As the new Xbox One finally touches down, Microsoft is ready to enter a new era of console gaming and take on a new generation of multimedia consumers.
The company described the Xbox One as "the ultimate all in one entertainment system - one system for a new generation." It has the second generation of Kinect baked in nice and deep and has powerful specs similar to those of the Sony PS4.
The new Xbox wants to be the one-stop entertainment solution for your living room, integrating live TV, games, movies and web services like Skype, all controlled using Kinect's improved voice recognition features.
But this is all just the start - at E3 on June 10, Microsoft is to reveal more details about the Xbox as a games console first and foremost, as well as the line-up of launch titles, peripherals and services.
Xbox One price
No pricing info has yet been revealed by Microsoft - expect this when we get official confirmation of worldwide release dates. Many retailers are second-guessing the price, with both £399 and £499 both seen online in the UK.
Either way, it seems increasingly likely that the Xbox One will be more expensive than the PS4 - but still cheaper than its predecessor when it launched in 2005.
Michael Pachter of investment firm Wedbush Securities says the PS4 could retail for as little as US$349 (about £230) and the Xbox One for $399 (£260).
Xbox One specs
No big surprises here, really. The Microsoft Xbox One comes packing an x64 8-core AMD Jaguar CPU, USB 3.0 ports, 500GB hard drive and 8GB DDR3 RAM. Connectivity-wise you've got 802.11n Wi-Fi with Wi-Fi Direct functionality for exchanging data between devices - specifically the new Xbox controller.
There's also the addition of a Blu-ray drive, which marks Microsoft's first move to embrace the disc format created by Sony et al, which vanquished HD DVD back when TechRadar was but a glint in someone's eye.
So as expected, then, the new Xbox One is more like a mini-PC than any Microsoft console that's come before. These specs put the console on a par with the PS4 and bode well for developers who want to make cross-platform games.
The console has not only an HDMI-out port but also HDMI-in too. This is for interfacing with set-top boxes in order to integrate the Xbox One with your TV-watching experience. As far as you're concerned, you'll only have one device instead of two.
Xbox One: Kinect
The new Xbox One has Kinect functionality built into its very core. To turn the console on, you need only say the words "Xbox on" - the console is always listening.
A live demo at the launch event showed Kinect instantly responding to hand gestures and voice commands. That simply isn't possible on the current hardware with the Xbox 360 and suggests that the new Kinect v2 is the gesture and voice controller we always wanted it to be.
The demo showed the ability to switch between games, videos, music and live TV instantaneously using simple voice commands such as "Xbox watch TV". You can even ask to watch a specific channel - HBO was an example they used - and Xbox will take you there straight away.
Microsoft says that Kinect 2 is so fast and powerful that it detects motion in just 13 billionths of a second - the time it takes light to get from you and into the camera.
The Kinect sensor as a resolution of 1080p which means its footage will look great on your HD TV, and it captures video at 60fps which means footage that's lovely and smooth.
The camera also has a field of view that's 60 per cent bigger than the original Kinect which means less faffing around trying to stand in the exact spot it tells you to. That combined with the more powerful processor means you'll be able to get a lot more people gaming with Kinect all at one time.
What's more, Microsoft says that the new Kinect uses infra-red, which means it works in complete darkness.
Read our Hands on: Xbox Kinect One review for our early thoughts.
Xbox One controller
The new Xbox controller is very much based on what's come before, but under the hood there are 40 technical design innovations. The pad has an integrated battery which takes AA batteries.
Microsoft confirmed to us that this will work much in the same way as the 360's, but the integrated build will obviously be a lot more comfortable. The biggest change from a gameplay point of view are that the re-designed triggers will now give you vibrating feedback in-game.
All of the other buttons and surfaces have been tweaked as well, but most of the changes are out of sight.
We were lucky enough to get some hands on time with the new Xbox One Gamepad where we got a peek at a few of the 40-plus improvements that have been made over its predecessor.
Based on our brief time with the new controller we felt that the impulse triggers possessed the most promise and potential for immersing players that much deeper in the game play, while subtler features, such as magnetic sensor-equipped triggers and a battery case that no longer protrudes from the back of the controller, hint at the many ways the controller will provide improved precision in your games and comfort in your hands.
Read our Hands on: Xbox One Gamepad review for more.
Xbox One: discs
The Xbox One games will come on Blu-ray discs but they're only for one-time use. Once you've installed the games onto your hard drive, you no longer need them as the game is tied to your Xbox Live account. This is a similar idea to that employed by Steam and Uplay on the PC.
Xbox Live upgraded
Live is the most popular online gaming platform on the planet and it's getting a huge behind-the-scenes overhaul for the new generation.
While current games servers number roughly 15,000, Microsoft is expanding that to a barely conceivable 300,000 in order to ensure you have instant access to your games and content no matter where you are.
Xbox One personalisation
You can turn on the Xbox One by simply walking over and talking to it. It turns on instantly, and Kinect will recognise you and take you straight to your own personalised home screen. Here you have access to your own personal movies and music, as well as leaping straight into your own save games.
Xbox One: always on? Nope!
One rumour that put the fear of God into many gamers was that the new Xbox would require an always-on internet connection. But this is in fact not true. "No, it does not have to be always connected," says Microsoft, "but Xbox One does require a connection to the internet. We're designing Xbox One to be your all-in-one entertainment system that is connected to the cloud and always ready. We are also designing it so you can play games and watch Blu-ray movies and live TV if you lose your connection."
Xbox One games
Microsoft has announced that its own games studios will release 15 games in the first year of the Xbox One's life cycle. Other than that, we also know that FIFA 14 will launch on the console with exclusive content, and the new COD game, Call of Duty: Ghosts, will also have exclusive content on the Xbox.
The confirmed exclusive titles are Forza Motorsport 5, Quantum Break, Halo 5 and Ryse. Many other cross platform titles have also been confirmed and you can get the full lowdown on them all over on OXM's Xbox One games page.
Xbox One: backwards compatibility
Because the Xbox One uses a completely different system architecture to that of previous Xbox consoles, it will not be compatible with any Xbox 360 games.
However, it is yet to be seen whether the cloud might come to the rescue and allow games to be streamed over the web. Perhaps E3 has the answer...
Xbox One release date
Microsoft sadly made no mention of an Xbox One release date during its Redmond launch event. However, more details are promised for E3 in July, which is when we should find out when we can expect to get our hands on one. However, that hasn't stopped retailers opening pre-orders already.
Many industry experts actually predicted that we'd finally get some hard Xbox info at GDC this year but turned out not to be the case.
All indications are that the next Xbox will arrive in time for Christmas 2013.
Xbox v Apple TVWhy the new Xbox will beat the Apple iTV to the Smart TV punch
Microsoft briefly stated that the new Xbox is imminent in an interview with the Verge before swiftly backtracking and issuing a moderately embarrassing denial.
This is further backed up by a Microsoft job advert which confirms a new Xbox launch is imminent.
Further rumours of an Xbox release date of pre-Christmas 2013 was backed up at the end of November 2012 by a Bloomberg report which cites sources at Microsoft and says we are likely to see the new Xbox make its debut at E3 2013.
But then! In January, a report from Game Informer suggested that we'd actually see Microsoft bust out an all-singing all-dancing event to launch the new Xbox around Game Developers Conference in March.
Why no E3 reveal? Because Microsoft wanted to make a splash away from the noise of the mega-show. Unfortunately, the report indicated that Sony had the same idea for the PS4...
Xbox One review
We'll be at E3 to hopefully get our first play with the console itself, so check in with TechRadar on June 10 and we'll let you know what we think. The full Xbox One review is likely to land in the autumn.
Xbox Mini
Strong rumours are building that Microsoft is planning a double assault on the console market. The new Xbox will allegedly be joined in the cabinet by an Xbox MIni - a small, Apple TV-like device based on Windows 8, with the ability to stream Xbox 360 games from the cloud.
Xbox One vs PS4
Aah, the eternal question. If you're not planning to buy both, which one should you buy? We'll have a better idea of which console is likely to lead the charge into the living room when we've gleaned more information at E3 2013, but looking at the specs that we already know, we've made an early comparison
Officially announced at events held simultaneously in Stockholm and San Francisco, Battlefield 4 already looks to be a stunning game with photorealistic graphics.
Unveiled alongside the first gameplay demo, Battlefield 4 is powered by DICE’s Frostbite 3 engine and DICE chose to use AMD’s newly announced “world’s fastest graphics card”, the AMD Radeon HD 7990, to début the game in all its glory.
“To be this early in development, and to already be so polished is a huge achievement for the DICE team and a reflection of their passion and commitment to driving the franchise forward,” said Patrick Soderlund, EA Games’ Executive Vice President.
“As artists and craftspeople, we are focused on creating a dynamic, open design that brings people together with amazing, surprising unscripted moments that they’ll talk about for days. That’s the beauty of Battlefield.”
DICE has also announced a selection of Battlefield 4 exclusive pre-order content to true Battlefield fans. If you do choose to pre-order, you will receive “a premium expansion pack at no additional cost.”
No further details have been offered on the premium content, but it is rumoured to include the game’s first DLC pack, entitled Drone Strike.
There is also a Battlefield 4 Digital Deluxe edition available to pre-order and an EA Games Origin exclusive. Both versions include special in-game items and the pre-order benefits, but we currently don’t know what these will be.
Battlefield 4 Features
Further Battlefield 4 features leaked by official survey
EA released an official survey to garner the amount of support for the game, but it also potentially revealed more Battlefield 4 features.
The survey suggested that the series' next instalment could feature extended naval combat sequences. Although the publisher did say any of the new features mentioned are "not indicative of anything we have in the works", further sea battles are not a huge leap for the series, especially if it is something that has proven popular in other games like Assassin's Creed 3.
“Battlefield 4 extends the front past the shoreline with the addition of intense and dramatic water-based combat,” reads the survey. “Pilot attack boats, RHIBs [rigid-hulled inflatable boats], and jet skis on swelling seas and stormy oceans.”
Not only could Battlefield 4 introduce open sea battle sequences, it could also improve the amount of involvement the player can have with the environment in each level.
“Experience a more dynamic battlefield where no two games will ever be the same. Blow the foundations of a dam and flood the area of combat. Bump into a vehicle and its alarm will give away your position. Cut the power to a building and envelop the enemy in a cloak of darkness. Your actions physically change the battlefield in real time, providing interactive game environments that react to your every move.”
This would improve the dynamic level of each campaign as well as greatly advance the excitement of the already hugely successful multiplayer experience.
The survey also supposedly revealed the Battlefield 4 Battlepacks, which are unlocked according to the amount of hours a player decides to invest in the game.
“Possible rewards include bonus XP boosts, knives, weapon attachments, and customisation options like soldier camos, weapon paints and dog tags [that] will let you play your way and stand out on the battlefield. The more you play the faster you earn them, but with 300 possible Battlepacks featuring more than 1200 items, you never know what you’ll unlock.” Read more: Battlefield 4 features revealed by official survey
At the Battlefield 4 event, DICE released the game’s first demo. Over 17 minutes long, the demo begins with Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” playing on the radio of a sinking vehicle. Within the submerged car are the player’s character, a solider called Recker, and his squad members.
From there the demo’s story takes you back, explaining how the squad managed to find themselves in such perilous circumstances. We won’t spoil it for you, watch the demo yourself below.
“Today’s demo was just the beginning – we have so much more in store,” said Soderlund at the launch event. “It is thrilling to witness people’s reaction when seeing the game for the first time. It really makes you realise that we are at the beginning of a whole new era for gaming.”
A leak pre-order poster from Australian retailer EB Games revealed that Commander Mode could be seen in Battlefield 4. Suggesting you have the potential to be an “armchair general” as you “rank up into the seat of the brand new Commander Mode and lead your team to victory.”
For those not too familiar with the series, Commander Mode was last seen in Battlefield 2 and enabled one player per team to take control of the squad’s resources.
Battlefield 4 could also bring with it Battlelog 2.0 as an upgrade to the Battlelog from Battlefield 3, which is said to be “the next version of the state of the art gaming portal.”
Battlefield 4 Release Date
DICE stated that a Battlefield 4 release date would occur sometime in “fall” this year, so we’re probably looking at something around the beginning of Q4.
However a potentially more specific Battlefield 4 release date was tipped in a pre-order poster from EB Games as October 31. Such a date means the game launch on a Thursday rather than the usual game release patterns of Tuesday in the US and Friday in the UK, which could make the poster a fake. Alternatively the date used could just be placeholder text considering Battlefield 3 was released on exactly the same date last year. Battlefield 4 will come to Xbox One and PS4 The day after the Xbox One unveiling, EA Games confirmed that Battlefield 4 will be available for Microsoft's next-generation console and its rival the PS4.
Both powered by the Frostbite 3 engine, any official next-generation console Battlefield 4 release date has not yet been released, due to the fact that any release dates for the consoles themselves are still unknown.
Alongside the next-gen console release confirmation, EA Games and DICE also announced that anyone pre-ordering the game will receive the first DLC expansion pack for free.
Entitled China Rising, DICE invites gamers to “fight for dominance across the vast and majestic Chinese mainland in four massive maps, using all-new vehicles and high-tech military equipment."
