How the Xbox One console stacks up

THE GOOD:

❚ Kinect 2.0 is greatly upgraded and can automatically sign users in based on facialrecognition technology. It also has a far better understanding of verbal language, allowing for some pretty impressive voice commands.

❚ Upgraded controller has a better D-Pad design that kicks the old clunky Xbox 360 design to the curb.

❚ Fantastic dashboard that allows consumers to pick and choose the apps they want front and centre.

Also, the ability to “snap” apps (basically play them at half screen) is a huge boon. Players can monitor Facebook on one half of the screen while playing a game on the other.

❚ Skype finally gets the credit it deserves and is written right in to the core of the console. When a person calls, the player’s game is automatically paused so they can accept the call. Friend lists are easy to set up and create. THE BAD:

❚ No support for Windows Media Center (it’s been removed from the software) and no support for finding existing content on a home network.

❚ No Twitch or OneGuide, Microsoft’s TV offering, at launch.

❚ Clunky oversized design and a massive power brick that needs to be hidden makes it tough to fit this unit into tightly packed entertainment units. THE BOTTOM LINE: For gamers and Xbox fans, this console offers you everything you want. It launches with an impressive list of exclusive titles, support from major developers, and it boasts some pretty impressive graphics. However, for the average consumer, Xbox One fails to impress. After months of hearing how the new console would change the way we interact with our livingroom entertainment system, the console launches without much of that functionality. That revelation dulls the edge on the Xbox One’s sword for many, putting it neck-and-neck with Sony Corp.’s PS4 when it comes to functionality.