UPDATED 15:53 EDT / NOVEMBER 21 2013

NEWS

Microsoft Xbox One: black, silent, reliable and entertainer with strong lineup of games

The PS4 has come on the market and has instantly became a massive hit. The game console was sold more than one million times in 24 hours after its launch. Now it’s time for Microsoft Xbox One to conquer the market. Microsoft’s new console is expected to debut this Friday for the fateful moment of truth that everyone is waiting to see how much of power the console is holding, which Microsoft is consistently ranking as integrated entertainment system rather than a simple video game console.

Microsoft’s vision of a modern game console differs clearly from Sony’s introduction to the PlayStation 4. The stakes, however, are not just video games because this time Microsoft aims entertainment in general. Xbox One is ready to make compromises in the performance match to potentially revolutionize the way we interact with living room for entertainment. Microsoft wagers that when we will experienced it once, we don’t want to step back.

Xbox One console is priced $100 higher than the PS4. The Xbox One will be released on November 22, 2013 (in the US, UK and 15 other territories) for $499.99 in the US and 499.99 Euros in Europe. But the “one” hints at the fact that Microsoft is looking to unify games as well as entertainment around its console and move away from the concept where gaming console were considered a gaming device only.

The design/cooling system as efficient as possible

In the design of the Xbox One, Microsoft has tried to not repeat the same mistakes that were made with the Xbox 360, so as to remove once and for all the specter of the RRoD (red ring of death) and negative bounces that such a scandal has had on costs and on image of the house. For this reason, Xbox One will focus on reliability and quiet operation. Sony already ran through some trouble after the PS4 launch.

Xbox One has dimensions so large precisely because of this system, which among sees its components of large fans able to dissipate more heat. Xbox One was designed to remain on for ten years – the energy consumption and heat clearly varies according to the activities carried out, as well as noise. Apparently, the new fans will still silent and in any case, even in the peaks, the noise produced by them will be very far from that annoying generated by the Xbox 360, especially with the early models.

According to some sources cited by the report, during standby or during the execution of multimedia features, Xbox One is so quiet that it would be difficult to understand whether it is on or off. Surely this is a good news for all those who are considering the future purchase of the next-gen system, given that the Microsoft brings to the market without the biggest flaws of the current generation machine.

The game changer–renewed Kinect

The motion controller Kinect, which previously only available as accessories for Xbox 360, is now an integral part of the system. Microsoft has completely redesigned the camera bar: So they should not only see movements of the user better, but also react faster to gestures and voice commands.

Almost all the operations on the Xbox One can be performed without using the controller, since the console (or better Kinect) is always listening. Voice recognition allows you to search, watch and listen to any content – games, music, movies, and apps – in a natural way. The user speaks with a computer, as it would with a person of flesh and bones. Microsoft has integrated Bing into Xbox One in a similar way as done on Windows 8.1 with the function Smart Search. In this case, however, the technology is used with voice.

The research of multimedia content no longer requires navigating through the menu screens and the transition from one application to another. Thanks to Bing and Kinect, start playback of a video or the execution of a game is easy and fast. It does not matter if the content is in an app or stored on the hard drive, Xbox One will find it.

The controller

The controller for the Xbox One does not look too different from the one for the Xbox 360, but Microsoft has had numerous ideas, even bizarre on the subject of several prototypes. As such, Microsoft will support up to eight controllers simultaneously, a number exactly doubled compared to what we saw on the Xbox 360. The controllers will be able to function even from a distance of thirty feet from the console, which is equal to about 9 meters, so even those with a very spacious living room can make use of this option.

Eight simultaneous joypad is a substantial figure, which brings the idea of possible use of the controller in games like sports. For example, in a football game like FIFA or PES, eight challengers could start playing local multiplayer battle, rather than take advantage of the online. There is, however, be noted that at the time none of the next-gen games announced for Xbox One seems to support this functionality, or at least no software house broke the news.

Xbox One has a game advantage

For years, Microsoft has been working with partners and television providers to offer consumers a great variety of content to accompany their favorite games. Xbox One has proved a pleasant surprise with a good range of solidly enjoyable gaming experiences available on launch day.

Seeing how Sony has described the PlayStation 4 more as a gaming device, Microsoft will have broader launch titles lineup than PS4. “Dead Rising 3,” the new installment in Capcom’s open world undead-themed series, is simple zombie-killing fun with better graphics. “Killer Instinct” is a similarly reskinned version of a classic old-school fighting game. “Forza Motorsport 5,” “Ryse: The Son of Rome,” will going to be an instant hit with sports lover.

Some best titles available for you buy or download from Friday are FIFA 14, Forza Motorsport 5, Battlefield 4, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Need for Speed: Rivals, Zoo Tycoon, Powerstar Golf, Ryse: Son of Rome, Dead Rising 3, Lococycle. Other titles include Call of Duty: Ghosts, Crimson Dragon, Fighter Within, Just Dance 2014, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, LocoCycle, Madden NFL 25, NBA 2K14, NBA Live 14, Powerstar Golf, Xbox Fitness, Zumba Fitness: World Party and others.

list of other games planned to launch for the Xbox One between Day 1 and the end of March 2014 are Wiki Kinect Sports: Rivals, Minecraft: Xbox One Edition, Wiki Peggle 2, Project Spark, and Titanfall, Wolfenstein: The New Order.


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