Xbox One
If
you game at all, then chances are you know that Microsoft today
introduced its next generation console, the Xbox One. This console will
follow the current Xbox 360 and is what Microsoft hopes that all gamers
will get for their living room. Not only is it a game console, but it
continues what the 360 started, being an all-in-one device for games,
movies, entertainment, social sharing, and more. From its keynote in
Redmond, Microsoft went over the technical specifications and some of
the innovations found in the new console.
The
device itself has a customized AMD chip providing both CPU and GPU
power for the system, a 500 GB hard drive, and 8 GB of memory. It also
has a Blu-Ray drive for game installation, although the company promises
that games will all be installed on the hard drive, which means disks
won’t need to be inserted to keep playing. Just like the PlayStation 4,
announced earlier this year by Sony, the Xbox One features a lot of
social and online functions, like integrated Skype calls, live services
like TV and video, along with automated sharing. It also comes with a
new generation of its Kinect motion detection system, and a Windows 8
style interface.
Many
people to this day use an Xbox 360 for things that are other than
gaming, and Microsoft is hoping that this trend will continue. As PC
sales diminish in favor of tablets and smartphones, the company hopes
that it will keep and increase its stranglehold on the living room.
Right now there is no price point or release date for the console, but
it is likely to come out for the holidays this year.
