Xbox One S All-Digital Edition (Xbox One)

Product Information

The Xbox One S is a smart upgrade to Microsoft's Xbox One system, but whether you'll want to make the upgrade is a slightly more complicated question. If you've been considering buying an Xbox One already, then the Xbox One S is a no-brainer. But if you already own an Xbox One then your decision will likely have more to do with whether you own a 4K TV that's HDR-compatible. Xbox One S: we liked Your rights under Microsoft’s 1 year Limited Warranty are in addition to your consumer law rights. Learn more

The release of the Xbox One X raised the bar for gaming consoles and while it didn't make the Xbox One S necessarily redundant, it certainly highlighted the aged system of the Xbox One S. That's why it's surprising that Microsoft has chosen to release a disc-less version of the S, which is essentially the same console but without a disc drive.

Use with digital games only; console does not play physical discs. 120 FPS: Requires supported content and display; use on Xbox Series S as content becomes available. Xbox Game Pass: Game catalog varies over time (xbox.com/gamepass). Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription and supported game; may require supported Bluetooth controller (all sold separately). Select regions and devices. Streaming limitations apply, server availability and wait times may vary. Requires internet, ISP fees apply. xbox.com/cloudgaming Jump ahead with the latest Xbox games and consoles. Our great value Xbox offers include the new Xbox Series X and Series S, as well as Xbox One S and One X. And with Xbox All Access, you can get an Xbox One console and 24 months Game Pass Ultimate with no upfront cost – that’s an Xbox console deal with access to over 100 great games.

If you set your console resolution to 4K UHD, some things on the console, like Home and apps will display at 4K. But games are a bit different. Games on the Xbox One S get upscaled to 4K. What that means is that although the picture tends to be smoother and more detailed than native 720p or 1080p, upscaled 4K isn’t as rich or detailed as native 4K. Do you need a 4K TV for Xbox One S? One important thing to note is that there’s no disk drive on the Xbox Series S, and you’ll only have 512GB of storage to play with. Unlike the One S, though, it comes with a super-fast NVMe SSD instead of an achingly slow mechanical hard drive, and it can be expanded with the 1TB Storage Expansion Card from Seagate. And while an expensive extra, Seagate's card should give you peace of mind when it comes to storage. Plus, it gets discounted at various online retailers with surprising frequency. But all that taken into account, it's hard to find anything tangible to dislike about the Xbox One S in its current form. By all accounts, it's a slimmer, sleeker and sexier console than the Xbox console we've had in our cabinets for the past two and a half years. But, given all the advancements, it's hard to fathom how Microsoft plans on selling it for the same price as the current hardware. The final feature worth mentioning here is Cortana, a feature that works similarly to Siri on iOS, tvOS and OSX, or Google Assistant on Android devices. Cortana can field commands like "Invite my friend Dave to a party" or "Pull up my achievements." Using Cortana is a more intuitive way of controlling and navigating Xbox One, and is a major step forward from the previous Kinect-only voice commands. Occasionally, you might find yourself dealing with an Xbox One that won't boot up. If this happens, you'll need to perform a factory reset without being able to reach the Guide or settings menu. Not all Xbox One systems support the Xbox Startup Troubleshooter, which is what you'll need to use to accomplish this reset, but nevertheless, it is an option for some.

Xbox One S All-Digital drops the discs

The Xbox One S only has one real advantage over Microsoft’s newer model: the 4K HD Blu-Ray drive. If you’re looking for a cheap 4K Blu-Ray player that also allows you to stream Netflix and play games, the One S is a great choice. Klarna Bank AB (publ) is authorised by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (Finansinspektionen) and subject to limited regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. Details about the extent of this regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority are available from Klarna Bank AB (publ) on request.

While holding both buttons, press the power button on your console. Release your Xbox button, but keep holding the Eject and Bind buttons (or the Bind button for some console owners) for 15 seconds. A couple of tones will sound. Once you've heard them, let go of the buttons. You should eventually see the Xbox Startup Troubleshooter appear on-screen. Our original review of the Xbox One S below details everything you need to know about Microsoft's upscaling console including its performance, design, and capabilities.On the Xbox One and Xbox One X, these buttons will be on the front of the console. The Xbox One S does not have an Eject button as there is no disc drive. Instead, hold the Bind button and the Xbox button on the console simultaneously. On the other hand, choosing the 'Reset and keep my games & apps' option will delete everything on your console except the games and apps you have installed. Your personal files, including achievements, saved games, settings, and profiles will be removed. Ensure you've synced with Xbox Live cloud data before proceeding to make sure your saves and other personal files remain.

From the options that show up, choose 'Reset This Xbox'. This will perform a complete factory reset and will not leave your games & apps intact, so tread carefully. The Xbox Series S might be tiny, but there’s a lot of power inside. The console targets a resolution of 1440p instead of native 4K (though some titles can output at a full 4K), and is capable of 120fps gaming. Though its GPU is considerably less powerful than the Xbox Series X's, it boasts an almost identical CPU and 10GB of GDDR6 RAM. That’s less than the 16GB the Xbox Series X, but it’s considerably more than the Xbox One S, which only has 8GB of GDDR3. Unless you're on a particularly strict budget, it's hard to recommend the Xbox One S in 2023 when the Xbox Series S is at a relatively affordable price already. In addition, since Microsoft discontinued production of the last-gen machine two years ago, the Xbox Series S has become easier to find and is in much better supply compared to the Xbox One S. Are Xbox Series S and Xbox One S the same? The Xbox One S might look similar, then, but it's technologically inferior to the Xbox Series S. It's a great option if you want to play Xbox exclusives that you missed out on like Gears 5 or Forza Horizon 4, or simply want to give Xbox Game Pass a whirl, but if you're after a more futureproofed console, you'll want the Xbox Series S.

What's included*

The other two changes are a textured grip that makes the controller easier to hold for longer periods of time, and an extra powerful wireless antenna that allows players to sit farther from the screen. While the switch from Xbox One to Xbox One S would've been a perfect time to replace the controller's power source from batteries to a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery, that unfortunately wasn't on the cards.