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Xbox One S Release Date In August? Facts And Rumors To Aid Your Purchase Decision

Published on: July 13, 2016 at 1:57 PM ET
David Cornell
Written By David Cornell
News Writer

The Xbox One S appears to have a release date a little sooner than expected. Generally, new video game consoles launch in October or November to cash in on the Holiday season, but it seems Microsoft’s “upgrade” to the Xbox One will hit on August 2.

It’s unknown if this is true or not as the date could simply be a placeholder on Amazon’s Spanish marketplace. This is often done when there is a rumor, and Amazon wants to collect pre-orders before the date is actually known. They did that with Batman: Arkham Knight and Dead Island 2 , the latter due to the fact that the game could be postponed indefinitely.

Microsoft hasn’t officially announced the Xbox One S release date, and the one listed is less than a month away. Both Microsoft and Sony were eager to announce their PS4 and Xbox One release dates prior to initial launch, so it’s probably just a placeholder until Xbox officials make it official.

Until the Xbox One S release date is announced, here are a few things we know .

  • Microsoft’s new “upgrade” will be 40 percent smaller, a direct reversal of how the original Xbox was designed. The original Xbox and its controller had been known right off for almost being furniture, rivaling the Atari 5200 and the PlayStation 3 in size. Now Xbox seems to be trying to take up less space in your entertainment center while putting more inside it.
  • The console will also reportedly support 4K visuals, although, for the moment, 4K TVs are still on the pricey side. Current games aren’t likely to take full advantage of it, although like the PlayStation Neo, it might make the games run better with no dips in frame rate. The 4K support is likely for Netflix and other streaming services, as well as 4K Blu-Ray movies.
  • The controller will be even more of an improvement when the Xbox One S release date arrives. It will feature contoured grips, a more streamlined design, and better remote range. Of course, if you don’t want to deal with worrying about battery life, you could always just leave it plugged in via USB cable. It’s still technically wireless as the cable does nothing more than charge the battery. No information is being relayed through the cable.
  • The Xbox One S will come with HDR, meaning that colors will be more vibrant, possibly eliminating that “jaggy” look when similar colors touch on the screen.
  • The price shows that Microsoft has learned from their Xbox One launch mistakes. Unlike its predecessor, the Xbox One S 2TB console with a controller will only cost 349 pounds in the U.K., which translates to about $450 in U.S. dollars. Sony is reportedly struggling to keep the costs down on their own upgraded console, so it appears Microsoft might have a comeback in the works for the PS4 vs. Xbox One console war.
  • The Xbox One S release date will also include Cortana , Microsoft’s virtual assistant, although it won’t be mandatory. You can always choose to use the Xbox voice commands instead, or simply navigate using the controller. Microsoft learned from the Xbox One launch and won’t push anything on their consumers that they don’t want. Considering the way Cortana is about as dependable as the PlayStation 4’s voice commands (hit or miss, but it works), gamers might opt to simply keep her in their copy of Halo 5 .

What are you most excited about as the Xbox One S release date closes in?

[Feature image via 360b/Shutterstock.com]

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