Microsoft has unveiled its new generation Xbox One at an
event yesterday at the company’s headquarter in Redmond, Washington. This is
the first release of Xbox game console in 8 years after the launch of Xbox 360
8 years ago.
It took four years to develop Xbox One and it will be sold
worldwide later this year according to games unit chief Don Mattrick when he
was addressing reporters at an event at the software company’s campus near
Seattle, although he didn’t give details about timing or pricing.
After rumours of names like Durango, Infinity, and 720, it
seems Microsoft has gone in the opposite direction to choose the name Xbox One.
As expected, Xbox One is filled with so many mouthwatering features which makes
Xbox One more than just a gaming console. The Xbox One serves several media
functions to make it a breathtaking spectacle.
The Kinect motion sensor has been taken to a new level in
the new Microsoft gadget. Xbox One come equipped with Xbox OS, Windows custom
kernel and a hypervisor. The CPU is AMD 8 core APU and a storage capacity of
500GB.
It also has 8GB RAM, two USB 3.0 ports and an HDMI port. The
camera for the Kinect motion sensor is a 1080p kinect camera, and it has a
resolution of 3840 × 2160 video output. Contrary to predictions about an ‘always
online’ Xbox, the Xbox One doesn’t have to be always online to work but some
functions work properly or at all without internet connection.
The Xbox One allows instant and simultaneous access to
movies, live TV, music, and Internet Explorer. The voice control feature has
been stepped up from the first generation Kinect. This will allow users of Xbox
to control it through voice command. Even Microsoft didn’t name the Xbox One a
console but an entertainment system, so you can see the rationale behind that.
The voice control will be possible through the Kinect, and
this will allow for the use of Skype on the Xbox One. The new Kinect system has
come with a better motion and voice detection, including the ability to recognize
face, tell if you’re smiling or talking and gauge your heart rate.
Microsoft has indicated though, that Xbox 360 games will not
work on the Xbox One because the underlying technology is different. Some of
the games confirmed to be in development for Xbox One are Assassin’s Creed IV:
Black Flag, Call of Duty: Ghosts, FIFA 14, Forza Motorsport, NBA Live 14, and
others.
The battle for the soul of gaming is now on a different
level as Sony also announced PlayStation 4 recently, combined with competition
from Nintendo’s Wii U.
Let the battle and fun begin!
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Microsoft unveils new generation ‘Xbox One’: more than gaming; movies, live TV, Internet Explorer …