What can xbox one do besides games. Games and entertainment. Xbox One X - specifications

Andrey Pismenny

The Xbox 360 is a true longevity champion among game consoles. Appearing on sale in November 2005, by November this year it will celebrate its 8th anniversary. It was the first of the seventh generation consoles, and with Nintendo and Sony making their moves relative to the eighth, Microsoft's announcement was a long-awaited event and high hopes were pinned on it. And now, finally, it became known officially: a newcomer is in a hurry to replace the "three hundred and sixtieth" Xbox one... What is he, and what to expect from him?

Xbox conquers TV

The show didn't start with games: before an Electronic Arts representative stepped onto the stage to showcase the new series of football simulator FIFA, Microsoft representatives spoke for half an hour about the television capabilities of the Xbox One. It's not for nothing that its appearance has something in common with a VCR: One has as much in common with video equipment as with game consoles.

Microsoft's goal was to “make the TV smarter,” and here it seems to have succeeded. On stage, it was demonstrated how a TV connected to the Xbox One can be turned on by voice (or rather, the voice turns on the set-top box, which, in turn, activates the TV). The user is greeted with a "personal home screen" that is both similar to the current Xbox 360 start screen and the new Windows 8 interface.

Typically, games at the starting point xbox screen One is not even listed as the first item in a series of possibilities. My Pins ("pinned"), Home and Trending come first, followed by "TV Shows and Movies", "Music" and "Apps".

Most of all in the presentation Microsoft emphasized that the Xbox One will make it much easier to control the TV: thanks to the set-top box, it will respond to voice commands. It is enough to say "Xbox, watch TV", and the set-top box will switch to television, and in response to the question "what is now on this channel?" the TV program guide will be displayed. The only thing that is still unclear is whether the set-top box passes the signal through itself or whether it is about IP-TV. However, in both cases there is very little hope that the shown television functions will work in Russia.

Xbox One outside and inside

Unlike Sony, which decided not to show the Playstation 4 during the first announcement, Microsoft has everything ready here: not only photos were shown, but also a working prototype. Some of its characteristics are also known.

The Xbox One processor has eight cores and a total of “five billion transistors”. Its frequency is not specified, but it is known that the architecture is quite ordinary this time: like the PS4, the Xbox One will run on a chip of the x86-64 family. He also has 8 GB random access memory, 500GB hard drive, USB 3.0 ports, Wi-Fi 802.11n support, Blu-ray drive, HDMI in and out. It will probably be possible to connect some other video console to the input and be able to voice ask the Xbox One to display an image from it.

Included with the box will be a new version of the Kinect sensor, which now comes with a 1080p camera. It is claimed that the Kinect will now be able to take into account the slightest movements, and even read the pulse while charging.

The standard controller has also undergone changes - and although it looks very similar to its predecessor, Microsoft counted as many as 40 differences. In particular, the D-Pad has undergone changes (it allegedly became more accurate), the triggers are now equipped with a recoil system, and the compartment where the batteries are placed is no longer removable. It also seems that the controller now has a built-in gyroscope and games will be able to use information about its tilt in one way or another.

A few words about software

Microsoft representatives shared a terrible secret with the public: the Xbox One has not one operating system, but three - the Xbox OS, the Windows kernel and the third kernel, which is designed to switch between them and ensure multitasking.

Was it worth it to fence such a complex system? On the one hand, all this looks categorically inelegant, on the other, if the user does not care, then why not? The Windows kernel is clearly for applications, while the Xbox system is for games. It's a pity that this did not allow for backward compatibility with the Xbox 360, but here it is not difficult to explain the reasons: switching to x86 excludes the launch of applications written for the PowerPC.

But Microsoft is proud of how quickly the new console allows you to switch between different activities: watching a movie changes to playing literally at one point, and the same thing in the opposite direction. The screen can also be split into two, as in the tablet version of Windows 8. This feature is called Snap Mode, and its best use is probably using Skype while playing a game or watching a movie.

Xbox live

The service also received a special mention at the presentation. Xbox live... It has several commendable functions at once, and one is very questionable.

First, about the good. Previously, consoles did not even allow you to take a screenshot, now both the Playstation 4 and Xbox One will allow you to record videos and share them with friends via Xbox Live. The Xbox One will have a dedicated interface for recording and editing video - a "gaming video recorder," as Microsoft has called it. The second useful thing is storing game shipments on the server. Previously, this option also existed, but was part of a paid Xbox Live Gold membership.

Another good news would be the ability to play games without changing the discs in the drive: you only need to install each of the games once, then put them back in the box and no longer take them out - the data copied to the hard disk will be enough. But there are rumors that such a scheme will have an unpleasant downside: once copied to disk, the game will be tied to an account, and it will no longer be possible to install it on another account. Perhaps Microsoft will offer to pay a certain installation fee for each subsequent account.

In this case, you should also prepare for the fact that the installation of games will require an Internet connection. However, an even more terrible rumor was popular earlier - about the need for a permanent connection to the Network, but at least it turned out to be incorrect.

Interactive entertainment

Microsoft said a lot about the fact that thanks to Xbox One television will become much more interactive and viewers will be able to communicate with friends while watching. However, they did not show exactly how and boasted only of various amenities that fans of American football could surround themselves with.

The real sensation was caused by another announcement: a television series with some interactive capabilities will be filmed in the Halo universe. The project is being produced by Steven Spielberg, and while no stage details were revealed, Halo fans (most of whom are Xbox owners) were very pleased.

And games too

Players, of course, are primarily interested in looking not at television gadgets, but at new games with realistic graphics. Here, alas, the presentation was not so exciting. In addition to sports games, EA showed Forza Motorsport 5 races, a short trailer from the new Remedy project called Quantum Break, and announced Call of Duty: Ghosts.

The audience was given only a glimpse of how the graphics would look in real games, and even then, from the short splash screens, for the most part it is impossible to understand where the game graphics are and where the prerender is.

In the screenshots of the Ghosts, the equipment and faces of the soldiers, as well as the jungle, look very impressive and detailed. It's clear that this is a huge step forward compared to the previous generation of consoles, but don't expect the Xbox One to do anything out of the ordinary in terms of graphics. In terms of characteristics, it is similar to the Playstation 4, besides, competing consoles now use processors with the same architecture, and developers will have another reason not to distinguish between versions of games for different platforms.

In total, Microsoft promises fifteen exclusive games at the start of sales of the console (that is, before the end of this year), and half will be new franchises, and not regular sequels. More details about the games will be announced at E3 in mid-June, and it would be better for Microsoft to have time to prepare a shock performance in the remaining month. This is the only surefire way to please gamers, and no amount of TV features can replace it.

So, a miracle happened. All three (or, for some, two) new generation consoles are presented. One is already being sold in stores, although it suffers from a lack of power and poor third-party support. FROM Wii U It is not that simple. And here is the new one Xbox there will be no such problems. All major publishers have already announced their support for powerful consoles, loud statements have been made about unique services, and exclusive projects have been announced. All players are known, a full-fledged battle of the titans will begin at the end of the year. About the system Nintendo you already know, many probably even have it. ABOUT Playstation 4 and her games, we also managed to tell. The time has come for a new one Xbox.

Which, contrary to all rumors, received a name other than Xbox 720 and Xbox Infinity... It's simple - a new prefix Microsoft got a simple but catchy name Xbox one... A modern universal home entertainment system - this is how its creators position the console. What will we, the players, be dealing with over the next 6-7 years?

Xbox One presentation

As promised, the presentation of the game console Xbox one occurred on May 21, 2013. It began at 21-00 Moscow time in the state of Washington, in Redmond. It was immediately announced that the technologies embedded in the console will be enough for the next ten years. It should immediately be stated that, in addition to the actual games, Xbox one will be able to show movies, broadcast television programs, sports events, will allow listening to music, communicating on Skype etc.

"Xbox One brings together the next generation of popular games, TV and entertainment in a fast and versatile device," said Don Mattrick, Head of Interactive Entertainment Microsoft... The system's unique, state-of-the-art architecture delivers unrivaled ease of use and revolutionary instant game and entertainment switching. "

That is, in fact, in the new generation, the consoles will become even closer to PCthan in the previous one. Of course, you will not be able to do without an advanced online service that integrates everything that has ever been invented lately. Want to see what's on TV, what games are coming out soon, and which ones are already available? Please, everything is on the screen of your TV to which the console is connected Xbox one... They will also give the opportunity to communicate with friends by voice.

Amazing Xbox One features

Like search algorithms google, operating system Xbox one will be trainable and will offer you what you love. That is, if you are a fan of role-playing games, then it is about them that they will show you information in the first place. They will also be recommended. The capabilities of the set-top box are described in great detail in the official press release. Microsoft:

• TV on Xbox One... Watch TV channels from your cable TV, telco or satellite operator with Xbox one.
• Turn on by voice... Say just two words: "Turn on Xbox" and you have a home screen with your favorite games, TV and entertainment programs.
• Parallel work... Do two things at the same time on the biggest screen in your home. Use the side-by-side feature to jump into multiplayer battle while watching your favorite movie, chatting with friends on Skype, watching TV, getting TV news of your favorite team while watching an important game, and more.
• Skype for Xbox One. Xbox one allows you to chat with your friends Skypeas well as make group calls using your HDTV.
• Popularity ratings... Stay on top of the hottest shows on TV by checking out which entertainment shows are popular with your friends and the Xbox community.
• One guide... Fast voice search for your favorite entertainment programs by TV channel, title or broadcast time in your personal program guide.

Well, very impressive. However, approximately all the same is or will be with Playstation 4... Copying ideas from the three console makers became the norm in the last generation. With regard to the performance and operability of all the above services, a high level can be achieved by using three operating systems at the same time: one is responsible for interacting with Windows services, the second controls the STB itself, and the third is used to bind one to another. Well, 5 billion microtransistors (an approximate figure) neutralize any delays - switching between programs, games and television will occur instantly.

Specifications

Detailed specifications consoles are not yet known. But in general terms, we can already talk about what will be inside. The same as on PS4, in Xbox one 8 gigabytes of RAM will be installed. The central processing unit will also be 8-core. The minimum hard drive size is 500 gigabytes. And as a carrier for games will be used Blu-ray (yes, yes, after all he and only in this generation in the case of Microsoft). how Sonyand Microsoft have not yet decided on a fully digital distribution. Perhaps it will happen, but clearly not in this and, perhaps, not even in the next generation.

The set-top box will be connected to the TV via HDMI and will be equipped with USB 3.0 outputs. Of course, you can't do without Wi-Fi. As for the network service, this will be an advanced version Xbox livesupported by 300 thousand servers. So the stability of work should be at its best from the very first days after launch. Xbox one... Also, the set-top box will provide an opportunity to use a function similar to Share on PS4, that is, the most interesting moments from the games will make it possible to share directly during the gameplay directly.

Xbox one will use cloud technology to its fullest. This will allow both segmented installation of games, and the ability to play while downloading, and faster downloads from the network. And most of the data can be stored in the cloud so as not to take up space on your hard drive Xbox one... Fortunately, there is something to fill it with. New generation games promise to be extremely "big". And, yes, a subscription Xbox live can be transferred from Xbox 360 on Xbox one... As for other features, the new network service will allow:

• Advanced partner search... There is practically no need to wait!
• Game recording... Games can be recorded, saved on the console, in the cloud, or sent to friends or communities. Some games - such as large MMOs - will download add-ons while playing. That is, you don't have to interrupt! Player account from Xbox 360 can be transferred to Xbox one.
• Xbox SmartGlass - an integral part of the Xbox One - allows fast content rendering right on the console.
• Simultaneous connection more devices.

Kinect one

Concerning Kinect new generation, this advanced camera will be shipped with Xbox one... That is, you don't have to buy it separately. As for the resolution, then Kinect one will have 1080p, and the sensor will be able to handle up to 2 gigabytes per second. This will allow you to instantly recognize commands, including voice commands. Moreover, without any additional sensors Kinect one will be able to read the player's pulse! Finally, you should know that Kinect On will be in always-on mode.

No, he will not eavesdrop on your conversations and transfer them to the special services, but will limit himself only to waiting for commands. Yes, the console can be turned on by voice. A kind of electronic dog-"ball" that understands the instructions of the owner. I wonder if there will be Xbox one to see dreams!?

But most of all the players worried about backward compatibility. Benefit library Xbox 360 more than impressive. Alas and ah, but it will not be. The reason is that there are too many differences between consoles. The architecture does not suggest or allow backward compatibility.

Games and exclusive projects for Xbox One

There will be many exclusive projects. So, in the first year of the console's life, 15 exclusive games will be released, 8 of them will be completely new. Probably the most anticipated project at the moment, which is known, is Forza Motorsport 5.

• Forza Motorsport 5 - the last series of the main competitor Gran turismo... Stunning graphics, amazing detail and more. All this already at the moment of console launch! More details - here and in the upcoming full preview.
• Call of Duty: Ghosts - new generation Call of duty with completely unique gameplay and stunning graphics. Soon!
• FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, NBA Live 14, UFC - a must-have sports line from EA Sports on the new EA Sports Ignite engine.
• Quantum Break - a new adventure from the creators Max payne and Alan wake... On our forum -.

And, of course, we must not forget about Thief 4, The Witcher 3, Dragon age 3, Mass effect 4 and other multi-platform hits of the future. More details about the games will be told at the upcoming E3... There is not too long to wait.

Interesting facts about Xbox One

Besides games, for Xbox one accompanying projects will also be created. For example, Spielberg has already announced that he is the producer of the upcoming series in the universe. Halo, which will contain unique materials for those who will watch it through Xbox one... NFL announces many years of partnership with Microsoft... This will result in the creation of a modern interactive TV platform NFL for Xbox one.

Xbox One appearance

Console design can be viewed in many ways. Some people like it, others like a VCR. The same goes for the sensor Kinect... But in general, the prefix turned out to be very strict. However, like Wii U and most likely new Playstation... Design delights are apparently a thing of the past. Outwardly amazing devices are a thing of the past with Dreamcast, PS2, Gamecube and original Xbox... The time has come for solutions that perfectly fit into the interior.

As for the joystick, about 40 innovations have been added to it, although the essence remains the same. Not surprising, given that the joystick Xbox 360 was voted the best in a generation by millions of players (most importantly, by fans Playstation including). Price Xbox one not yet called. But it is known that the console will be released in 2013. More details - as always, on E3.

More about Xbox one you can read in our.

I've already talked about what to look out for before buying a Playstation 4 in. Not to leave any gaps, let's take a look at the features of Microsoft's second next-generation console, the Xbox One. For those interested in this prefix, I advise you to read with comments after use, and in this material, accents are placed on the most interesting points that buyers of the next XBOX should know.

1. Package contents of XBOX One

Xbox One comes with one game controller, second generation Kinect sensor, HDMI cable, power supply and cable to it. In addition to the above, the kit includes a headset for communicating with other players. It should be noted that at first they wanted to remove this headset from the kit, as Microsoft tried to stay within the price range of $ 499, and the headset did not allow it. As a result, potential buyers did not suffer.

2. Mandatory update

As with PS4 users, immediately after purchasing and connecting the Xbox One, you will have to download and install a mandatory update that will make many of the blocked console functions active. The patch with updates for Xbox One takes about 500 MB. The time and speed of installation and download depends on the speed of your Internet connection (on average, this procedure takes 15-20 minutes). Without installing this update, you will not be able to play games, since the console requires its installation without fail.

3. Downloading and storing content

Users will be able to buy almost everything with no regional restrictions, as in the case of the Playstation 4. XBOX One has the ability to connect an external hard drive to the console to save purchased games - a useful feature when running out of space on the internal Xbox One hard drive. In the next generation console, this is especially true, since absolutely all games require a full forced installation on the hard drive. Let me remind you that a 500 GB hard drive is integrated into the console without the possibility of replacing it with a larger HDD. By the way, at the beginning of sales, the ability to connect an external drive will be absent, but will become available in subsequent updates.

4. Games on the day of XBOX One release

November 22, along with the start of sales of Xbox One, 21 games will be available in stores and the digital distribution service Xbox Live. 6 titles will be exclusive to this console: Dead Rising 3, Forza Motorsport 5, Ryse: Son of Rome, Crimson Dragon and only digital copies - Lococycle and Killer Instinct. Several multi-platform projects will also be available: Battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Skylanders: Swap Force, Need for Speed: Rivals, Just Dance 4, Lego Marvel Super Heroes, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Madden 25, NBA 2K14, FIFA 14, NBA Live 14, Zumba Fitness World Party, Fighter Within, Powerstar Golf, Zoo Tycoon, and Angry Birds Star Wars.

5. Using cable TV in XBOX One

There is one HDMI input on board the Xbox One, which is required to connect an external signal source. For example, for a satellite receiver that will turn the Xbox One into a multimedia center. Also, the console has a functionality that allows you to switch between the game and the TV show using a controller, gestures or voice commands, but first I recommend reading. There is also a built-in TV guide with the ability to select your favorite channels and assign each of them a unique voice command for quick switching.

6. Second generation Kinect sensor

XBOX One kits will now ship with and without the Kinect 2.0 sensor. The Kinect camera has undergone significant changes:

• a wider view of the room
• ability to work in complete darkness
• kinect face detector loads your game profile immediately
• voice recognition of registered users
• the sensor can detect your emotions and state
• built-in Xbox Fitness app that lets you exercise with the new Kinect.

7. New Dashboard

As you already know, dashboard is the name of the main menu for Xbox consoles since Xbox 360. The main menu is now amenable to fine-tuning. Users can customize the color scheme, pin up to 25 of their favorite games, apps, TV shows or movies to the Home page for quick access to content. The console menu is the prototype for the interface of modern smartphones and tablets running Windows 8. Microsoft adheres to the Metro interface on all of its devices. To be extremely literate, the Xbox One works on the basis of 3 operating systems that are running in parallel:

• system for launching applications
• system for running video games
• a system that links the previous two together

8. Skype on XBOX One

Skype is integrated into the Xbox One at the OS level, just like Windows 8.1. You can make video calls using your contact list and the updated Kinect sensor. In this case, you move around the room, as the smart camera will focus on you until you leave its field of view. If there is no one else in the room except you, Kinect will enlarge your face for the comfort of the interlocutor, and in the presence of the company, the camera will cover every person. You can play video games while talking on Skype or watch TV in parallel. Your interlocutor will be displayed in a reduced window on the right so as not to interfere with the gameplay or watching TV.

9. New controller for XBOX One

The Xbox One controller will contain more than 40 innovations, ranging from a recessed battery compartment (in the previous version of the gamepad, this protrusion interfered with some) and a slight redesign, ending with additional vibration motors that are built into the controller triggers. Now, when shooting in shooters, you will feel the recoil of the weapon in the form of distinct impulses under your fingers. Also, by popular request of fans of fighting games, the so-called D-pad (cross) was redesigned. Directional buttons have become more accurate in pressing and better separated from each other, in Start and Back have been replaced by Menu and View. The gamepad itself has decreased somewhat in size.

10. Sales start date and price

In Russia, the start of sales is postponed to September 5, 2014, according to Microsoft, the release was postponed, since for some countries they did not have time to finish the interface (including voice commands in national languages), and legal issues were not resolved. The Xbox One kit with the Kinect sensor will cost the residents of the Russian Federation in27 499 rubles, which is 500 rubles less than the price that appears in the recent information leak. If you do not want to spend money on Kinect, then you can buy yourself only the Xbox One itself with a game controller. Such a kit will cost you20 999 rubles, which is as much as 2000 rubles less than the previously published figures.

The release of the two main game consoles of the new generation took place, numerous reviews told readers about each of them, and it was time to ask the question, who is in the lead? The Cnet.com reviewers believe that the PlayStation 4 is winning so far, although not by much. In the reviews on the site, they both received 3.5 points, but the extended rating on the PS4 is 7.5 points against 7 points on the Xbox One.

Three and a half stars by Cnet standards is a good indicator, indicating that both systems have a good set functionality and hardware specifications. However, she says that reviewers see no reason to rush to buy any of the consoles presented as soon as possible, in their current unfinished state.

PlayStation 4 - left, XBox One - right

Design: Xbox One - 7.0, PS4 - 8.0

Design refers to both the design of the hardware and case as well as the software. In both cases, the advantage is on the side of the PlayStation. From a hardware point of view, the main advantage is the power supply integrated into the console, while the Xbox One, like the Xbox 360, uses a large external unit. This is especially notable given the fact that the PS4 is still smaller in size than its competitor.

As for the user interface, here everyone must decide for himself which one he likes best. The PS4 interface is an upgrade from the previous version, with support for features such as multitasking and a broadcast hub. The Xbox One has a very dynamic interface, however, from time to time you can feel lost in it (the same can be said about Windows 8). This is partly due to the tight integration of the Kinect controller and voice commands into the control process, which do not always work as perfectly as planned by the developers. For example, the console does not always respond to commands, forcing them to repeat them again (in especially difficult cases, forcing to add some more unprintable expressions to them).

Ecosystem: Xbox One - 6.0, PS4 - 6.0

The set of games and applications available at the time of the release of consoles is not at all amazing. At the same time, the console from Microsoft has an advantage in the form of the number of exclusive games available on it. These are Dead Rising 3, Ryse: Son of Rome and Forza Motorsport 5, while PS4 has Killzone: Shadow Fall and Knack. There are other games for each console, but there is nothing particularly remarkable among them. A number of notable titles like FIFA 14 and NBA 2K14 are available on both consoles.

The big disadvantage of both consoles is the fact that they currently lack compatibility with games for previous generation consoles. The problem in this case is much bigger than it was when the Xbox 360 and PS3 were introduced, which brought such a leap in performance with them that no one wanted to remember the old games. In addition, the PS3 was backward compatible with the PS2, and half of the original Xbox games ran on the Xbox 360. Now, many of the recently released Xbox 360 and PS3 games are not far behind the games that have come to replace them.

For Sony, the problem next year will have to be solved by the game streaming service Gaikai, but the company prefers not to elaborate on the details of how exactly this will be implemented.

Functionality: Xbox One - 8.0, PS4 - 7.0

In the name Xbox One, the word One is present for a reason. In its console, Microsoft wants to integrate all of the user's multimedia entertainment into one node and provide access to them through a single interface. This is done using the sophisticated second generation Kinect sensor and its many outstanding features. This is very different from the PlayStation 4, which is tailored for games, in which the developers have removed support for standards such as DLNA, CD, MP3 and JPEG.

Instead of them, some new features were introduced, for example, support for launching PS Vita games using the Remote Play function, the ability to broadcast gameplay to live and share clips with viewers, plus it has its own camera for "augmented reality" games and facial recognition. Despite all this, the capabilities of the Xbox One seem more futuristic. For example, this refers to the ability to instantly switch between playing and watching TV using voice commands, or even simply displaying both images at the same time.

Microsoft's only problem is imperfect software. The Cnet review says the following about this. “After using the Xbox One for several days, you begin to realize that Microsoft is determined to give users the ability to integrate all of their digital entertainment into their console. However, it is also obvious that their plan has not yet been fully realized, and you constantly catch yourself thinking about the incompleteness of one or another function. "

There is also reason to criticize the PS4's capabilities. The prefix should be taught to read files from USB drives, as the PS3 can do, the lack of DLNA has already been mentioned. Also, 3D Blu-Ray discs are not supported (like on Xbox One).

Performance: Xbox One - 7.0, PS4 - 8.0

If we compare the processors of consoles, then the PS4 has a slight advantage, but in general the same games look the same on them. The biggest performance hit the Xbox takes is when it comes to controls and navigation. She recognizes voice commands about 75% of the time, which does not add to her points in any way.

Cost: Xbox One - 6.0, PS4 - 7.0

The PS4 costs $ 100 less, although the Xbox comes with a Kinect controller, while the Sony console has to purchase an additional camera. It costs $ 60 and is not an essential component of the system. Keep in mind that it is extremely difficult to do something on Xbox One without registering with Xbox Live, and a one-year subscription will cost $ 60.

On PS4, online play will also require a $ 50 PlayStation Plus subscription. However, you can do without it and use third-party solutions such as Netflix. As a result, if all the features of the Xbox One worked as they should and without restrictions, such as the lack of DVR support, it would be easier to come to terms with the need to spend an extra $ 100 on it. Until Microsoft fixes all the bugs that should happen sooner or later, the PlayStation 4 seems like a more valuable acquisition. However, this is just the beginning, and if the PS4 won the battle, then the whole war is yet to come.

Xbox One X is a powerful gaming console offering games that gamers have never seen before. It matters more and is a separate issue.

A look into the past

When the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles hit the market, video game enthusiasts had a right to feel frustrated. They were significantly less efficient than their predecessors, offering disappointing hardware capabilities. Especially in the case of Microsoft, whose Xbox One was slower than the PlayStation 4.

When the Xbox One hit the market, technical innovations were already heading towards 4K resolutions. At the same time, Microsoft's console barely reached Full HD. Although the situation has improved with numerous software updates and development tools, the hardware still renders many games at 900p.

Sony was the first to address this issue with the PlayStation 4 Pro console, which allowed new components to play at higher resolutions. Now Microsoft is doing the same with the Xbox One X.

Xbox One X successor to Xbox One or Xbox One S

It's like buying a car. The same model from the same year is available in several variants. With both a cheap and economical engine, as well as an expensive, much better performance. The same goes for Xbox One consoles.

The Xbox One S is the series' cheaper video game console for less demanding people. With it, you can be successful at a low cost. The most expensive version of the Xbox One X costs twice as much. It has no different functions from S. It has the same games, the same system, the same available accessories, a UHD Blu-ray drive and multimedia support in 4K and HDR. What is the difference? Gaming performance.

Unrivaled computing power

Xbox One X is 40 percent more efficient than PlayStation 4 Pro. Game developers have 6 TFLOPS graphics efficiency at their disposal for this 12GB GDDR5 memory with 326GB / s and a 2.3GHz octa core processor. What's especially nice is that all the processing power is packaged in a box almost the same size as the Xbox One S. Even the port distribution (3 × USB 3.0, IR, optical out, HDMI in, HDMI out) hasn't changed.

What's more pleasant, despite its small size, the game console does not make noise when it is visited by heavy loads. When launching a game that is not tied to its capabilities, it works almost silently. It's only when you turn on something running in UHD that you hear the fan noise. Fortunately, their quiet and neutral tonality makes a huge impression on its own.

The console can be operated both horizontally and vertically. Appearance is a subjective issue here. But the Xbox One S looks better, so the One X seems less attractive to me. A sort of small black and expressionless brick.

Xbox One X - specifications

• Dimensions: 30cm × 24cm × 6cm
• Processor: 8 cores, 2.3 GHz
• Graphics: 1172 GHz, 40 CU, Polaris architecture, 6 TFLOPS
• Memory: 12GB GDDR5 @ 326GB / s
• Flash cache: 8 GB
• Memory capacity: 1 TB HDD
• Optical Drive: 4K UHD Blu-ray
• Power supply: 245 W, internal
• HDMI Output (Picture): 2160p @ 60Hz, AMD FreeSync VRR, HDR10, HDCP2
• Hardware codecs: HEVC / H.265, VP9, \u200b\u200bAVC / H.264, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 Part2, C1 / WMV9, AAC, MP3, MPEG1, WMV, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos
• HDMI output (sound): Dolby Digital1, DTS Digital Surround 5.1, Dolby Atmos for home theater, PCM 2.0, 5.1 and 7.1, Dolby Digital Plus 5.1, 7.1, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-MA, DTS: X
• Wireless: Dual Band 2x2 IEEE11ac with Wi-Fi Direct, Xbox
• Wired: IEEE 802.3, 10/100/1000, 3x USB 3.0, HDMI 2.1, S / PDIF, IR Blaster

Every game changes on Xbox One X

Not all games will use the processing power of Microsoft's new console as expected. Not every creator wants to update their work with new graphics resources and support a new graphics processor. But even these games will work better on the Xbox One X. I had the opportunity to confirm this.

Games written for the Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Xbox will go to the One X, because Microsoft's game consoles are backward compatible. But, on the new console, they will boot faster, thanks to a 50% more efficient hard drive. The Xbox One X will also provide more precise texture filtering and anti-aliasing, which makes non-responsive play a bit better.

Real power seen in games adapted for the Xbox One X

Many games have already been announced, with more than 140 of them, of which more than 70 have been available since release (November 7), calling for accountability for the pace of adoption of games enhanced for PlayStation 4 Pro. Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to meet everyone yet. The developers were waiting for the commercial premiere of the console with the release of patches for their productions. In case in doubt: the patches that enrich the Xbox One X games will of course remain free.

However, I spent many hours checking out the ones that were already available. These were Gears of War 4, as well as Titanfall 2 and EA Sports FIFA 18. There were also less impressive ones like Diablo III.

It's nice to get into the world of expensive PCs

It's a shame I can't show you their beauty, because most of you will likely read the review on hardware without an HDR display and with noticeable quality compression that removes detail from the image. And also the sharpness and clarity of what happens on a good TV is just amazing.

I hooked up the Xbox One X to the best LG OLED TV, as well as the brightest Samsung QLED available. What I saw on the screen leads to a sagging jaw. And all this while maintaining fixed, depending on the game, 60 or 30 frames per second, in 4K, with an expanded color palette.

Games are not only acquiring liquidity, focus and colors. Microsoft is in no way restricting game developers on how they can harness the power of the One X console (except for one condition: the game must run well on the One S and One). Some simply increase the resolution and set the level of detail in the engine to the maximum. Others go a few steps further and provide brand new graphics, sharper textures, and more as updates.

Some people decide not to use 4K, using intermediate resolutions and higher image details. An absolute delight is Forza Motorsport 7, which displays images at 60 frames per second with 4K resolution, active HDR and all graphics settings from PC version to max.

This is really impressive. Especially if you have a good 4K HDR TV.

What if I have a Full HD TV?

I have read a lot of doubts on the internet about the possible benefits of using an Xbox One X console, as long as you have a display running at a lower resolution no problem. One X upscales the image to 1440p, 1080p and 720p resolutions.

Because if the One X is connected to a Full HD TV, it still displays the image in 4K and then upscales it to 1080p. This eliminates the anti-aliasing effect and hence the lines on oblique objects. In addition, all other improvements and therefore more detailed information about graphics or faster memory still remain.

The Xbox One X console can fulfill its role as a graphical boost even if you don't have a UHD TV. Of course, the best TV will have a special effect when it comes to picture quality. All of this is complemented by the latest sound standards including Dolby Atmos, DTS: X and Windows Sonic.

And what other than games?

The Xbox One X, like all Xbox One game consoles, runs Windows 10. This means you can install apps from the Microsoft Store. Not all, those whose creator decided to publish them in the console version. As such, there is no shortage of apps for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, ShowMax, YouTube or Spotify, although the YouTube app still doesn't support 4K and HDR.

This does not change the fact that we can easily play multimedia from popular services in full quality and from the network (via network drives, NAS) or from a memory connected via USB. In addition, the HDMI input on the game console allows you to connect a TV tuner, integrating it into the console interface. And, let's not forget the UHD Blu-ray player.

Microsoft's new game console also allows you to pause the TV signal and play it (saves the last 20 minutes in cache), and also records the last 30 seconds of the game in 4K resolution with HDR in video format (more only if you plug in external memory). One X will stream Twitch and Mixer games and post the recorded clips to Xbox Live or YouTube. The console and our account can be controlled remotely thanks to the Xbox app on Windows 10, Android and iOS.

Xbox One X - Ultimate Gaming Experience

The owners of powerful PCs would be right to disprove this. A well-configured PC, connected to a pad and TV, is likely to offer more convenience and quality, as there are a lot of mouse and keyboard enthusiasts out there compared to the One X controller.

However, you cannot underestimate the sheer lightheartedness and attention to every popular gaming console. And the Xbox One X is a console where almost every game will run faster and definitely look better than other competitors, or they simply don't exist on other platforms.

Many games not available on others include Halo series, Gears of War, Forza Motorsport, Forza Horizon, Quantum Break, Ori, and others. While these exclusive productions are the most important to the console, market research confirms that we spend the most time on multi-platform games like Call of Duty, Battlefield and Grand Theft Auto Online. And Xbox One additionally allows players to stream using a PC and a switcher.

All Xbox accessories are compatible with any version

And yes, I am aware of the popular belief that Sony has the best exclusive games. Subjectively, I disagree, although Uncharted or Horizon Zero Dawn were great, and a sequel to the next generation of the brilliant The Last of Us has been announced that will probably make PlayStation owners jealous. But, I'm definitely more connected to the Microsoft series of devices, besides, as a statistical player, I end up spending more time on multi-platform games.

Wolfenstein II, Assassin's Creed Origins, and Middle-earth: The Shadow of War are waiting to be improved over the next few weeks. Their creators, tormented by Microsoft for the One X claims, confirm that these games will look prettier and act fast on the Microsoft console.

I have another console, one that is considered a gaming one

I have never understood this approach, probably because I don't understand the Nintendo Switch phenomenon. In my opinion, game customization is very important. Maybe not like the mechanics (I have some favorite indie games), but the game setup definitely influences its strengths or weaknesses.

I know there are things I don't need to understand. And if audiovisual customization is critical to your gaming experience, then the Xbox One X is a console you shouldn't consider. Your best bet is to buy the One S, and you save on a bundle of cool games.

The One X doesn't offer you anything - other than a shorter charging time, which benefits in another way. But, the One X console unlocks thousands of Ultra graphic emotes compared to the One S. And since we have decided that it doesn't matter to you, there is no point in overpaying.

Xbox One X is a console that has more

In some elements it will sound comical. For example, the hardware startup sound, the two-channel pipeline plays slightly faster than the One S, and the console light emits a sharper light (which is not an advantage, although it is not dazzling).

Xbox One X costs about 40,000 rubles. In return, we get a TV with multimedia apps, a 4K Blu-ray player and the most powerful Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Xbox compatible game console on the market, with loyalty programs like Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Live Gold and EA Access. There is also a decent (free) database of exclusive games, a huge database of multiplatform games that always run fast and smoothly in the most gorgeous audiovisual environment.

Is the One X the best car on the market to play? No. Since some of the subjective concerns are not reflected here, like you like Sony or Nintendo games, I won't mention the convenience of the Switch console. However, looking objectively, excluding tastes and preferences - the Xbox One X can only have a competitor in the form of a powerful PC. The developers of ARK: Survival Evolved have identified the practical PC-level performance of Microsoft's new console with a GTX 1070 and 16GB of RAM.

After a week of use, the Xbox One X was still a magical device for me. My new favorite toy, with which I try to spend most of my free time. I have absolutely no doubt that this console will not disappoint anyone. It is significantly ahead of the competition in all respects, except for price.

Outcome

I don’t regret a single ruble spent on the purchase of this game console. I would pay more. I had huge hopes for the Xbox One X, and in the end they even exceeded my expectations.

At the same time, this is just the beginning as game developers are just learning to use their power, although I already feel genuine excitement. I loved my One and One S, but I understand the legitimate criticism of these consoles. The One X not only addresses their shortcomings, but also opens up new possibilities for the creators we will meet in the coming years.

There is definitely no better time than now to join Microsoft's Xbox One family.

Video review of the most powerful game console Xbox One X