Xbox One - Spot the Difference?

4K, UHD, HDR, 60 FPS, teraflops, memory, One X Enhanced… with all of these terms bandied about, it can be difficult to know which unit is going to offer you the most for your money. First, let’s break down these terms and how they apply to the Xbox One ecosystem and the consumer.

4K and UHD

These are mostly one and the same, with the only difference being that the UHD moniker can also be applied to 8K, a standard that’s not quite so widely adopted. When related to gaming, unless you’re a huge enthusiast, with a near-limitless budget, then 8K is going to be off in the distance for most.

How the consoles compare in terms of support for 4K:

Platform	Support
Xbox One	Not supported
Xbox One S	4K support for media playback only, such as Netflix and UHD Blu-ray
Xbox One X	4K support for media playback and gaming

HDR

HDR stands for “High Dynamic Range” and is the technology that allows displays to show a greater range of luminosity than the TV sets we’ve had up to this point, by maintaining the details shown in the extremes of the light and dark areas of an image. These would usually end up being lost completely in the darkness, or blown out and clipped in light areas.

How the consoles compare in terms of support for HDR:

Platform	Support
Xbox One	Not supported
Xbox One S	HDR support for media playback and gaming
Xbox One X	HDR support for media playback and gaming

60 FPS

FPS denotes how many individual frames are rendered per second. 60 FPS results in a much smoother game play experience than the somewhat de facto console target of 30 FPS. For comparison, most TV footage is at 25 FPS, give or take a frame.

It’s hard to give a comparison of the console for this one, because of the number of variables involved. However, the Xbox One X should be able to deliver more consistent frame rates at higher resolutions than the One S or the One. This one ultimately comes down to the developer of the game, and what balance they wish to aim for in the console space.

Teraflops

This is the measurement of the amount of data that can be computed in a second. The more teraflops, the more information that the unit can calculate at once. Note that this doesn’t necessarily mean faster games, but it is usually indicative of the console’s overall power.

Platform	Teraflops
Xbox One	1.31
Xbox One S	1.4
Xbox One X	6

In comparison, the PS4 has 1.8 teraflops for the standard model and the Pro has 4.2.

Memory

Memory, or RAM, is used in the Xbox to enable quick access to data. Textures and level geometry for example may be loaded into RAM from the game’s files on the hard disk, such that there’s minimal access time when they’re required. However, RAM still has its own access times, albeit much faster than the hard disk in the console. More RAM means that more data can be stored for quick access, such as higher resolution textures as well as leaving more headroom for the console’s operating system to breathe in the background. GDDR5 is, in the simplest of terms, faster and more efficient at that data storage.

How the consoles compare in terms of memory:

Platform	Memory
Xbox One	8GB DDR3
Xbox One S	8GB DDR3
Xbox One X	12GB GDDR5

Storage

Often confused with Memory, the storage of the Xbox will dictate how many games and apps you can have installed at once. This is independant of the model of the Xbox as each one has had different storage options available throughout their lifespan. There was an improved version of the base Xbox One model, that came with a hybrid drive that gave slight performance gains, though no other models have come with one since.

Based on an average install size of a game at 50Gb, here’s how the storage sizes compare:

Amount	Stores
500GB	10 Games
1TB	20 Games
2TB	40 Games

Install sizes differ greatly and these numbers are guesstimates only. Actual storage space available will differ since the Xbox OS will be installed on there also.

Xbox One X Enhanced

This was shown a lot throughout the E3 2017 trailers. This means that the game will still play on the Xbox One and One S, but will be enhanced with additional features supported by the One X on that platform, such as improved graphics and 4K support.

Which one should you buy?

Okay, let’s cut to the chase...

 

Purchasing decisions can be made up of many factors, but for purposes of this article, budgetary constraints aren’t considered. Instead, let’s review the purchasing options based on general scenarios that you may find yourself in.

I’d like an Xbox, but I don’t own, nor plan to own a 4K TV in the near future.

In this situation, consider the original Xbox One. You’ll be able to pick one up relatively cheap when the One X launches, as it’s been out for a while. All your games will be compatible with the One S/One X - and their upgrades if you decide to purchase those down the line.

I’d like to be able to play my HDR UHD Blu-rays and watch Netflix in 4K, but I’m not interested in gaming.

Get the One S. The base Xbox One has no compatibility with 4K and HDR so wouldn’t suit, and the One X will only carry additional benefits for gaming. It’s still one of the cheapest ways to get into UHD Blu-rays, and will have continued support throughout it’s lifespan that standalone Blu-ray players may not recieve. Who knows, you might be tempted to dip your toes into some gaming - while you’re there.

I already have/planning to buy a 4K HDR TV, and I’m looking for the absolute best of the best.

Hold off from the One S, and grab the One X instead when it lands on November 7th. This is the only way that you’re going to get the best out of the system. If you’re planning to buy a TV, make sure you do your research into ensuring you get a panel that supports HDR10 (Xbox labels this as 10bit) and has a low input lag for gaming. You can find this information on sites like the excellent rtings.com, which test many displays for various things, including input lag.

I’ve not much money, but want to play some Xbox in the down-time I have.

You might want to hold out till November 7th, as when the One X launches, there’s likely to be an influx of Xbox One and One S consoles being traded in for the newer model, leading to cheaper second hand units being available.

I’m looking to buy an Xbox for my child.

Base this on the TV that the console will be connected to, then look at the options of “I don’t have/plan to buy a 4K TV” and “I’m looking for the best of the best” options. Children are less likely to care about 4K and HDR, but if it’s a shared console, there’s no reason you can’t treat the whole family to the additional benefits.

This should cover the majority of scenarios in which you’re likely to be considering an Xbox One purchase, but if these aren’t the case, and you’d like some help on your specific scenario, drop a comment below and I’ll swing back here to answer it.