Microsoft finally announced the new XBOX One yesterday (21st of May) in Redmond, Washington. There was a lot of hype surrounding the announcement as Microsoft promised to show the actual console in action (*cough*cough* Sony“¦). There were many online sites covering the event live and I decided to hop on to GameSpot.com to see the reveal for myself.
The previous XBOX 360 made its debut 8 years ago, which is a long time in the world of technology. The new XBOX One will most probably be around for the next decade, so for buyers the ONE (or PS4 ““ which ever you support) will be their longest-term consumer electronics “œinvestment“. Thus this reveal will kind of set the tone for the next few years in console gaming. Therefore Microsoft had to pull out all the stops, and that they did! The reveal took on a Samsung Galaxy type of vibe, with feature after feature being thrown at the crowd. Will the new XBOX be the ONE?
Hardware Specs
Microsoft was very sketchy on details surrounding the hardware specs for the ONE and I guess some fans (the real technical ones ““ and the PC gaming inclined) found it a bit disappointing that Microsoft did not delve into the specs a bit deeper. It is fair to assume that Microsoft will reveal more detail at E3 and that some critical points like frequency and final performance specs won‘t be revealed until Microsoft (and Sony) has nailed down the details and won‘t be able to make any further tweaks. Here are the specs as presented at the launch:
– Processor: 8-core CPU (now confirmed to be AMD, so is the GPU)
– RAM: 8GB high performance RAM
– Hard Drive: 500GB
– Drive: Blu-Ray Drive
– Connectivity: WiFi (802.11N)/WiFi-Direct) , USB 3.0
-Display: HDMI display interface
Looking at the high-level specs above, the ONE and new PS4 match each other quite closely. This supports the general feeling that the new generation console war won‘t be around “œhardware superiority“ but around the ultimate user entertainment experience. That said, the hardware should prove more powerful than any PC you can buy at whatever price the console will be sold at (rumoured around $499), Microsoft hasn‘t shared the particulars on that just yet.
Industrial Design
This is quite interesting; the design of the new ONE wasn‘t at all what I imagined. It looks a lot bulkier than I would have expected. The box has a very clean straight look to it, but it reminds me of a modern day amplifier or Blu-Ray player. That‘s just my opinion but I guess Microsoft wants it to look more like an entertainment console and not just a gaming console. The ONE will most likely evolve over the coming years and shed a bit of weight, but I think the reason behind going for a box like design is so that the console blends well with any living room. The controller hasn‘t changed much, nor have they touched its layout. The XBOX controller in my mind has the most ergonomic design out there. They only applied a mat black finish to it this time round.
Features
With the recent acquisition of Skype by Microsoft everyone believed that they would integrate the communication software wherever they can. Skype for Xbox One looks set to be a real focal point, bringing a completely new, enhanced service for the ONE offering features such as HD video using the Kinect camera. There‘s group video conferencing also thrown into the mix, and the Xbox ONE‘s Snap feature, which among other things, will also let you partake in picture-in-picture calls while enjoying other activities.
Live TV is another feature of the ONE. You will be able to watch your favourite channels on your cable or satellite set-top box through Xbox One. Just as Google‘s Glass seems to spring into action with the words “Okay, Glass,” the next-gen Xbox One will also allow users to control many aspects of the console using just the voice. The new dashboard is based heavily upon the Windows 8 OS, and Microsoft wants to build on the Xbox and Windows experiences to create a truly immersive interactive TV viewing experience.
Instant Switching, for example, allows the user to move through apps and TV streams with ease, nullifying the need for participants to engage in that cumbersome sport of fishing around for the remote. Gestures through the new Kinect take the voice feature to the next level, and although the original Kinect took the world by storm when it released a couple of years back, I suspect the best is still yet to come as the new Kinect can pick up slight rolls of the wrist and even the heartbeat of the user!
Games
A big shocker announcement was that the new ONE won’t be able to play old Xbox 360 games. Microsoft explains that the core architecture between the two machines is too different to allow for backwards compatibility. Microsoft’s new Xbox One uses a new x64 processor, as opposed to the PowerPC core of the Xbox 360. For this stunt to work Microsoft has to launch a lot of titles with the new ONE. Here is the list of the confirmed titles coming to the One thus far:
- Madden NFL
- NBA Live ‘14
- EA Sports UFC
- FIFA ‘14
- Forza Motorsport 5
- Call of Duty: Ghost
– just to name a few. In fact, in the first 12 months after release, Microsoft has promised 15 exclusives, 8 of which will be a brand new IP.
Release date?
Microsoft was tip-toeing around this subject, but they did however confirm that Xbox One will be available worldwide later this year. That would likely mean around November, 2013. All in all it looks like a great machine. Whether it will be the ultimate gaming console only time (and customer $) will tell“¦
