Just as Microsoft appeared to be clawing back a measure of favour with gamers, it has again risked their wrath by revealing that the Xbox One won’t ship with an Xbox Live-ready headset.
In a statement to ArsTechnica, Microsoft confirmed that “Xbox One does not include a pack-in headset accessory.” Rather, it points to the included Kinect 2.0 system as a way to chat in your multiplayer games.
Of course, this again raises the issue of the Xbox One’s relatively high £429 launch price, which will have been nudged up by the inclusion of the aforementioned Kinect 2.0 image and voice-recognition system – something most hardcore gamers would happily swap for a lower price and a basic headset.
As Microsoft itself points out, there will be an official Xbox One headset (pictured) at launch, but you’ll have to purchase this separately.
Interestingly, over on the official Xbox Wire web page Microsoft refers to in its statement, it calls the official Xbox One Chat Headset “a must-have for fans of online gaming” which has been “designed for long gaming sessions and clear voice chat.”
All of which will only add further fuel to the fire on claims that Microsoft and its Xbox One console are no longer primarily concerned with games and gamers.
The current premium Xbox 360 ships with a gaming headset as standard, but of more interest is the fact that the Sony PS4 will come bundled with a mono gaming headset as standard. It will also, lest we forget, be £80 cheaper than the Xbox One.
Now read our Xbox One vs PS4 comparison to see how the two compare directly.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
