Xbox One first impressions: what we think
The dust has barely settled on the Xbox One reveal and there’s still a lot to take in. The TrustedReviews team has been arguing about it ever since the reveal kicked-off. Here we share our first impressions on the Xbox One.
Is it a winner, and who do you agree with most? Let us know in the comments.
Xbox One first impressions: Gesture and voice is the new touch
Evan Kypreos – Editor – Follow Evan on Twitter
Touch screen tech has been around for ages but it took Apple and the iPhone to make it slick and usable enough for us to forgo buttons on our mobiles. Voice and gesture control has been around for a while too, but if the Xbox One cracks the usability and precision of it then Microsoft will score a significant point against Sony and the PS4. The Xbox One’s deep integration of voice and gesture to control the console and your TV could be the biggest and most exciting innovation we get in next-gen consoles.
Much will rely on how well the new Kinect sensor behaves. If the Full HD cameras and microphone array work as promised (and without the lag the original Kinect suffered from) then a whole host of new and exciting implementations can be had. Remote out of hand’s reach? No probs just tell Xbox One to change the channel for you. I can feel my waist spreading just thinking about achieving that extra level of laziness.
If Kinect delivers it will provide a new and immersive way of interacting with games, apps and TV programmes and the fact that Microsoft are including it bundled in all Xbox One purchases means it they mean business. I can’t wait to get my hands on it.
Xbox One first impressions: Is it just me, or is it kind of ugly?
Andy Vandervell – Deputy Editor – Follow Andy on Twitter
Call me superficial if you like, but I reckon Microsoft has just launched the ugliest black box in history. Ok, so the idea is it tucks under your TV anonymously and does its thing, but the hulking frame of the Xbox One has all the elegance and refinement of a ten tonne brick.
Indeed, it’s actually 10% larger than the original Xbox 360, and I can’t recall anyone ever admiring its sleek curves or compact frame. Visually it has more in common with the clunky, boxy home theatre PC cases that many PC enthusiasts still tinker with to this day.
Is it deal breaker? Probably not – not least as Sony is yet to even reveal what its console looks like – and the fact it has a Blu-ray player means I could do away with one box under the TV to accommodate it. But I wish Microsoft had gone down a different route than ‘big black box’. Let’s just hope it’s as quiet as Microsoft claims.
Read Xbox One: 10 things you need to know
Xbox One first impressions: Christmas 2013 the biggest ever for games fans
Andrew Williams – Reviews & Features Editor – Follow Andrew on Twitter
If all goes to plan, Christmas 2013 will see the release of two behemoth consoles, the PS4 and the Xbox One. This is the very first time Microsoft and Sony have gone head-to-head quite so directly around Christmas.
The Xbox and PS2 were released a whole two years apart and there was a full year between the PS3 and Xbox 360. The pressure of expectation centred on one year, on one month might make the gaming world implode.
And as they’re expected to sell for around £400, it’s not as if most of us can breezily buy both.
The consoles aren’t the only stocking-busting gifts to clamour after this year, either. By then, Microsoft and Sony will have to compete with the iPad mini 2 and iPad 5 too.
It’ll either be the biggest year for console gaming or the year that proves traditional games consoles no longer have the chops to contend with today’s more modern objects of desire.
If you could have a shiny new Apple tablet or a new games console, which would you pick?
Read our Xbox One vs. PS4 comparison
Xbox One first impressions: I don’t want to pay to borrow a game
Luke Johnson – News Editor – Follow Luke on Twitter
I’m excited about the Xbox One.
Enhanced graphics, in-depth cloud feattures, a dramatically revamped Kinect and an entertainment hub full of tantalising possibilities, what’s not to love? Well, the prospect of having to pay to play borrowed games, or even to sell ones I’ve bought: that’s what.
With Microsoft set to lock individual games to specific users, the pre-owned market could be on its knees. Charging a currently undisclosed fee to unlock games for use on different accounts is a horrible thought, and one which will dramatically limit the gaming options of many, me included.
Those of us with shallower pockets like to make use of the pre-owned gaming market or simply borrow a title from a mate when they are finished with it. Yes this might not line Microsoft’s pockets, but it allows us to maximise our console’s potential.
Take this away and much will be lost from our potential Xbox One experiences.
Despite having favoured Xbox consoles over their PlayStation counterparts to date, this block of pre-owned content could be a reason to jump ship to Sony.
Xbox One first impressions: The games line-up is enough to make me pre-order now
Sam Loveridge – News Writer – Follow on Twitter
When Phil Spencer announced the Xbox One would be home to 15 exclusive titles, it made me sit up and pay attention, and the fact that eight of those are entirely new franchises makes me want to hit that pre-order button straight away.
I’m still excited to play Call of Duty: Ghosts and Assassin’s Creed 4 on the next-gen consoles, but the amount of new ‘IPs’ – industry slang for ‘games that aren’t a sequel’ – on the Xbox One, combined with the new Kinect features, is certainly making Microsoft’s box look far more attractive.
The Xbox One will have Forza 5 to its name from launch – a massive and consistently brilliant series. I’m eager to see how it utilises the power of cloud gaming, but it’s Remedy Entertainment’s new Quantum Break title that’s far more intriguing. Made by the developers of one of my favourite games, Alan Wake, Quantum Break seems to blend live action and the traditional rendered graphics into one experience, with every decision affecting both TV series and the game.
PS4 may have Beyond: Two Souls, but will have to do well to beat the Xbox One’s new range of exclusives.
Read more about the Xbox One launch games
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.
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.
