If you’ve been hiding under a rock you may have missed Microsoft’s reveal of their new console yesterday. Xbox One will launch later this year (surprise surprise) and will come packed with an amped up version of the Kinect (Kinect 2.0; creative!) no matter which model you buy.
The new Xbox will sport 8GB of RAM, 500 GB HDD, 3.0 USB port, Blu-Ray capabilities, and WiFi direct. It’s definitely going to be a powerful machine, but the PS4 specs are almost exactly the same (8GB RAM, 3.0 USB ports) so those specs are almost moot if you’re trying to decide which console to buy this holiday season.
A new feature we haven’t seen before is how Microsoft hopes to integrate Xbox One with your TV experience. Features such as the “Snap Mode” (split screen for different apps to run at the same time that you watch TV) and Xbox Trending (a feature that shows what TV shows are popular on Xbox Live) contribute to what Microsoft is calling “the beginning of truly intelligent TV.”
The upgraded Kinect will allow users to fully interact with the new console using hand gestures and voice control, for example “Xbox, on” will turn the console on. While Sony seems to have completely left the MOVE behind them, Microsoft is making sure that you know they’ve had much more success with their motion-enabled addition than their competition.
We saw very little gameplay, but I’m sure we can expect to see much more of that at E3 this year. The gameplay that we did see was beautiful; showcasing the power house that the new system will be. The one thing most people are taking away from gameplay shown is that Call of Duty: Ghosts will have a dog companion (this is key stuff people!).
The biggest points of contention have been whether or not the console will require you to always be online and whether or not you will be able to play used games on the console. It’s been rumored for months that both Sony and Microsoft would be putting certain boundaries in place that would block out the use of a used game without the purchase of something to unlock the game. This has been a long time coming and honestly wouldn’t surprise me, but it doesn’t take away from the burn my pockets will feel when I try to play used games.
That’s the quick and dirty version of the reveal, for full coverage check out the video:
While we’re waiting for E3 to see more coverage let us know what you think! Are you excited for the new Xbox? Will you be buying Xbox One or PS4? Maybe both?
7 thoughts on “Microsoft Reveals Xbox One, The Future of Gaming?”
I’m not to happy with the Xbox One(horrible name). I buy allot of used games as well as use Gamefly so this could put a hamper on allot of the ways I game.
I know this sounds silly but I don’t like them forcing the Kinect on me either, waving my hands around is not as simple as me just pressing a button.
Everything they’ve shown so far really has nothing to do with why I buy a console and while all that other stuff sound nice I want my console for gaming. So I’m really hoping they show me something at E3 otherwise I’m probably going to be looking at getting a PS4.
I completely agree! I game on my console because I actually truly enjoy the simplicity it offers. This whole “turning your console into the ultimate living room experience” thing is lost on me. Looking forward to owning both, but I can almost guarantee the PS4 will see much more play time.
I am of the mind that Sony is going to do something similar with the PS4. I think that this is the reason that they are doing the play as you download thing. I think that we will have to wait and see what is what at launch. Luckily most of what I rent is on the 3DS and Vita. Maybe they will find a way for games to get cheaper more quickly like on Steam.
If they started doing Steam like sales I would be all over that. Stupid sales, I always end up spending too much. lol
Steam sales are the devil! I am determined to keep it under control this summer. Really, I mean it
I’m fairly devout to Sony so I’m a little biased, but by far the response the gaming community (not the mainstream news sectors – I mean, really, why is Fox News commenting on Xbox One?) has been very negative. Just look at the Kotaku poll – close to 32% of the people polled rated the conference a 1 out of 10. Asked whether they would be buying a PS4, Xbox One, neither, or both, 64% voted PS4, 19.45% voted neither, and 12.5% voted Xbox One. And with good reason. While the console might not literally be always connected, they have confirmed it will require internet connection. Kinect is already pre-installed, cannot be turned off, and is required for certain functions. No backwards compatibility. It’s all been confirmed that there will be a system in place that will prevent playing used games, as the game will be registered solely to your account/your Xbox One. Indie game devs are forbidden from self-publishing and will require publishers.
I already have a cable box and a computer, I don’t need another one, Xbox. Do game consoles really need to be home entertainment systems anyway? I don’t really need it to go on the internet or Skype or watch TV. I just want it to play games in as much of a streamlined manner as possible. I’m not even really a fan of the Move or Kinect stuff. I feel like most gamers just want to play games and want to see the game-power shown at these conferences. So surprise! when the gaming community is upset that they focused their reveal mostly on turning your TV into a smart TV to (presumably) compete with the rumored Apple smart TV.
I think that I tend to be more of a fan of the bells and whistles in theory that in practice. I always want my gadgets to do more stuff and then I use it once and forget it exists. To be perfectly honest I think that I have yet to use WiiTVii on my WiiU. To be even more honest, I think that the thing has clocked more hours “making humans” than playing actual games. It has quickly gone the way of my old Wii!