Xbox One review: a superb console with a lot of potential, Microsoft's latest offering nearly gets it right

 
Emanuel Jumatate from Chicago, hugs his newest XBox One after he purchased it at a Best Buy on Friday, Nov. 22, 2013., in Evanston, Ill. The Xbox One, which includes an updated Kinect motion sensor, cost $500. Microsoft is billing it as an all-in-one entertainment system rather than just a gaming console.
22 November 2013

Microsoft is first out of the gate in the latest battle of the consoles with its Xbox One, ahead of Sony’s PS4 launch next friday.

The key to the Xbox One is familiarity. The controller, already superb on the 360, has been tweaked slightly, and the menu system will be very familiar to existing Xbox owners.

The graphics, however, are a noticeable step up, and sharp, clear and in stunning detail on a big screen TV. For serious gamers, titles like Ryse, Dead Rising 3 and car racer Forza 5 are stunning, and hugely addictive.

Some of the best features, however, are nothing to do with games. Plugging your TV box into the Xbox allows it to control what you watch, even with voice commands, and it can also work as a universal remote,controlling your TV and Hifi - even turning them all on when you walk into the living room and say ‘Xbox On’. Simply tell it what channel you want to watch, and it’ll switch - and there are a even a few online services like love film integrated, with Microsoft promising more.

Overall, the Xbox One is a superb console - and one with a lot of potential. Some parts, such as the voice commands and TV integration do feel a little unpolished, but expect regular updates to really unlock their potential.

It’s going to be a tough battle against the PS4, but the early signs are the Xbox One is set to be a huge hit with gamers and, crucially, non gamers alike.

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