Gadgetory

2013 really is shaping up to be the year of the next-generation console even after Nintendo launched the wii u last fall we were still pretty much all waiting to see what Microsoft and Sony would do this year Sony didn't actually have that much to say when they announced the PlayStation 4 in March but this week at an event at its headquarters here in redmond washington Microsoft had a much bigger story to tell they announced new product it's called the Xbox one coming later this year there's kind of a lot going on with engadget terms eight years is basically an eternity but since its launched in 2005 Microsoft has done an impressive job keeping the xbox 360 up to date with new games new apps a completely overhauled user interface and more the 360 was originally a pure gaming machine but it became something more it's microsoft's Trojan horse into your living room the company's attempt to create the one set-top box to rule them all but eight years is still a long time and Microsoft needed more than just new software to compete in 2013 not to mention in 2021 from a hardware perspective there are three parts to the one there's the big blocky black console which looks like a VCR but comes with massively upgraded specs the one is an eight core AMD processor eight gigabytes of RAM that's 16 times as much as the 360 if you're counting plus a 500 gig hard drive and USB 3.0 drive finally then there's the new Kinect a smaller also blocky rectangle that sits above or below your TV and watches your every move although now it tracks much more than your every move it can track your eyes your facial expression your muscles your fingers and toes and even your heart rate it can also do it in the dark and do it in high definition it collects a lot more data than the last version and does it much faster and much more accurately we were pretty blown away by it in the short time we have at the new device Microsoft didn't leave the controller out of the upgrade cycle either it has 40 improvements we're told and a few are obvious it's smaller with a better integrated battery and its analog sticks or a little more texture but the most obvious thing is the new impulse triggers which is just a fancy name for making the controls triggers vibrate when you fire a gun in a game you'll feel the recoil when you read the engine you'll jitter along with the car it's cool from what we've seen but it's a little much sometimes and it's not exactly earth-shattering anyway all that new hardware is used to power and control a lot of new Xbox software there's a new UI based on Windows 8 plus an involved Xbox Live that gives you more ways to find games and ways to upload videos of you playing there's a new snap mode which lets you pin skype or other apps to the edge of the screen while you play a game and watch TV oh and there's skype for Xbox now too but here's the thing about the xbox one it's really only partly a gaming machine the one can connect to all your home theater devices and even control your cable through its interface you can say watch ESPN to switch right to the channel 4 ask what's on HBO to see the guide for the channel you're looking for we haven't seen much of the interface or spent much time with it and frankly we're worried about the whole hdmi passthrough setup that really doomed google TV but hey anything's better than your cable box last and weirdly kind of least for now for the games microsoft showed us a half dozen or so new games from fifa and madden to quantum break and call of duty ghosts the graphics look great but they still look like video games quantum break a mix of game and TV show might be the only really innovative one of the bunch there are many more games coming at e3 so hoping to see more then but for now it seems like gaming hasn't been upgraded quite as much as the rest of the xbox experience the Xbox one is coming out later this year and we're certainly going to hear more about it as time goes on like a price for instance but even now it's clear that Microsoft is making big changes and betting big on the Xbox taking over your living room can it we'll see