Xbox One X:

Since its entry into the console gaming space nearly two decades ago, Microsoft positioned the Xbox brand as one that focused on power. The original Xbox and the Xbox 360 reflected this, with both of them having some of the best looking and technically astounding games of their respective generations, such as 2001’s Halo Combat Evolved and the original Gears of War from 2006.

The Xbox One X is Microsoft’s answer to the PS4 Pro, it’s a more powerful version of the Xbox One and last year’s redesigned Xbox One S. The Xbox One X enables games with 4K visuals, HDR, and smoother frames.

The familiar Xbox One X, as do trials for Xbox Game Pass-the Xbox equivalent to Netflix-and Xbox Live Gold. The real difference comes in when you look at the console’s specifications. There’s a new cooling system, 12 gigs of RAM, a 2.3 GHz AMD Jaguar processor, and  1TB hard drive that has around 780GB of usable space.

An interesting feature of the Xbox One X is that at a system level, games that have 4K assets or resolutions higher than 1080p would be super-scaled to fit regular full-HD screens. What this means is, even those who don’t have a 4K TV can benefit from sharper image quality. Be it the likes of Shadow of War and Rise of the Tomb Raider or even Halo 5 and LA Noire, every game we tried looked great on either display. This is a far cry from the PS4 Pro, wherein the game developer has to provide for it. Hopefully, Sony decides to go the Xbox way with a future update. Until then, games on the Xbox One X have an advantage in terms of graphical fidelity.

Pros:

• Worthy upgrade to the Xbox One S
• Improves a lot of games
• Excellent build quality

Cons:

• Not available officially yet
• Microsoft’s download system needs work

Xbox One S:

The Xbox One was built with a specific vision in mind, and it was one that included a whole lot more than games. From of Kinect, it aimed to be the centre of your living room-much like Microsoft envisioned the original Xbox to be when it launched in 2001.

Slimmer consoles usually release three or four years after the release of the original, a cadence we’ve seen with both the PS3 and Xbox 360, so the Xbox One S is an expected, known quantity. It punctuates this specific period of the Xbox One’s lifecycle with a resounding exclamation point that signifies it finally finding its feet after several management changes. Perhaps the biggest change, however, is the console’s renewed focus.

Available in 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB variants, the Xbox One S is worth considering if you don’t already own an Xbox One. As we stated at the beginning, it’s what the Xbox One should have been. It’s a welcome change for new buyers, but there’s but there’s no strong reason to upgrade, and the timing of its arrival couldn’t have been stranger.

Pros:

• Gorgeous industrial design
• Sweet from factor
• No power brick!
• Whisper quiet

Cons:

• Not available officially yet
• Robot white is easy to smudge
• OS concerns still persist