU runs at 853MHz while the Xbox One S GPU runs slightly faster at 914MHz. Slightly quicker load times can be achieved on the Xbox One S. Overall system bandwidth also increases from 68.3 GB/s on Xbox One to 204 GB/s on Xbox One S. But for the majority of games, users will be hard-pressed to notice major performance differences.

You see, Microsoft originally positioned the Xbox One S as a revision meant to address hardware complaints regarding excess heat, noise, and bulkiness. By focusing on the industrial design and form factor, they improved ventilation and heat dissipation by utilizing the same internal components in a smaller enclosure. Performance and specifications remain largely consistent between both consoles, rather than trying to push technological boundaries for substantial performance gains this generation.

So, when it comes to technical prowess, both systems are well-matched. The Xbox One S brings better energy efficiency, ventilation and slight boosts to loading times and anti-aliasing. But ultimately, both deliver very comparable gameplay experiences and visual fidelity.

As comprehensive home entertainment hubs, both Xbox consoles focus heavily on media apps and services. All the most popular apps are present on both platforms - Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, SlingTV, ESPN, Crunchyroll, Pandora, and many more. The Xbox One originally required a paid Xbox Live Gold subscription just to access entertainment apps and streaming video services.

This controversial decision was finally reversed in 2014, allowing both Xbox consoles to access media apps for free without paying for Xbox Live Gold. All you need is an internet connection. Both consoles also support external hard drives via USB 3.0 ports if you need more storage space beyond the built-in 500GB or 1TB internal drives.

4K & HDR Support

A key area where the Xbox One S differentiates itself is with 4K Ultra HD video and High Dynamic Range support. The Xbox One S includes an integrated UHD Blu-Ray optical disc drive that plays 4K Blu-ray movies in all their stunning glory. Its HDMI 2.0a port also supports 4K video streaming from services like Netflix and Amazon Instant Video. So if you have a 4K TV, the Xbox One S is your go-to console in this situation.

Additionally, the Xbox One S supports HDR (high dynamic range) video and gaming, which works out great because HDR can produce a wider and more realistic range of colors and brightness levels using its advanced contrast and color settings.

Backwards Compatibility

The Xbox One originally launched with no backwards compatibility for previous generation Xbox 360 games. But following a system update, Microsoft enabled Xbox 360 backwards compatibility on both consoles via software emulation. Over 400 Xbox 360 games now work on both Xbox One and Xbox One S after being tested and cleared for software emulation. There are no differences between the consoles for playing past generation Xbox 360 games. The performance and visuals are pretty evenly matched too.

Networking & Online Services

Both Xbox consoles offer Gigabit ethernet ports and 802.11ac WiFi adapters for networking. They connect to Xbox Live for online multiplayer, achievements, messaging and party chat. As with games and media, the online services are identical across both pieces of hardware. The only networking differentiation comes from the Xbox One S controller supporting Bluetooth for wireless connectivity. This opens up Bluetooth headphone pairing for wireless game audio. However, core online services remain unchanged between consoles.

Conclusion

Both these models suck. They are also discontinued by Xbox, so you can't really buy either of 'em. Unless you want to buy a renewed version or a refurbished version, which isn't that good of an idea. Instead, we highly recommend going for a PS5, or a Series X or a Series S. Anyway, if we had to pick a winner, it would be the Xbox One S. Thank you for coming to our Ted Talk!