You probably remember the hype. Back in 2019, if you walked into a Best Buy or scrolled through Amazon, one specific console stood out among the sea of clinical white boxes. It was the Xbox One S purple edition—officially called the Gradient Purple Special Edition. It wasn't just a color swap. It was a cultural moment where Microsoft leaned hard into the Fortnite craze, creating something that, honestly, looks even better today than it did five years ago.
It's weird.
Usually, mid-generation refreshes feel like a cash grab. But this one? It hit different. The deep violet hue starts dark at the bottom and shifts into a lighter, almost translucent amethyst toward the top. It feels premium. It doesn't feel like a toy, even though it was bundled with a game that, at the time, every ten-year-old was obsessed with.
The Fortnite Effect and the Royale Bomber Legacy
The Xbox One S purple wasn't just sold as a standalone piece of hardware. Microsoft bundled it as the "Xbox One S Fortnite Battle Royale Special Edition." Inside that box, you didn't just get a 1TB console. You got the Dark Vertex Cosmetic Set.
This included a legendary outfit, a rare pickaxe, and a glider. You also got 2,000 V-Bucks. For a Fortnite player in 2019, this was the equivalent of struck gold. The Dark Vertex skin is still one of those "if you see it in the lobby, they've been playing a long time" markers. It carries a certain level of respect, or at least, it shows you were willing to drop $299 on a console to get it.
What made the hardware unique?
The controller is arguably the best part. Unlike the standard white controllers that get yellowed and grimy over time, the purple controller featured a matching gradient. The face buttons (A, B, X, Y) were blacked out with purple lettering. It looked stealthy. It looked expensive. Even if you don't care about Fortnite, that controller remains one of the most aesthetically pleasing peripherals Microsoft ever shipped for the One S generation.
Interestingly, the console itself is the 1TB model with a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player. This is a crucial distinction. While the "All-Digital" Edition was gaining steam around that time, Microsoft chose to give the purple treatment to the version that actually had a disc drive. That makes it much more useful today for people who still collect physical media or want a cheap 4K movie player for their bedroom.
The Resale Market is Kind of Wild
If you try to find an Xbox One S purple today, you're going to notice something frustrating. The price hasn't bottomed out like the standard white One S has.
On platforms like eBay or Mercari, a mint condition purple console often fetches $200 to $300. Sometimes more if the original box is included. If the Dark Vertex code is somehow unused—which is basically impossible to find now—the price rockets up. People genuinely love the look of this thing.
Most Xbox consoles are boring. Black. White. Grey. Occasionally a muddy "military" green for Halo. But purple is bold. It fits that "retrowave" or "vaporwave" aesthetic that has taken over gaming setups on TikTok and Instagram. It glows under RGB lights in a way that the matte white version just can't compete with.
A technical reality check
Look, we have to be honest about the specs. It’s still an Xbox One S. In 2026, it isn't a powerhouse. It targets 1080p gaming, though it can upscale to 4K for video. You get HDR10 support, which is nice, but don't expect it to run the latest AAA titles with the same grace as an Xbox Series X.
It uses a mechanical hard drive. That's the biggest bottleneck. Loading times feel like an eternity compared to the SSDs in modern consoles. If you buy one of these today, the first thing you should do is plug in an external SSD or, if you're feeling brave, void the warranty and swap the internal drive. It makes the UI actually usable.
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Why collectors are hoarding them
There is a specific type of gamer who misses the "Special Edition" era. Every time a new game comes out now, we just get a "wrap" or a digital skin. We rarely get a fully customized, gradient-painted console with color-matched internals.
The Xbox One S purple represents the tail end of that era.
It was also one of the last major special editions before the supply chain nightmares of 2020 began. Because it was released in mid-2019, it had a relatively short production run before Microsoft shifted focus to the Series X and Series S. This scarcity drives the "FOMO" (fear of missing out) that keeps the used market prices high.
Longevity and Reliability
Unlike the original "VCR" Xbox One, the One S is a tank. It’s smaller, quieter, and doesn't have that massive external power brick that takes up half your floor space. The internal power supply in the purple S model is generally reliable.
One thing to watch out for? The HDMI port.
The One S generation had a bit of a reputation for HDMI retimer chip failures or just physical ports breaking if you're too rough with the cables. If you're buying a used purple unit, check that the port feels tight. If the screen flickers or goes to "No Signal" when you wiggle the cord, walk away. Repairing these is a pain unless you're handy with a soldering iron.
Finding Your Own Purple Unit
So, you want one. Where do you look?
Avoid the "Buy It Now" listings on eBay if you want a deal. Those are usually priced for collectors who don't care about the money. Instead, check local marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. Often, parents are selling their kids' old "purple Xbox" because they upgraded to a PS5 or a Series X. They don't always realize it's a "Special Edition" with a high resale value. They just see a purple box.
That is where you find the $100 gems.
What to check before you pay:
- The Controller: Is it the original purple one? Replacing the specific gradient controller is expensive ($70+ usually). If it comes with a generic black one, the value drops significantly.
- The Disc Drive: Put a movie in. Seriously. The rollers in these drives can get dusty and stop pulling discs in properly.
- The Noise: If it sounds like a jet engine, it needs a cleaning and a thermal paste replacement. It's a 30-minute job if you have the right Torx screwdrivers.
- Account Locks: Make sure the seller has factory reset it. You don't want to get home and find out it's locked behind a passkey from a kid named Brayden who hasn't used the console since the pandemic started.
The Verdict on the Purple Xbox One S
Is it worth it in 2026?
If you just want to play games, no. Buy an Xbox Series S. It’s faster, more powerful, and plays modern games.
But if you are building a "shelf of fame," or you want a dedicated media player that looks like a piece of art, the Xbox One S purple is a winner. It’s a relic of the peak Fortnite era and a reminder that Microsoft used to take real risks with color. It’s vibrant. It’s distinctive. It’s basically the "Grape" GameBoy Color of its generation.
Actionable Steps for Owners and Buyers
- For Sellers: Clean the console with 70% isopropyl alcohol, but be gentle on the purple finish. Do not use magic erasers; they are abrasive and will ruin the gradient effect. List the "Dark Vertex" skin in your title only if the code is unused—otherwise, specify it's gone to avoid disputes.
- For Buyers: Focus on the "Gradated Purple" search term. Sometimes sellers forget the word Fortnite but remember the color.
- For Current Owners: If you plan on keeping it, replace the internal HDD with a 1TB SATA SSD. The difference in system snappiness is night and day. It turns the console from a sluggish piece of history into a snappy, relevant secondary machine for Game Pass or streaming.
The Xbox One S purple isn't just a gaming machine anymore; it's a piece of 2010s nostalgia that actually holds its own in a modern living room. If you find one at a garage sale, don't hesitate. Pick it up.