Everything You Need To Know About The Xbox One (Details & Photos Inside)

The day has finally come: Microsoft announced today that its next-generation video game console will be called the Xbox One.

“Today, we look forward,” said Don Mattrick, Microsoft president of interactive business. “It’s time for technology to step behind the curtain and for you and entertainment to take center stage.”
Some of the console’s new features will include:

1. Voice Command

5. Snap Mode

Voice command immediately recognizes the user and will instantly turn the console on by saying “Xbox on.” There is also a feature called instant switching that lets users switch from gaming, TV and Web browsing seamlessly.

Another new aspect called Snap Mode lets users run multiple programs simultaneously, including the capacity to make group Skype calls in high-definition.

The feature called Xbox One Guide allows users to scroll through a show guide, call for specific TV shows or change channels via Voice Command.

“No more memorizing channels or hunting for the remote control,” said senior vice president Yusuf Mehdisaid.
The Xbox One also comes with an upgraded controller. Microsoft says the new device has 40 novel design innovations, including impulse triggers, Wi-Fi direct radio stack, integrated battery compartment and a precision directional pad.

The console will come with 8 gigabyes of RAM, a Blu-ray drive, USB 3.0 connector and HDMI in and out.

The system runs on THREE systems in ONE: Xbox operating system, Windows Kernel and a combination of the two that enables multitasking.

Microsoft is giving Xbox Live an upgrade, as well. To support the new cloud-based features, Xbox Live will run on 300,000 servers for the Xbox One — up from 3,000 servers for Xbox 360.

Four blockbuster sports games from Electronic Arts will come to the Xbox One: FIFA 14, Madden 25, UFC and NBA Live 14. Forza Motorsports 5 is also coming exclusively to the new console and will be available when launched.

You can also expect the highly anticipated Call of Duty: Ghosts to be available upon release.

Microsoft also announced a partnership with film director Steven Spielberg and 343 industries to create an exclusive TV show of the blockbuster title “Halo,” as we just reported.

The NFL is also partnering with Xbox to create a fully immersive experience that lets fans switch between watching a game to checking fantasy football statistics in the Xbox ecosystem, using SmartGlass and Kinect.

Xbox One will be available worldwide “later this year” most likely around holiday time. Microsoft will reveal more details and games at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).

The two main unknowns at the moment are: pricing and whether or not the Xbox One is backwards compatible with the Xbox 360.

Microsoft’s competitor Sony is also launching its next-generation game console, the PlayStation 4, later this year. Nintendo released the Wii U in 2012.

The original Xbox 360 debuted in 2001 and its successor, the Xbox 360, was unveiled in 2005.

Via CBS