Xbox One S, which was released this summer, features some upgrades such as 4K Blu-ray and High Dynamic Range (HDR) support. The Microsoft's console will battle against Sony's PlayStation 4 Pro, a console that marks a turning point for the modern console era.
Console fans suspected that the Xbox One S console will be the last console generation and that gamers will leave consoles and play free mobile games and cheaper PCs. However, the consoles are still selling well three years down the line.
Xbox One S release came with the biggest enhancement pertaining to media while the PS4 Pro on the other hand, saw more gaming power. This power pushes the PS4 library to new heights with 4K resolution, either up scaled or natively. In addition, the PlayStation VR headset gives a boost to the virtual reality (VR).
Console fans speculate a tit-for-tat battle between the two gaming giants, Sony and Microsoft, having in mind that Microsoft has its own Project Scorpio console for 2017. Therefore, users should compare how the two consoles rank in each major category before an upgrade.
The new Xbox One S model adds a little extra GPU and CPU power for developers to work with. This feature is used to enable high dynamic range (HDR) lighting for wider contrast and assists with upscaling the 1080p graphics into 4K for compatible TVs.
Such advancement can be used to smooth out the frame rate and even enhance the graphics. According to Polygon, "Gears of War 4" developers at The Coalition admitted back at E3 that any game upscaled to 4K can be a little hit or miss on the Xbox One S. However, a game such as "Rise of the Tomb Raider" looks spectacular right out of the box.
The PS4 Pro's new GPU, on the other hand, is significantly powerful than the one in the PS4 model. Most games do not run natively at 4K, which is a feat at a high frame rate on even a costly gaming PC, but some do, and others at least run at higher than 1080p or use an inventive upscaling technique termed the "2160p checkerboard" that looks pretty fantastic.
In terms of the powered-up revisions, the Xbox One S is a sleek and attractive little console, trimming 40% of physical size out while switching to white with some nice visual flourishes all the while. By contrast, the PS4 Pro has added a bit of extra bulk to the initial PS4 design which makes it a hulking beast of a console. In addition, it feels like it is made with a lot more plastic and has a slightly less-refined feel compared to the first model.
Gamers can fling streaming 4K media onto their 4K TV on both consoles and Netflix is availing things like "Marvel's Luke Cage" and "Breaking Bad" in Ultra HD resolution. The entertainment company plans to have about 600 hours of 4K content up by the end of the year, Stuff reported.
The only huge difference between the two consoles is that the Xbox One S comes with a 4K Blu-ray drive inside while the PlayStation 4 Pro does not. This is very surprising given Sony's allegiances to the Blu-ray brand but it probably narrowed down to cost as the company have packed in a more powerful processor for gaming.
Watch Xbox One S video review here: