Xbox One console falls short of promised revolution
Some features not functional in Canada
With a deluge of last-minute revelations that cut back on its features, Microsoft Corp.’s new Xbox One console seems to be off to a bit of a sputtering start.
Microsoft says features including live streaming of video-game play, through a service called Twitch, and the much-hyped OneGuide TV abilities, which allow a user to control their cable or satellite feed with voice commands, won’t be functional until some time in the future. (There is some debate about how much of a role Canada’s cable and satellite providers played in the omission of the feature, as OneGuide is functioning in the U.S.)
Still, other launch-day omissions seem glaring. The console cannot go out onto a home network and find all of the media that’s stored on various computers around the house. So, if you have a large library of media, you’re better off keeping your Xbox 360 plugged in until the feature is unlocked.
There is a workaround for getting music and movies to the Xbox One, but it’s fairly technical and probably won’t appeal to those looking to use the console for playing movies, TV shows and music.
For the first time, Microsoft has done away with Windows Media Centre integration, a huge loss, meaning consumers with large media libraries on their home networks will have to find other applications to get their content to their home theatre systems.
It’s almost disappointing for the system that was supposed to be about more than simply playing games. This was supposed to be a revolution. Instead, as it stands, it’s an evolution of the Xbox 360.
Microsoft promised Xbox One will change everything from the way we watch television and interact with social media to how we play video games.
Instead, the company is following the same path that Nintendo Inc. did with the launch of its Wii U console last year. Nintendo promised the console would change the way people watch TV and interact with online content, but most of the functionality it promised wasn’t available on the system until months after launch, prompting many industry observers to say the console was “half-baked.”
But even though its mediasharing abilities have been castrated and its TV powers removed, it’s very clear Microsoft hasn’t forgotten about gamers. This saving grace will appeal to the company’s core demographic and will likely prop up sales of the new console until the other, more consumer-friendly services, are ready to be released.
Games, including Assassin’s Creed IV, are portrayed in fantastic detail, with clear backgrounds and vivid colour. But, like the PS4, the overall look of the early games released on Xbox One aren’t that much better than some of the top titles on Xbox 360. But it’s early days for this console, and when developers begin to toy with its potential the results should astound.
Where the Xbox One shines is in its ability to handle detail. A burning fire casts a shadow that mimics its movement and dances through the air against a rough wood wall
Despite some of its shortcomings, the console will appeal to gamers, its core demographic.
backdrop. The fact the processor can keep up with all that going on is astounding.
The console itself is sleek, shiny and really big. It’s also heavy, weighing about three kilograms. The unit has been described as looking a lot like a VCR, and that’s a fair comparison.
But the one thing no one has talked about is the size of the power brick, which is attached to Xbox One’s cord. It’s slightly larger than an actual clay brick and weighs about half as much as a real brick. Hiding that in a minimally designed wall unit could be challenging.
The unit also has heat vents on three sides, so it needs to be placed in the open and, unlike the PS4, the Xbox One can’t be stacked with other stereo equipment.
The unit does away with the two USB ports on the front of the Xbox 360 in favour of a single USB located on the side.
Turning on the Xbox is done either by a button on the front or through voice commands, such as “Xbox ON.”
The voice commands highlight another standout feature of the Xbox One, and that’s Kinect 2.0. The camera technology allows the game machine to track users’ movements as built-in microphones listen for voice commands.
As opposed to the firstgeneration Kinect, the new unit features a large external microphone with multiple zones for receiving sound. It’s longer and omni-directional, which also means it may be listening when users don’t intend, so watch out.