Honestly, if you walked into a living room back in 2013 and saw an original Xbox One sitting under a TV, you might have mistaken it for a high-end VCR or a cable box. That was the point. Microsoft wasn't just trying to build a game console; they wanted to take over the entire media center.
But here is the thing. The "Xbox One" isn't just one machine. Depending on which year you’re looking at, it could be a massive black monolith, a sleek white slab, or a tiny, dense powerhouse. If you are trying to identify one at a thrift store or tucked away in a basement, the details matter.
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The Original "VCR" Model (2013)
The first version of the Xbox One is a beast. It’s big. Specifically, it measures about 13.1 by 10.8 by 3.1 inches. When you look at it, the first thing you notice is the "two-tone" finish. The top of the console is split right down the middle: the left side is a smooth, glossy liquid black, while the right side is covered in heavy diagonal vents for cooling.
It’s meant to sit horizontally. Always. Microsoft actually warned people back then that standing it vertically could wreck the disc drive.
On the front, it’s pretty minimalist. There’s a slot-loading disc drive on the left and a glowing Xbox logo on the right that acts as the power button. But don't look for a physical "click" here; it’s a capacitive touch sensor. If you barely brush against it while dusting, the whole thing chimps to life. Around the left corner, tucked away, is a single USB 3.0 port.
The back is where the "all-in-one" dream lived. You’ve got:
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- HDMI Out (to your TV)
- HDMI In (where you were supposed to plug in your cable box)
- Two more USB 3.0 ports
- S/PDIF for optical audio
- Kinect port (that weird proprietary rectangular plug)
- Ethernet and an IR out jack
And we can't forget the "brick." The original Xbox One didn't have an internal power supply. It used a massive external power brick that sat on the floor, hummed occasionally, and collected dust bunnies like it was its job.
The Xbox One S: The Glow Up (2016)
By 2016, Microsoft realized people wanted something that actually fit on a shelf. The Xbox One S arrived, and it changed basically everything about the look. It’s 40% smaller than the original.
The color changed to "Robot White." Instead of the half-gloss, half-vent look, the One S has a "porous" design. One half is smooth white plastic, and the other half is covered in thousands of tiny machined holes for airflow. It looks much more like a modern piece of tech and much less like a 1980s video player.
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Crucially, the power supply is finally inside the box. No more brick. You just use a standard "figure-8" power cord.
The power button also changed to a physical button. No more accidental shutdowns from a passing cat’s tail. They also ditched the dedicated Kinect port. If you wanted to use the camera, you had to buy a bulky USB adapter. On the bright side, they added an IR blaster to the front, so the console could turn on your TV and volume without extra wires.
The Xbox One X: The "Smallest" Powerhouse (2017)
Then came the "Scorpio." The Xbox One X is a weird one visually because it actually looks smaller than the S, even though it’s way more powerful. It went back to a dark color—usually "Space Grey" or matte black—and ditched the "porous" holes for a much cleaner, more industrial look.
The vents on the X are hidden along the back and sides in a "skirt" design. The top is just a flat, matte slab. It’s heavy, though. It weighs about 8.4 pounds, which is a lot more than the 6.4-pound One S. When you pick it up, it feels like a solid brick of lead.
What about the controllers?
You can usually tell an Xbox One apart from the older 360 or the newer Series X/S by the controller.
The original Xbox One controller has a glossy plastic section at the top that surrounds the Xbox button. On the later "S" and "X" versions, that top section is part of the main faceplate plastic, not a separate piece.
Also, look at the sticks. Xbox One sticks have a textured, "crinkled" ring around the edge for grip. The D-pad is a crisp, clicky cross, unlike the mushy circular disc on the 360. If the controller has a "Share" button in the dead center (a small rectangle with an arrow), you’re actually looking at a newer Series X/S controller, though it works perfectly fine on the older Xbox One consoles.
Identifying the Ports at a Glance
If you are staring at the back of a console and aren't sure what you've got, look for the HDMI situation.
- Two HDMI ports? It’s an Xbox One (Original, S, or X). The "In" port is the dead giveaway. Newer consoles like the Series X only have one.
- Huge rectangular proprietary port? That’s the original 2013 model. It needs that for the Kinect.
- Only a power port and a few USBs? If it’s white and has no disc drive at all, you’ve found the "All-Digital" Edition of the One S.
Practical Steps for Identification
If you've just bought one or found one and want to be 100% sure:
- Check the bottom sticker. It literally says the model name in the top right or left corner of the manufacturing label.
- Look at the power cord. If it requires a giant grey box in the middle of the cable, it is an original 2013 model.
- Check the resolution. Only the Xbox One S and X support HDR and 4K output for video. The original is capped at 1080p.
The Xbox One generation had a bit of an identity crisis with its looks, but once you know the "VCR vs. Slab" distinction, it’s pretty hard to mix them up. The original is the big black one with the brick; the S is the white one with the dots; the X is the heavy, matte black one that looks like a stealth bomber.