In Defense of Xbox One

As most of you know Microsoft's announcement of the Xbox One last week has been met with a firestorm of criticism. While I agree with some of what has been said about this new console and Microsoft's presentation of it, I am believe that a lot of what Microsoft showed is extremely compelling for a variety of reasons. Let's break down the presentation into 3 main components: hardware, software and games.

Hardware

This is the one category where there doesn't seem to be too much debate from a design standpoint. The combination of flat and glossy black of console itself essentially looks like any other box you would find in your typical home theater setup. My first reaction upon seeing the design was that it looks like a home theater receiver you might find from the likes of Denon or Pioneer, which is not necessarily a bad thing but also doesn't really stand out. 

Many people have slammed Microsoft for not living up to the hardware specs set by the Playstation 4 that Sony partially unveiled a few months prior. Given that the Xbox One uses a custom processor it is difficult at this point to compare how the processor will compare to the AMD Jaguar chip employed by the PS4. Memory is another story. Both units employ 8GB of on-board RAM  however the DDR3 memory used by the Xbox One is slower than the more cutting edge GDDR5 memory used by the PS4. How much of a difference this is going to make remains to be seen. 

One additional hardware innovation that Microsoft has introduced, to which Sony does not have an answer for at this time, is the next generation Kinect sensor. The new sensor is similar to the previous one in terms of overall concept and but comes with a vastly improved array of sensors (including 1080P cameras) and a much sleeker design. I will discuss the real value of this piece of hardware in the software portion of this article but for now I will just say that it has the possibility to be a real game changer in the home theater space. 

My overall assessment of the differences between PS4 and Xbox One in terms of hardware is that it seems that Sony has invested heavily in making the more impressive console from a technical specification standpoint. In other words if you go strictly by what is on paper in terms of the theoretical performance of the machine the PS4 wins. However, with that said Microsoft seems to have gone the route of investing money to include a wider array of new or improved technologies. Their primary emphasis seems to be on putting out a piece of hardware that will be the connecting point for an ecosystem of devices including televisions, mobile phones, tablets and Kinect into what will hopefully be a truly seamless and immersive experience.

For a detailed comparison of the technical specs of the two consoles click here.

Software

Software is the category that seems to have gotten the most attention following Microsoft's press conference which isn't all that surprising given that they spent the vast majority of the time discussing the software that comes with the Xbox One as opposed to focusing on games. For those who aren't familiar with the event, Microsoft announced a wide array of software features including TV integration, Skype, web browsing, and instant switching between running "applications". Let's go through these one-by-one. 

Skype is perhaps the least interesting of the new software related features however it is a natural fit given the native integration of the Kinect sensor which is now no longer optional. Microsoft showed off the ability to make and receive calls and also multi-task while in a call. Overall it was pretty standard stuff that has previously been available on top tier smart TVs with built in webcams. This is the kind of feature whose inclusion won't really be a major selling but if omitted is something that people would have complained about so it. The one thing I am not entirely sure about is how well this type of feature will work for those who have a larger living room. Giving that Kinect already requires you to be a considerable distance from your TV it seems that it could make something like Skype more complicated. 

Web browsing is a feature that has long been lacking on the Xbox 360 so it's inclusion on the Xbox One is definitely something to be excited about, although admittedly Microsoft did not showcase much of the browser and it's capabilities. I do feel that this feature is one area where Microsoft can really set themselves apart from Sony whose web browser on the PS3 is atrocious to use. The ability to use SmartGlass to control the web browsing experience is extremely compelling and is something I had long hoped Apple would implement with their Apple TV set top box. If I can use any mobile device with the SmartGlass app to swipe, pinch to zoom and use a keyboard when surfing the net from the comfort of my couch I will be a very happy man and given that the Xbox One is running a version of Windows 8 there shouldn't be any problems with regards to compatibility with plugins such as Flash or Silverlight. If Microsoft is smart they will really invest in hardening up the software for this feature and use it as one of their flagship features to set them apart from the PS4.

Instant switching and really multitasking in general is something that is completely new to console world. Previous generations of gaming consoles have always only allowed the user to done thing at a time, even to the point of pausing downloads if you are playing a game. The Xbox One has been shown to have the ability to almost instantly switch between TV, games, browsers and Skype conversations as well snap multiple running applications onto the screen at the same time. As someone who generally focuses primarily on my game or movie when I have my console on, i'm not sure how much use I will get of this particular feature however it could be compelling for those who want to have a Skype call while keeping an eye on a sporting event or whom frequently switch back and forth between TV and the web. Theoretically the Xbox will save your state and immediately return to your previous place which is a must have feature that needs to work correctly for the idea of multitasking on a game console to be successful. Overall this is another feature that I think is a neat innovation that will  satisfy a small subset of overall console owners but more importantly is another example of how Microsoft is trying to expand beyond just games with this new console.

The announcements Microsoft made regarding TV integration is the entire reason that I was inspired to finally start this blog and to write this particular article. I am a huge fan of Apple products and have been anxiously waiting for the last couple years for Apple's rumored TV revolution to finally come to fruition and unfortunately have been disappointed thus far. If you think about the current state of personal electronics and technology, the living room is one area that seems to be vastly lagging behind in terms of usability and advancement in technology. Yes, we have progressed with higher resolution TVs with the advent of HD and more recently the introduction of 4K but in reality the experience of interacting with a television has not changed much since the remote control was first invented. Imagine for a second that every time you wanted to go to a website you had to remember and enter the IP address of the website into your browser. It sounds crazy right? Well if that is so crazy and unthinkable why do I have to remember channel numbers for anything I want to watch on TV? Personally I am a subscriber to Directv and have something like 500+ channels and having to remember which station maps to each of those numbers is archaic to put it lightly.

Enter the Xbox One and it's new television integration capabilities. Leveraging the power of Kinect and an HDMI passthrough for connecting with your existing cable/satellite boxes, Microsoft has enabled users to control their TV using an easy combination of voice commands and gestures. If I want to watch CNN I can just say "Watch CNN" and the Xbox will find the station and immediately tune to it. It is easy to say that Microsoft beat Apple to the the punch on this one, although it is likely that Apple's revolution will run much deeper in that it may change the entire structure of the way television programming is delivered. The technology behind this is impressive and makes the Xbox One much more than a simple gaming machine. Instead it is the first device that I believe truly deserves Microsofts much worn title of "Media Center". This is a device that is designed to be the core foundation of an ecosystem of devices that will including gaming, web, television and communication. Many have said that the Xbox One is supposed to be a game console and that Microsoft has clearly forgotten it's core gamer audience I disagree wholeheartedly. With the Xbox 360 Microsoft began walking down the path of turning Xbox into more than just a gaming machine and that change has been widely embraced by gamers who could suddenly use their system for purchasing arcade titles, renting movies, buying music and watching game and movie trailers. The Xbox One continues along that road in a way that I think most gamers will embrace when they start actually using the console.

Games

Finally we get to what has been probably the most controversial part of Microsoft's announcement of the Xbox One. Ironically it is the most controversial but despite being the least talked about topic during the press conference. It is true that Microsoft spent the vast majority of their time talking about the new software enhancements I mentioned previously and only briefly covered gaming and mostly focused on a select group of sports and shooter titles when they did. This has ignited outrage on the internet with people claiming Microsoft has forgotten about gaming and that they only care about the huge selling titles like Madden and Call of Duty. In my opinion these reactions are extraordinarily naive and narrow minded when you consider that E3 is coming up in a matter of weeks and Microsoft has another keynote speech scheduled for that event. It seems clear to me that Microsoft's goal for the unveiling event was to generate as much hype, press and internet debate as possible and they succeeded in that in a way that Sony failed. Microsoft chose to discuss the features that are some of the most innovative and would appeal to the widest group of people and highlight unique features that Xbox One has that Playstation 4 doesn't. At the PS4 announcement Sony showed almost nothing, opting to not show the final hardware and only provide some cursory glances and ideas of upcoming titles. Microsoft came out swinging by announcing features that Sony won't be able to compete with at launch. The upcoming E3 conference will undoubtedly focus heavily on the sure to be impressive array of launch titles that will arrive with the Xbox One which will then reinvigorate excitement and online discussion about the console. 

Summary

There has been much debate over Microsoft's announcement of the Xbox One. Many have said that Microsoft totally ignored their core gamer base and has lost their focus on gaming. My personal feeling is that Microsoft chose a different path than Sony in that they decided to focus on providing a console is much more than just a gaming console. Ultimately I think this strategy is going to pay huge dividends for Microsoft in that their console is going to enable a much more complete, robust experience spanning a much wider gamut than just gaming. They have proven their ability to make great game consoles with some of the best games in the industry and I have no doubt that the Xbox One will that tradition, which we should get proof of in a few weeks at E3.