The battle for console supremacy is officially underway now that Microsoft’s anticipated system, the Xbox One, has been released to the world.
But how did the bold claims and launch lineup fare against the Sony PlayStation 4 released just a week ago?
While certain features of the $500 Xbox One still have a ways to go before they work as properly as Microsoft envisioned, the system’s future looks to be brighter than any competition currently on the market.
It’s impossible to ignore just how large the system is.
Weighing in at about nine pounds and measuring 13.1 inches by 10.8 inches, this is not an easy system to maneuver.
Within the box however lies a series of upgrades that puts it well above its predecessor, the Xbox 360.
Along with the system comes the Xbox One controller.
It is a sleeker and smaller version of last generation’s standard on the Xbox 360.
The triggers and bumpers have been raised slightly, while the two joysticks offer a much better grip.
The only problem holding back the Xbox One’s controller versus the PS4’s all new DualShock 4 is the lack of a sturdy feel.
While the Xbox One’s controller does feel like a nice improvement, it’s tough to say it’s better in many ways than its main competitor.
Microsoft elected to go with an 8-core AMD Central Core Processor and a 500 GB hard drive.
Although the increased space from the last generation is the same as Sony’s console, the lack of ability to expand the space with an external hard drive is a bit of a problem early on.
This isn’t helped by nearly all new games having to download onto the system and taking up an average of around 40 GBs.
Speaking of the games, the Xbox One might not have the firepower under the hood that the PlayStation 4 does, but when it comes to first day exclusive titles, there is no comparison.
The three main titles for the new Xbox, “Forza Motorsport 5,” “Ryse: Son of Rome,” and “Dead Rising 3,” are all incredibly entertaining titles that are a great showcase for the next generation of gaming.
As far as a showcase goes, the feature of the Xbox One that differentiates it from other consoles is the new and much improved Kinect 2.0.
While the older edition of the camera felt unresponsive and lacked any real use, Microsoft’s newest toy is now a fully integrated piece of machinery that has the potential to either sell units by itself, or scare consumers away.
After signing in simply by walking into the room in front of the Kinect, anyone can jump from game to game, features to apps with a simple outcry of, “Xbox, go to ‘blank.’”
The transition is seamless, granted the user needs to be too. If a gamer wishes to play “Ryse: Son of Rome,” they’d better say “Xbox, play ‘Ryse: Son of Rome,’” and not just “Xbox, play Ryse.”
Here lies the difficulty early on for the Kinect 2.0.
Although it is a big step forward for voice recognition and control, the Xbox One’s most risky feature is still a bit of a work in progress.
Hopefully Microsoft will look to make this much more user friendly in the near future, because as of release day, the need for 100 percent accuracy is a bit of a nuisance.
In terms of user-interface, the Xbox One does a fine job of making things simple enough to visualize and use.
The most used apps and games can be tagged for quick access on the far left of the home screen that looks nearly identical to the Windows 8 operating system.
It’s clean and clear, but does need a little more precision for things as simple as finding out how much battery life the controller still has.
The Xbox One is by no means a finished product, but what makes it so worthwhile for a day one purchase is its unlimited potential.
The release games are fun and different, the Kinect 2.0 is a spotty piece of tech that looks to get better with age, and the hardware is a clear step up from the last generation.
As with the PS4, the price is hard to overlook, but there’s so much to look forward to that anyone on the fence should know that they’ll be very happy with the newest toy on the market.
RATING: 8.5/10
