Last month, at E3, a big video game convention held annually at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Microsoft announced the Xbox One S. This console allows for support for 4K resolution, and it has just been given a launch date. It is pretty obvious that the Xbox One S won't be the end of the 4K resolution revolution, but this is just the beginning.
The Xbox One S is not just going to be something great as it ushers in a 4K resolution (3,820 x 2,160) with vibrant colors and darker blacks. The Xbox One S also supports 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray discs, not to mention some 4K streaming service. Also, the new console also supports High Dynamic Range (HDR) for video and gaming, which means that certain games are going to look a whole lot better thanks to a higher contrast ratio.
If you want to get your hands on one, you should be able to pre-order it from Microsoft, Best Buy, Amazon, as well as GameStop. You should be able to walk into any of those brick-and-mortar stores and grab it when you purchase it.
By the way, Microsoft really wants consumers to get their hands on this. It is a smaller version of their usual console, and there will be some free games and Kinect-free versions to entice new customers.
So, when will Sony get in on this 4K action? Well, the Sony PlayStation 4 with 4K capability, didn't show up at E3 2016 like the Xbox One S. According to Engadget, Sony executive Andrew House has confirmed a more powerful PlayStation 4 codenamed Neo. House is the president and global chief executive of Sony Interactive, and he says that this new PS4, codenamed "Neo," will be sold alongside the existing PS4.
This PlayStation Neo will have the same ability as the supposed new Xbox One with the 4K resolution. All of the PS4 games will be compatible with this system. In the interview with Andrew House, he did not mention anything about a release date, a price, or even a day that the system will be officially announced, but it should be soon if Sony wants to compete with Microsoft.
According to CNET, the Xbox One S will be available on August 2nd, in three different capacities and prices. There will be a 500 GB version for $299, a 1 TB version for $349, as well as a 2 TB version for $399. Unfortunately, only the 2 TB version lifts off on August 2, so it might be a while before the 500 GB and 1 TB version come out, as Microsoft will announce more on it later.
