Xbox One: Is It the “One” For You?

The Big Reveal

Xbox One’s reveal was last week and the reaction it garnered was not exactly what Microsoft was expecting. It’s interesting enough that the name is “resetting” the number count of the consoles, but there are plenty of features and other issues with the console that many aren’t accepting. What do you need to know?

Currently, we know the Xbox One, like the Playstation 4, will not be backwards compatible. This can be a turn-off for many hardcore gamers with large libraries that they might want to revisit when possible. Another issue is Microsoft’s fight against used and borrowed games. A lot of developers and publishers feel like they are losing money on the reselling industry of stores like GameStop, so to fight this, the Xbox One will force you to pay a fee to play a pre-owned game.

Another major issue is that Microsoft has said the Kinect camera needs to always be on, leading others to site this as a security issue. Even the German Federal Data Protection Commissioner is afraid the Xbox One can be used as a surveillance device.

What Are the Pros?

Well, if you’re a big sports fan, you’ll be happy to know that Microsoft has quite an exclusive deal with ESPN and EA Sports, so you’ll have all the sports game you could ever want, plus access to tons of even more sports games through your Xbox One. Also, a new Call of Duty was the top reveal of the press conference, though it’ll be likely you will also see it on other consoles eventually. And Halo fans might like the idea of Steven Spielberg working on an Xbox One exclusive television show revolving around the universe.

Is that enough to sway people from the negatives? Maybe, maybe not. But E3 is coming in just a matter of weeks and hopefully concerns, as well as more details, will be revealed. It is still far too early to make decisions on consoles, but right now the issues with Xbox One are hurting Microsoft, at least press-wise.