1. Price and availability
The Xbox One will be released in Australia,
Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany,
Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain,
the UK, and the US on November 22. It costs
$499 in North America, £429 in the UK, AU
$599 in Australia, and 499 euros in the EU
countries listed above. The Kinect camera is
included; you can't opt out of that
peripheral.
2. You'll need an Xbox Live Gold
membership ($60/year in the US) to do
almost anything beyond play single-player
games
Xbox Live Gold was pretty much a
requirement for any online Xbox gamer
before, but that's even more the case now.
Any online services require Gold, from
streaming Netflix to game DVR functionality
(apps and game recordings are free on the
PS4, with only online gaming requiring a
PlayStation Plus membership).
3. It plays Blu-rays, DVDs, and (unlike PS4)
CDs
The Xbox 360 only had DVD support, and --
briefly, via a peripheral -- HD-DVDs. Blu-ray
playback is a pleasant addition. And sorry,
lovers of 3D Blu-rays , whoever you are: the
Xbox One isn't compatible with you. (There is
no 3D Blu-ray compatibility on PS4 at
present, either.)
4. It supports limited DLNA...in theory
Microsoft's pushing its SkyDrive account --
Microsoft's own cloud-storage service -- to
play back cloud-stored photos and videos,
but "Play To" DLNA-supported devices could
theoretically work. We haven't tested this
yet, but if you're a streaming-media-server
type of person, prepare to be a bit
disappointed versus what was capable on an
Xbox 360.
5. The hard drive is not user replaceable
(unlike with the PS4)
The Xbox One comes with a 500GB hard
drive, and you're going to have to live with
it. Right now, there's no plan to how, exactly,
you'll upgrade that storage. The Xbox 360
used to have a proprietary snap-on hard
drive; on the One, it lives inside the console.
(PS4 owners can self-upgrade with a
standard laptop hard drive.)
6. It won't play your old Xbox 360, original
Xbox, or Xbox Live Arcade titles (discs or
digital)
Bad news for Xbox 360 owners with huge
game libraries: the Xbox One won't play your
discs. And any downloaded Xbox games that
exist on your Xbox Live account won't transfer
over, either. It's a fresh start with the Xbox
One, whether you like it or not -- but user
settings and account details are retained
and carried over.
7. Downloaded games can be redownloaded
and played anywhere, but disc games need
the disc to play
Disc and disc-free games alike need
installation on the Xbox One, but if you go
the disc route, keep in mind that you'll
always need that disc inserted to start the
game.
8. The Xbox One doesn't have Bluetooth
support
Go figure. Wi-Fi Direct and 802.11n Wi-Fi will
help address some device-to-device
connections, but for wireless accessories
you'll have to use official Xbox options. The
PlayStation 4 doesn't work with universal
Bluetooth peripherals, either, even though it
does have Bluetooth onboard.
9. The Kinect doubles as an IR blaster
For any universal remote control purposes,
the Kinect, when set up, will be programmed
to operate your TV and cable box. Controls
like volume control and channel-changing
can be executed using voice, but it can get a
little challenging at times.
10. The Xbox One works with universal
remotes
Unlike the PS4, which lacks an IR port, the
Xbox One can be controlled with a
compatible universal remote. That's nice for
DVD or Blu-ray playback, for folks who don't
want to use the Xbox controller or Kinect
voice commands.
11. The Xbox One is bigger than the
PlayStation 4
It's not even close. Not only is the One the
bulkier console, but it has a very large power
brick adapter attached to the power cable;
the PlayStation 4 just has a regular thin
plug.
12. Xbox SmartGlass is back, and runs on
Windows 8, iOS, and Android devices
Microsoft's second-screen SmartGlass app
works on a variety of phones, tablets, and
PCs, and promises to add media playback
controls, in-game second-screen functions,
and pop-up information viewing throughout
Xbox One. Many iPhones, iPads, and iPod
Touches, Android 4 devices 7 inches and
larger, and Windows 8 phones, tablets, and
PCs can connect.
13. Kinect is not required for use, but it
certainly helps
A new Kinect comes packed in with every
Xbox One, making it a required purchase.
It's also meant to be plugged in most of the
time. You don't need it plugged in, but any
automatic logging in, voice control, and
gesture recognition, which is a big part of
how the Xbox One works, won't function.
14. It works with cable and satellite TV, but
doesn't support DVR control
An HDMI input allows you to run your cable
box directly into the Xbox One , feeding it all
your TV feeds. The Xbox One has its own
searchable menu for TV listings, too, and can
change the channel on your cable box,
acting on its behalf. But, while you can
watch your DVR, you can't use the Xbox One
to access your recordings or the menus; for
that, you're going to have to use your
remote, as usual.
15. Some TVs aren't supported for Kinect
CNET couldn't get the Xbox One to recognize
the Sharp Elite PRO-60X5FD from CNET's Lab,
which also meant the Kinect wouldn't learn
commands for the set, either. Maybe
additional software updates are needed, but
this bears watching.
16. Game DVR only records the last five
minutes of what you're playing, versus 15
minutes on the PlayStation 4
It's fun to share, but remember that the
Xbox One only keeps a continuously recording
backlog of the last five minutes, versus 15
minutes on the PS4. But it's easier to share
a quick 30-second clip on the Xbox One.
17. Twitch exists as an app for Xbox
One...but you can't broadcast using it yet
The PlayStation 4 has the ability to create
your own live broadcast of your gameplay for
the world to see via Twitch, or watch what
others are streaming. The Xbox One has a
Twitch app, but it's only for viewing streams:
creating your own live stream won't be
possible on Xbox until, most likely, early next
year.
18. Snap is a multitasker's dream...but
some apps don't work for it
Using Snap, you can create a side split-
screen of live TV, NFL scores, or whatever else
you can think of while playing a game...or,
combine apps that involve no gaming
whatsoever. Some apps don't support Snap
yet, but discovering which do takes some
trial and error.
19. Voice control is a mixed bag
Using the Kinect for voice commands shows
how many more types of interactions you can
do with the Xbox One versus the Xbox 360,
but it's not perfect. More often than not you
have to repeat yourself, and some TV
channels and game titles require exact
pronunciation, or are so hard to pronounce
that the Xbox One simply won't process it
easily.
20. It's always on, for better or worse
The Xbox One encourages you to run your TV
and home theater through it, meaning you'll
have your Xbox One on even when watching
old DVR recordings or when watching a
movie. The Xbox, and that Kinect. You might
get pop-up Skype calls, or game notifications,
right in the middle of a show. Of course, you
can always disconnect it from your TV feed,
too.
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Check out the full review of xbox one
Source: CNET
