SINGAPORE - Microsoft has announced that its new Xbox One S console will be available at local retailers from Dec 13.

Consumers can purchase the Xbox One S Battlefield 1 Bundle, which comes with the standard digital edition of Battlefield 1, one month of EA Access and a 1TB hard drive, for $499.

Microsoft is also selling the Xbox One S Gears of War 4 Limited Edition Bundle at $629. This red, gritty-looking model has a larger 2TB hard drive and comes with a copy of Gears of War 4: Ultimate Edition for both Xbox One and Windows 10.

The Xbox One S supports 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray playback and 4K video streaming. It also brings High Dynamic Range (HDR) support to videos and games, offering richer and more natural-looking visuals.

However, the Xbox One S does not actually render games at native 4K resolution (3,840 x 2,160 pixels), but instead upscales them from 1080p to 4K resolution.

By comparison, the Sony PlayStation 4 Pro, which was launched here last month at $599, is technically able to render games at 4K resolution. However, most games appear to be rendered at lower resolutions and upscaled to 4K resolution.

The PlayStation 4 Pro also has a standard Blu-ray player, not a 4K Blu-ray drive like the Xbox One S.

For fans hoping to enjoy true 4K gaming, Microsoft plans to release an even more powerful Xbox One console, dubbed Project Scorpio, at the end of next year. This console is said to offer true 4K gaming and support for virtual reality games.