The Xbox One it is not just for the child in your home, but for the one inside you, too
The Xbox One may have been announced almost three years ago, but now, with the summer vacations around the corner (and the concern about keeping kids busy), it is a good idea to revisit this successor to Xbox 360. In direct competition with Sony’s Playstation 4 and Nintendo’s Wii U, it is the third console in the Xbox family.
More than a gaming console
The Xbox One is a gaming console but it is also a media centre that wants to be at the heart of all your digital entertainment. The internet-connected Xbox One can turn any screen into a smart-TV, letting you browse the web, check your social networks, use Skype to video chat with friends, and stream music and movies on the internet. And you thought it was only for children?
The Xbox One also includes an HDMI-in port that your television set-top box can connect to. TV becomes just another app on the Xbox and it can be accessed without having to fish out your television remote to switch the video source.
When you buy the console, you have the option of buying it with the Kinect sensor (at Rs 45,990) or without (at Rs 39,990). The Kinect bundle also gets you Dance Central and FIFA 15, while the cheaper option gets you FIFA 15.
Design The Xbox 360 had round corners and a bright colour scheme that made it stand out and look a little like a toy. The Xbox One eschews this completely. It has a subdued dark design that makes it look like the Hummer version of a DVD player. The front of the device is smooth except for the Blu-Ray slot, and there is one USB port along the side. Everything else you need is at the back of the box. Neat, and very clean.
One HDMI in (for your set top box), one HDMI out (to connect the Xbox One to the TV), a port for the power cable, optical out for audio, two more USB ports, and ports for the Kinect and Ethernet are all placed within reach. Except for the USB ports, there’s nothing that should make you need to reach behind the console after setting it up for the first time.
If you opt to buy the model that comes with a Kinect, you also need to find a place to keep the camera. It's slim enough for you to be able to place it under your television without any problems. The camera is the only blocky looking piece of hardware that looks a little out of place with the huge lens staring back at you at all time. We spent a fair amount of time using the Kinect to Skype with people. You don't even need to use the controller, and the Kinect camera has an easy-to-use interface. Browsing the web and watching movies was handled easily enough with just Kinect, although you can use the controller as well.
In the box we got a headset, an HDMI cable, and one game controller. You can buy a second controller at Rs 3,999 online. The controller has been tweaked and looks a lot sleeker than the 360 version. It feels almost exactly the same as the 360 controller, although the balance might be a little better. The design of the triggers and bumpers has been streamlined and new rumble strips under the triggers make it feel amazing to use.
Hardware basics
The Xbox One uses an AMD APU that has an 8-core Jaguar processor clocked at 1.75GHz. It has a Radeon 7000-series GPU, 8GB of RAM and 500GB of storage. On paper that puts the Xbox One at par with a moderately powerful gaming computer, and several steps ahead of its predecessor, the Xbox 360. Real world performance doesn't always line up with paper so neatly of course.
Final verdict
Overall, it is a great gaming and entertainment device. My experience with the Kinetic with voice command has been great and my son is delighted and awestruck when I say “Xbox, On” and the console fires up. Trust me when I say this, as it is from personal experience, it is not just for the child in your home, but for the one inside you, too. Game on!