Microsoft impressed with its Xbox One update, the Xbox One S, providing a slimmed-down, more capable console.
And while we’re intrigued to see what the company has in-store for its upcoming major console upgrade, currently codenamed Project Scorpio, there’s no doubt the Xbox One S is an all-round better device than the standard version – not least because of its vastly improved design.
Now, product designer Andrew Kim has provided us with an in-depth look at just how those beatiful angles were put together on his website (via The Verge).
Related: Xbox One S vs Xbox One
Image: Andrew Kim
The designer began working for Microsoft after his own design concepts for the firm’s rebranding its eye.
Kim is currently working on the HoloLens AR headset, but his first assignment was the Xbox One S, where he and the team were charged with creating “a more friendly and universal product that doesn’t evoke traditional ‘gaming’ cues”.
He explains how the team “began investigating a new approach to game console design” as a result, and aimed “to simplify the hardware to align with the new Windows 10 design language that was being developed in unison.”
The process of redesigning the console started with a new “unibody construction” which “reduces the external shell count to just three parts.”
You can see images of how this unibody construction came together on Kim’s website, where he makes much of the commitment to ‘minimalism’ which drove the console redesign.
Related: Best Xbox One S deals
The Xbox One S is 40% smaller than the standard Xbox One, and comes with a number of hardware upgrades including 4K and high dynamic range (HDR). It’s also the most affordable Ultra HD Blu-ray player available.
Earlier this week, Head of Xbox Games Marketing, Aaron Greenberg, told Engadget Microsoft will be following the PC model for future Xbox upgrades, where hardware improvements are iterative rather than generational.
Speaking about Project Scorpio, he said: “For us, we think the future is without console generations.
“We think that the ability to build a library, a community, to be able to iterate with the hardware, we’re making a pretty big bet on that with Project Scorpio.”
WATCH: Xbox One S vs Xbox
What do you think of Microsoft’s latest console update? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.