Will the Xbox One take control of your home? How Microsoft's new console is changing the game

23 May 2013 12:11

Microsoft's new console will let you record and interact with live TV, browse the internet and video chat with your friends - often all at the same time

You might think the launch of a new video console is nothing to do with you.

Just because you've never worn your thumbs to the bone playing FIFA or queued at midnight for the latest Call of Duty the latest gamer tech is not your cup of tea. Right? Well, you just might be wrong.

Microsoft say their new Xbox One has something for everyone from families to grannies and they hope it will become part of the furniture in millions of living rooms.

Like its rivals it plays games, but its name refers to its reinvention as an all-in-one set-top box.

It lets you record and interact with live TV, browse the internet and video chat with your friends - often all at the same time.

It's exactly the kind of service the long awaited TV set from Apple to provide - only Microsoft have beaten them to the punch.

That broad appeal is key if the Xbox is to beat long-time rival Sony's previously announced - and very games-led - PlayStation 4.

It's a bold move. In 2012 we spent just over £37 billion on gaming globally compared to £23 billion at cinema box offices - a rise of 7% year on year, outstripping any other form of entertainment.

Although Microsoft now streams films and music to current Xbox 360 users - gamers still make up the vast majority of the 76 million who bought the console since its launch in 2005.

Senior Microsoft exec Matt Booty told me: "We're getting into a world where we don't have to pick 'either/or'."

But does it have the X factor?

Losing the remote won't be a problem in the future because you won't actually need one.

After plugging your existing set-top box into Xbox One you will be able to control your TV using gestures and voice commands.

At the moment it's uncertain whether this will be a launch feature in the UK as talks with the likes of Sky are still ongoing, but the live demo at Redmond showed the console switching channels and bringing up programme information using simple commands like: "Xbox, what's on ITV?"

It's also possible to create customised programme guides or instantly watch shows that are trending among your friends - something that is currently only available on standalone apps like Zeebox.

Web

Xbox One's online connectivity means users will be able to interact with television shows and online videos. One live demo showed a user checking how the action in a live NFL game was affecting his fantasy football team's performance, and then making changes online and calling up video highlights on the fly.

Social

Microsoft bought Skype two years ago and the technology has been implemented into Xbox One's operating system, allowing you to participate in both one-to-one and, for the first time on your TV, group video calls, all in high definition.

And users will be able to make and take calls from friends using Skype on other devices like smartphones and PCs.

The Xbox Live online service - currently boasting 46 million subscribers - is also being given a revamp, with added social functionality, including the ability to instantly record and upload video footage of your in-game exploits.

Games

Microsoft deliberately saved their big gaming announcements for next month's giant E3 show in LA, but they did announce they would be publishing 15 exclusive Xbox One titles next year - eight of which are new franchises.

Added to that will be big other budget releases. EA Sports showed off next generation versions of FIFA 14 and their new UFC fighting game, while Activision unveiled new shooter Call of Duty Ghosts. They looked stunning, with Hollywood-grade CGI character models and a level of detail far beyond the capabilities of the already impressive Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Apps

The complex operating systems of Xbox One have been designed to allow other firms to integrate their apps, much as they already do on smartphones and tablets like the iPad.

Details of new deals have yet to be announced but the logo of movie streaming service Netflix was prominently displayed during the demo.

Microsoft are also ramping up their commitment to Smart-Glass, their own app that allows any smartphone or tablet to interact with Xbox One.

This could be using your phone as an auxiliary remote control or getting a full Wii U-style second screen experience on your iPad.

Every console will come bundled with the new and improved Kinect motion-sensing camera.

Now capable of not just recognising, but also differentiating between up to six different people at once, it will personalise your experience from the moment you first say "Xbox on". The sensors are now so advanced that they can register joint rotation, muscle impact and even your engagement with what's happening on screen via where your eyes are looking.

We even saw it measure our heartbeat by using infrared sensors to check minor fluctuations in the blood vessels on our faces.

TV manufacturers have toyed with building similar devices into sets but there's nothing on the market even close to Kinect's sophistication.

Not pretty but in shops by Christmas

Sony got flak for not revealing what PlayStation 4 looked like at its February launch - Microsoft were criticised for the ugliness of Xbox One when they did.

The console resembles a VHS machine, while Kinect boasts an eye similar to murderous Hal in 2001.

But both feel designed to slot seamlessly under your TV. Xbox One will launch worldwide this year, so it will be in shops in time for Christmas priced at about £300.

PlayStation 4 only launches in the US and Japan this year.

There will also be a subscription to pay for online Xbox One services.