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The year when console makers gave up on the idea of “generations” in favour of a simpler, less risky way to release games, like how smartphones do it. One where you don’t have to replace your hardware and customers every five to seven years. It’s a move that’s already given us the Xbox One S, PS4 Pro, and Xbox One X, all of which play the same games as your current console but make them look a lot better.
What does that mean for the first Xbox One? From one point of view, in a sad place, destined to become Microsoft’s second-best system within four years of its release. From a different point of view, though, the future looks bright. It still has a lot of big releases to come, and if Microsoft keeps up with its current “no one gets left behind” philosophy.
Xbox One review: DESIGN AND BUILD QUALITY
Sony’s PS4 looks much more stylish than Microsoft’s Xbox One. In fact, it’s a big, hulking beast of a machine that looks a lot like a Betamax video recorder from 1984. It is a slab that is 263 x 80 x 305 mm and weighs about 3.2 kg. It is made of a material called “Liquid Black,” and the top is split in half, with a reflective surface on one side and a huge vent on the other.
Also, this is a console that is meant to sit flat under your TV, with its Kinect sensor staring gloomily at everything in your living room. Microsoft won’t be responsible if your discs get scratched if you lay it on its side. You can get this Xbox One from its official website
Xbox One review: SETUP AND FEATURES
If all of this sounds scary, don’t worry setting up this beast is a piece of cake. Kinect, the power cable, and most set-top boxes, if you want to watch live TV on the Xbox One, all fit nicely in the back. The console will ask if you already have a profile once you turn it on. If you do, you’ll have to load it up online. If not, or if you don’t want to use the Internet, you can start from scratch.
But it’s easier to do it online. If you already have a profile, all you have to do is log in with your password and your Achievements, saved games, friend lists, and avatars will be moved over right away. It doesn’t get rid of your Xbox 360 gamertag; instead, you now have two gamertags.
Xbox One review: Controller
The Xbox One S made the Xbox One controller better by giving it a rougher surface and making the thumb sticks stronger. Both of these things didn’t bother me too much with the old controller, which we think is the best standard controller of the current generation and one of the best ever made. The analogue sticks are almost perfectly responsive.
The buttons are fast and in good places, and the clever, rumbling impulse triggers add a real tactile dimension to games that use them well. Most of the time, driving games and shooters are the best. We just wish Microsoft would add batteries that could be charged. AA batteries last a lot longer than the DualShock 4’s built-in battery, but it’s a lot more trouble to charge them and find new ones than to just plug in the cable.
Xbox One review: Interface
The Xbox One’s interface is best described as being like looking for treasure in a cluttered room. There are many wonderful and sometimes even awesome things in those piles, but it can be hard to find them sometimes.
On systems with Kinect, the Xbox One’s tile-based design, which is based on Windows 8, is much less of a problem. Voice commands can take you quickly from one part of the user interface to another. But when you use a controller, you have to dig deeper to find basic things like Parties and Messages.
Final Words
Even though the reviews aren’t all the same, everyone agrees that Microsoft is on the right track, playing is beautiful, and Xbox One has a great future that could take over the living room in a few years.
Many articles agree that Kinect 2 is a great idea, but it doesn’t always work as expected, and it can be hard to use voice commands when more than one person is in the room. In the reviews, the price seems to be a problem.
Xbox One Ratings
Pros
- Games load quickly.
- Console runs quiet.
Cons
- Expensive game console.
FAQs
Is Xbox One still worth buying 2023?
In short, we wouldn’t recommend buying an Xbox One in 2023 unless you can find a used one for a huge discount and don’t plan to upgrade for years. If not, the Series X|S is a much better choice because the prices are the same and the power is better. And if you have a good PC already, use that instead.
Is Xbox One S worth buying?
The Xbox One S might not be powerful enough to play games on your 4K TV, but it has thousands of games and 4K media for an affordable price. You can make it last longer by playing games in the cloud with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, but buy an Xbox Series S instead. For people who want games that are clear.
Why is the Xbox One so slow?
If your Xbox One’s hard drive is full or almost full, it may not run as well as it could. To speed things up, try deleting old games or apps that you don’t use anymore. You’ve probably already tried that.