Though heavily leaked before the official reveal, Microsoft's slimmed-down console, the Xbox One S, was one of the biggest announcements of E3 2016. Now the last piece of the puzzle has fallen into place, with the company announcing exactly when the compact machine will arrive.
It's been a couple of years since Microsoft's Xbox One console hit shelves, and while the system ticks most of the current gen console boxes, there's one thing that's always nagged us about it – its size. Set it down next to a PlayStation 4, and the launch version of Microsoft's console looks huge.
That's where the Xbox One S steps in. The new machine offers the same power as the current console (you'll have to wait until next year's Project Scorpio release if you want a horsepower upgrade), but in a 40 percent smaller body. The power supply is also internal with the new system, and it's capable of streaming video in 4K with High Dynamic Range (HDR).
It will also ship with an updated controller, which is largely the same as the existing version, but with Bluetooth included, allowing users to use it with their PC without the need for a cable or a wireless dongle.
But we've known all those details about the new system since E3; what we didn't know is exactly when it would ship. Until now that is, with Microsoft announcing that the 2 TB launch edition machine, priced at US$399, will arrive in just a couple of weeks, on August 2.
That date is set to be a big one for the technology industry, with Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 launch event – and perhaps consumer release – scheduled for the same day.
The Xbox One S will also be available in 1 TB and 500 GB storage configurations. Microsoft is yet to announce when those versions of the system will ship.
Source: Microsoft