“After a bizarre reveal, trivial privacy announcements and a whole load of back-and-forth – the Xbox One has finally arrived in a more-or-less acceptable state. Packing an impressive launch line up that helps you overlook some of the issues Microsoft’s new machine has. While it’s certainly not a perfect machine, it’s a step in the right direction to creating an ultimate multimedia hub for all your entertainment needs.”
The Machine:
Big and husky – the Xbox One is an imposing box that makes all your other devices whimper in fear and rightfully they should because Microsoft’s new machine is packing some impressive power. Heavily inspired by Windows 8 the new dashboard is organised in a box-like fashion that can be traversed via the controller or through Kinect’s voice commands. However you choose to use the Xbox One it’s immediate that it possesses everything for your entertainment needs – applications, music, film, TV and games.
The Xbox One uses a very cool snap application that allows gamers to seamlessly switch from application to application without any lag or disconnection issues – for example you can pause a game and watch Youtube then snap back to the aforementioned.
The Controller:
The best thing about the Xbox One is the incredibly impressive controller. Resembling the second incarnation of the original Xbox controller – this compact device feels perfect all the way around. Little grip slits on the thumb-sticks prevent slipping, a highly responsive D-pad provides fighting fans exceptional feedback and all the face-buttons push in with a satisfying ‘click’. Ergonomic triggers create further feedback response for gamers but unfortunately the bumper buttons lack any real oomph when used – which is a shame because the rest of the controller is absolutely stunning.
The Games:
It’s important to note history shows that incredible launch line-ups are few and far between and normally launch games have absolutely zero consequence in showing off what machines are truly capable of. That being said, it’s still important for a console to have some games worth playing. The Xbox One released a decent array of titles – highlights include Forza 5, Dead Rising 3, Killer Instinct and your cross-platform staples Call of Duty: Ghosts, FIFA 14 and Battlefield 4.
Is there a huge difference between the Xbox 360 and Xbox One in terms of performance and graphics? The short answer is no. Will you see and feel a difference, absolutely. Graphical enhancements makes games look sharper and Xbox One’s power allows for some impressive early feats – for example Dead Rising’s ability to have thousands of zombies on screen at any given time and whole football stadium’s filled with actual model humans for supporters as opposed to cardboard cut outs.
Is there a huge difference between the Xbox 360 and Xbox One in terms of performance and graphics? The short answer is no. Will you see and feel a difference, absolutely. Graphical enhancements makes games look sharper and Xbox One’s power allows for some impressive early feats – for example Dead Rising’s ability to have thousands of zombies on screen at any given time and whole football stadium’s filled with actual model humans for supporters as opposed to cardboard cut outs.
The Verdict:
The Xbox One still has many issues to smooth over – things like Party Chat fail to work efficiently and technical hitches like games failing to load, auto-resets etc are all problems numerous gamers are facing. This is something to be expected from phase one launch models and hopefully once the tide settles, the Xbox One will be a thoroughly successful device that provides gamers across the board, what they are looking for.
The Machine: 7 / 10
The Controller: 9 / 10
The Games: 7 / 10
Verdict: 7.5 / 10
Igor Kharin
Xbox One at CeX
