Coming Soon: XBOX ONE


No, not the Xbox that came out before the XBOX 360, the one that's coming out in a few days.




This is my console of choice, if I were a 'hardcore gamer', or gamed on a more regular basis. I like Nintendo and will always have a place in my heart for Mario, Zelda, etc....

But when it comes to other games (Elder Scrolls, for instance), I've been a PC gamer and PS2 fan. And I should have gotten the XBOX 360 over the the wii. 

Do I regret my wii u? Absolutely not. 

But the XBOX ONE is going to a powerful system (and between that and the Ps4, my system of choice of the two, due to the 360s track record, and game selection). Also, this could be the console to 'eliminate' PC gaming. Or rather, make it 'Steam only', as selection in the stores for physical copies is extremely low. 

I don;t want to spit technical mumbo at you, but here are some of the benefits to Microsoft's new beast:


Cutting-edge design meets cutting-edge technology.
Xbox One delivers an entertainment experience like nothing before. Its innovative technology is rivaled only by its iconic design. Sharp corners and clean lines make for a sleek, modern console that complements any decor. Xbox One was designed from the ground up to be the centerpiece of every living room.

Play with peak performance.
Xbox One is the perfect balance of power and performance. In addition to Xbox One’s revolutionary architecture, the combination of its CPU, GPU, and ESRAM is like having a supercomputer in your living room. But raw power is nothing without speed. So the Xbox One uses its power more effectively, creating lightning fast experiences unlike anything you’ve had before.

8 Cores
An 8-core x86 processor lets you instantly switch between a game and your entertainment apps with ease.
HDMI Pass-Thru
Connect your cable or satellite box to your Xbox One and prepare for lift off. HDMI pass-thru enables you to watch TV through your Xbox, which makes switching inputs seem almost pre-historic.1
Loaded with memory
8GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive give you plenty of memory for your games, demos, movies, apps, music, and more.2
Blu-ray
Watch movies and play games in stunning HD with a Blu-ray player.
A one-of-a-kind architecture.
Xbox One was designed to be the most advanced gaming console ever, and the best entertainment console. To make that possible, we did something unprecedented. For the first time ever, we created a state-of-the-art gaming OS and fused it together with a powerful Windows OS. So you get the best of both worlds, without compromise. Forget about having to switch inputs to watch TV or play a game. Now you can run a host of apps right alongside your game without any loss of performance.


Always ready when you are.
Xbox One wakes up instantly, so it’s always ready when you are. Because less time waiting means more time playing.

Jump around.
Instantly and effortlessly jump back and forth between a game, TV, music, and apps. Now there’s no need to back out of one experience before you jump right into another.

Split your screen. Not your time.
Ever wish you could chat with a friend on Skype while watching the playoffs? With Snap you can do both at the same time. On the same screen.



A new generation of Xbox Live.
Unleash the power of the cloud with a new generation of Xbox Live: the network that unites every member of the Xbox community. It also connects you to thousands of games, songs, TV shows, movies and sports. More importantly, it’s a scalable source of power that will grow stronger over time. Best of all, your games and profile are stored in the cloud, so every Xbox One console behaves like your very own. And because it’s all one service, your Xbox Live Gold membership will work on both Xbox 360 and Xbox One.


Your games keep playing, even when you’re not.
Living Games technology allows game worlds to keep going even when you’re not playing. So you never know what new things you’ll find the next time you play. And advanced artificial intelligence can learn to play like you. So when you’re not around, your friends can still play against your shadow.

Pick up right where you left off.
Want to check sports scores in the middle of a game? No problem. With auto-resume, your game is suspended right where you left off. So you can jump back instantly to the same spot. You can even start a movie or a game on one Xbox One and finish it on another.

Play without the wait.
With Xbox One, you can start playing immediately as games install. And updates install seamlessly in the background, so your games and entertainment won’t be interrupted.


Your games stay in sync with the world.
Imagine the player stats in your sports game being updated automatically based on the weekend’s results. It’s now possible with Xbox One. Thanks to the power of the cloud, game worlds stay in sync with the real worl



Unparalleled precision and comfort.
The best gaming controller just got better with over 40 technology innovations. New Impulse Triggers deliver precise fingertip feedback for more realistic experiences. We have streamlined the thumbsticks, D-pad, and contours for improved precision and comfort in your hands. Simply put, it is the best controller we've ever made.3

All together now.
Xbox SmartGlass turns your mobile phone or tablet into a second screen that intelligently interacts with your Xbox One. Navigate with your touch screen, pinch, and tap to surf the Web on your TV. Your wireless device becomes the ideal companion to your Xbox One as it serves up extended experiences of your favorite TV shows, movies, music, games, and sports.

I'm interested, but I'll wait and see what happens with the wii u, and how the system does. I'd definitely wait about 6 months in case. 

[ 1: Supported television tuner or cable/satellite set top box with HDMI output and HDMI cable required (all sold separately).
2: Xbox One system software uses a significant amount of storage; less internal storage will be available to users. 500 GB = 500 billion bytes.
3: In supported games.
Features and requirements are under development and may change prior to release. Available features and content may vary by country. Broadband internet (ISP fees apply) and advanced TV hardware required. Games sold separately. ]

Finally, I think I will end with a quick data chart:

Media Blu-ray,DVD, CD
Operating system Xbox OS, Windows custom kernel and a hypervisor
CPU Custom 1.75 GHz AMD 8 core APU (2 Quad-Core Jaguar modules)
Storage capacity 500 GB internal hard drive[5]
Memory 8 GB DDR3 (5 GB available to games)
Display 4K, 1080p, 1080i, and 720p resolutions
Graphics 853 MHz AMD Radeon GCN architecture (inside of APU)
Sound 7.1 surround sound
Controller input Xbox One controller, Xbox One Kinect, SmartGlass
Camera 1080p Kinect camera
Connectivity Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11n, Ethernet, 3 × USB 3.0, HDMI 1.4 in/out, S/PDIF out, IR-out, Kinect port
Online services Xbox Live
Backward
compatibility		 No






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