Xbox One S Designer Breaks His Silence

Xbox One S Designer Breaks His Silence

Microsoft designer Andrew Kim revealed this weekend that he was part of the team that designed the Xbox One S. The console was his first big project since joining Microsoft, and Kim confirms that a big part of the goal was cost reduction.

“This was the first project assigned to me after joining Microsoft,” he writes in a new post to his Minimally Minimal blog. “After the launch of Xbox One, the design team began investigating a new approach to game console design.”

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The new approach includes “a more friendly and universal product that doesn’t evoke traditional gaming cues,” Kim explains.

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“We also wanted to simplify the hardware to align with the new Windows 10 design language that was being developed in unison,” he continues. “This simplification started with implementing a unibody construction that reduces the external shell count to just three parts. We also dramatically reduced the size of the device and removed the bulky external power supply. The final design is architectural, logical and easily accessible thanks to its surprisingly low price point.”

Kim’s stated goals have been nicely met, I think. In my review of the Xbox One S, I noted that the Xbox One S is fully 40 percent smaller than the behemoth it replaces, it can be positioned vertically if desired, and is small and light enough to travel. Aesthetically, I described the Xbox One S as “a stunner,” thanks to its more attractive industrial design.

Of course, this assumes like white.

Anyway, be sure to check out Kim’s post. It’s light on text, but he includes some really nice imagery of the then-emerging design.

 

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