Xbox One S Ships In August Starting At $299 With IR Blaster And Bluetooth-Enabled Controller

by Brandon Hill — Monday, June 13, 2016, 12:50 PM EDT

Microsoft’s brand new, slimmer Xbox One S leaked yesterday afternoon, just ahead of today’s E3 keynote. Painted in a shade of “Robot White”, the console is 40 percent smaller than the original Xbox One and can now stand vertically (Microsoft includes a stand in the box if you want go this route).

There’s also support for 4K Ultra High Definition (UHD) content, which means that you can take advantage of 4K UHD Blu-rays that are starting to trickle into the market. This will also open the door for 4K gaming in the future on the Xbox One S

Although its absence likely won’t be missed by many, the dedicated port for the Kinect sensor has been jettisoned on the Xbox One S. Gamers will still be able to use the Xbox Kinect Adapter via USB, and for those that already own a Kinect for Xbox One (and decide to upgrade to an Xbox One S) Microsoft will give you a free adapter. The console has gained an IR blaster, which is a nice addition, and there is now a USB port mounted up front (two remain at the rear) along with a pairing button for the wireless controllers.

Not be left out, the wireless controller has seen some subtle changes to the texturing on the back of the controller for “enhanced comfort”. Microsoft has also finally added Bluetooth support to the controller, which should make it easier to sync with your Windows 10 PC (you need the Windows Anniversary Update installed to enable this functionality).

The new Xbox One S is priced from $299 with a 500GB hard drive. There will also be 1TB and 2TB storage options priced at $349 and $399 respectively. The 2TB model will begin shipping in August, while the two other storage SKUs will ship some time afterwards.

Tags: Microsoft, xbox one, (nasdaq:msft), xbox one s, e32016

Brandon Hill

Brandon received his first PC, an IBM Aptiva 310, in 1994 and hasn’t looked back since. He cut his teeth on computer building/repair working at a mom and pop computer shop as a plucky teen in the mid 90s and went on to join AnandTech as the Senior News Editor in 1999. Brandon would later help to form DailyTech where he served as Editor-in-Chief from 2008 until 2014. Brandon is a tech geek at heart, and family members always know where to turn when they need free tech support. When he isn’t writing about the tech hardware or studying up on the latest in mobile gadgets, you’ll find him browsing forums that cater to his long-running passion: automobiles.

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