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Xbox One
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Xbox One is a
video game console developed and marketed by
Microsoft. Announced on May 21, 2013, it is the successor to the
Xbox 360 and is the third console in the
Xbox family.
[7] It directly competes with
Sony's
PlayStation 4 and
Nintendo's
Wii U as part of the
eighth generation of video game consoles.
[15][16] Xbox One was released across North America, several European markets, Australia, and New Zealand on November 22, 2013,
[2]
and is scheduled for release in 26 other markets, including Japan, the
remaining European markets, and the Middle East, sometime in September
2014.
[17] It will also be the first Xbox game console to be released in
China, specifically in the
Shanghai Free-Trade Zone.
[6] Microsoft and various publications have classified the device as an "all-in-one entertainment system",
[18][19][20] making it a competitor to other
digital media players such as the
Apple TV and the
Google TV platforms.
[21][22][23]
Moving away from the Xbox 360's
PowerPC-based architecture and back into the
x86 architecture used in the first Xbox, the console features an
AMD processor built around the
x86-64 instruction set. Xbox One places an increased emphasis on entertainment integration, offering the ability to
overlay live television programming from an existing
set-top box,
split-screen multitasking of
applications, and improved
second screen support. The console includes a newly upgraded
Kinect motion sensing
peripheral, previously an optional attachment for the Xbox 360.
Microsoft is emphasizing the Kinect's integration with Xbox One through
features such as a built-in
Skype client for
videoconferencing, user recognition and tracking, and the ability to use
voice commands and gestures to navigate the console's
user interface. New gaming functionality includes an expanded
Xbox Live service, improved Kinect functionality,
cloud computing, the ability to automatically record and share video highlights from gameplay, and support for
live streaming gameplay online.
Upon its unveiling, Xbox One was criticized for its initial
digital rights management
policies (including a requirement for a periodic connection to the
internet, and ambiguous restrictions on the resale and sharing of
previously-purchased games), along with
Kinect
usage requirements and higher price than its competitors. In response
to the criticism, Microsoft dropped these restrictions prior to
releasing the console.
