Xbox One with Kinect (Day One Edition)

So my good amazon brethren, here is my review and opinion on the x1 day one console. Before I start, I’ll state that I had this system since launch, so I can definitely tell you what’s good and bad. 1. Kinect / now now I know what you’re thinking “it’s a gimmick”. True, but it’s a very convenient and neat gimmick. Face or voice sign it, navigation, and even extra voice/motion options for games. To me that’s enough, I don’t care if games are ever going to use Kinect’s full potential, I like it as is. I also like how you can scan codes for dlc and Xbox live without having to type 25 character codes. Basically I think Kinect makes gaming/entertainment easier and more convenient. I like coming him from work and saying “Xbox on” go to amazon video then vocally say what show and episode. Trust me, when you have those tiring lazy days, this is a lifesaver 2. UI/ when I got this at launch, the UI was good, but many updates later it’s even better. It utilities a compressed version of windows 8 and I personally like windows/ Microsoft products so that doesn’t bother me. Despite people complaining that its hard to navigate, I beg to differ. YOU CAN PIN ALL YOUR FAV GAMES AND APPS TO THE VERY FIRST PAGE! I mean how hard is that for people to do? You just move through big blocks, select what you want and pin it to home, there done! Don’t listen to people who say it’s hard to navigate because it ain’t rocket science people. 3. Media/ Features the x1 has plenty of apps and two features called snap and hdmi passthrough. Snap allows you to view a small screen in the corner to watch tv/movies, listen to music etc while you pls a game or do something else. Pretty much multitask. The passthrough is for your cable box or anything with an HDMI port. I use mine for my PS3, so I don’t have to change inputs or pull cables constantly when I want to switch back and forth. 4. Games/ okay, this is the main reason for any console purchase and the x1 doesn’t disapoint. Halo, forza, dead rising 3, ss overdrive, and many future ones to come. I know that half of x1s exclusives go to PC, but if you primarily play consoles and don’t play PC like myself, then why should that matter? Point being it has and will get more good games in time not to mention multiplats. 5. Controller/ pretty much a slight upgrade from the 360. I had a 360 for two years, and this controller IN MY OPINION is much better with rumble triggers for more immersion. It’s also pretty comfy to grip. Okay the bad/ Honestly my only two gripes are as much as I like the UI, it does occasionally freeze, but this has been fixed dramatically since launch, and will only get better with the WI 10 UI. Also it’s 2015 and Microsoft still has not figured out wireless rechargeable controllers work better than batteries. Now mind you, I have a play and charge kit, but I shouldn’t have needed to buy that in the first place. At least PS3 and PS4 got that down packed lol. So despite these, I didn’t see them as a reason to knock off a star. Overall it’s an excellent console/entertainment device. I hope I didn’t sound too much like a fan boy, though I am a fan of Xbox. I like PS3 and PS4 too, just prefer Xbox more. For the bold sentences, I was just trying to get a point across, it wasn’t intended to be yelling or sounding like a jerk. Just wanted to clarify that. One more thing, it has 500gbs of memory with the option for external storage (USB 3.0 or higher at least) which I highly recommend since the memory fills up very quickly. Hope this review helps. If any questions feel free in the comments.

I have been using this console since its release day. I always try to thoroughly test something like this for months before writing a review to be sure I have had enough time to play with most if not all of the features. This way I can take into account the changes (system updates) that have happened over time.Day One: The GoodThe graphics of this console are very good, even if some of the games are not running at native 1080p. Most people wouldn’t notice the difference between 720p and 1080p unless they were side by side on a large screen. As developers figure out how to use the Xbox Ones infrastructure more effectively(especially the esram), games will look better with higher resolution and more reliable frame rates. Besides, if people really want the best graphics, build or buy a gaming PC. The user interface was clearly designed to work with Kinect. To me, it’s a fresh change from the Xbox 360 dashboard once you learn how to navigate the system. The voice commands are very nice to have, allowing you to seamlessly navigate the OS with little effort. It is really nice to be able to snap TV or Netflix while playing a game, or to be able to go to the home screen while waiting for another online match to start. This way you can navigate through apps or check up on friends while waiting for the next match. You can do anything and then jump straight back to the game with no problems and continue playing. A huge thing for me is the elimination of a remote for the TV, the Xbox, surround sound system, etc. You can set your Xbox One to turn on all of these devices when the Xbox turns on which can be done by simply saying “Xbox on”. You can also power everything off just as easily by saying “Xbox off”, followed by saying “yes” so the system doesn’t just shut down in case you change your mind. Another feature that I really like is the Xbox One Smart glass. It’s an app you can get on any phone or tablet that allows you to control your Xbox through your mobile device.Day One: The Bad (nearly all issues addressed)On day one, this console had minor issues that were somewhat annoying but nothing I would consider a deal breaker. The most frustrating issue I had was the inability to party chat with friends for the first month that the console was out. The way we got around this was to Skype chat while in a private party. The reason we stayed in our own private parties was because if you didn’t, people could still hear you in the game chat lobby and you could still hear them, defeating the purpose of having a private party. So, the only way to truly have a private party chat at first was to start a party with everyone you wanted to talk to knowing you couldn’t turn party chat on, then inviting everyone to a Skype chat. Once party chat was finally fixed, there was still the issue of having to physically turn on party chat once you joined the party. Unlike the older Xbox 360 chat system which automatically turned party chat on when you joined or started a party. At first, there was no way to see controller battery life, or see how much space was used on the hard drive. Keep in mind that all of these problems are now fixed with the new updates, aside from Skype chat which still bleeds into game chat if you aren’t in a private lobby. I really wish games were backwards compatible, but they aren’t for PS4 or Xbox One.The Kinect:The Kinect is a little bit big but works much better than the old one. It can still look good at an entertainment system because it matches the Xbox One and has a modern look to it. The picture quality is improved to 1080p and it can see people better in smaller rooms compared to the Xbox 360’s Kinect. This Kinect, unlike the Xbox 360 version, has no moving parts because of the better camera. When using Skype, the Kinect will know who you are versus other people. While walking around, the Kinect will track you as you move staying focused one you. If another person steps into view, it automatically widens the frame so that both people can be seen. The whole Xbox One system is very easy to use, especially while navigating with the Kinect. As for the worries about the NSA and other people spying on you, I personally would’t worry. Most people now have some sort of device with a camera and/or a microphone of some kind including tablets, cell phones, laptops, etc. Many of these devices have voice activation integrated in them as well. So, if you think the Kinect is the only way to be spied on, you should probably make sure you don’t have any of the items listed above. Either way, there is now an Xbox One sold without Kinect which will eliminate the issue.Voice Commands:The voice commands have worked for the most part since day one. Of course from time to time, things need to be repeated once or twice. I have noticed that as updates come out for the console, the voice commands become more refined and work better. I rarely have to repeat myself anymore. I would recommend looking up the voice commands so that there is no trouble navigating the system. The commands work great if you know how to use them. I would say that a majority of the problems people have are user error. Not stating the command properly, saying “Xbox start party” vs. “Xbox go to party” (Xbox go to party is the right command), can cause problems. I have also found that the commands work better if you pause briefly after saying “Xbox”, then state the command. I don’t know how the commands work for people with thick accents (non-American), but I have heard the system works well for these individuals too.Controller:I didn’t think it was possible to have improved the controller much from the Xbox 360. I was certainly wrong. The new controllers are more responsive and have a much better feel to them. The button layouts have had minor position changes which to me, was for the best. You will really notice the difference between the two controllers if you play your Xbox One for a while, then try to go back to the Xbox 360. I couldn’t believe how much heavier, less responsive, and less comfortable the old controllers are compared to the new ones. Another fantastic addition to this controller is the rumble feedback in the triggers themselves. It really pulls you into the game and brings a whole new dynamic to the way games “feel”. The battery life is fantastic as well, I wound up buying a Nyko charge station for my controllers because of how convenient they are. They too have respectable battery life.The Box:The Xbox One itself is very esthetically pleasing in my opinion. Even though it is a more simple shape compared to the Xbox 360 or PS4, it looks very nice with the combinations of gloss and matte black finishes. It looks really nice if you have a modern looking entertainment system. I really like the way the Xbox One symbol looks while illuminated both the console the Kinect, and the controllers. Setting up this console is very easy, everything is labeled well and all of the cables fit snug when plugged in. One of the best parts about this console compared to the Xbox 360 and my gaming PC is how quiet it is. I can’t hear this console at all while playing it, which is very pleasing. My gaming PC (easily twice the power of the Xbox One and PS4) is louder simply by being on, not to mention when the cards are working hard when playing games.Xbox Live:Xbox Live has always been incredibly reliable for me form the day I started using it 9 years ago (halo2). You pay $60 (often $44.99 on Amazon) for an entire year of multiplayer, updates, and very reliable security. Xbox live no longer requires a gold subscription to use free apps such as Netflix, TED Talks, Hulu Plus, HBO GO, etc.Overall:This is a wonderful system. It is amazing that consoles are capable of pushing the graphics they do while remaining quiet, cool (temperature wise), and affordable. I personally have a better social experience on consoles over PC gaming. I am happy with my Xbox One experience and am very excited for the future exclusive games! If you are trying to decide between and Xbox One and a PS4, I would recommend doing so research on what you would like to get out of the console. All that really matters is that YOU are happy with the your purchase. What lead me to Xbox One were some of the exclusives that I have always liked such as Halo, Gears of War, Forza, etc. Both systems offer a great experience with great games!

Xbox One with Kinect (Day One Edition)At this point, well after release, there is not much that I can add in a review that has not already been said and covered in depth, so I will just briefly offer up my perspective.I like the black box design, it disappears into your entertainment console. The Xbox 1 is a very silent machine. It is truly not just a gaming console but a real piece of A/V equipment.I have it interfaced with a Tivo and it is much more interactive with the Tivo than I expected. Since the Tivo is passed through the Xbox 1, the first thing that I looked for was that the picture quality would not be affected. It wasn’t. Using gesture or voice I can control the Tivo with basic commands, so it basically adds voice control to your Tivo, which is pretty cool. You can pause live or recorded TV without touching a remote. If you don’t already have a smart TV, the Xbox 1 turns your TV into one. There are tons of apps available – Netflix, Amazon, Youtube, Twitch, Skype etc. New apps are becoming available all the time. You can almost get lost in that aspect of it without ever even playing a video game. All of the kinect features are incredible (and some of the games make incredible use of it!).Just the simple greeting that you get as you are recognized whenever you walk in front of the TV is pretty amazing itself.When I first bought this on release day there were not too many games available, but now, there is a wide variety of games for people of ALL different tastes and ages. Every month a new software update is pushed out. These updates have added a lot of new features and improvements. I sure do wish I had this when I was a kid, instead of that old Atari.A well deserved five stars

My Xbox One with Kinect is everything I wanted and more and I’m glad I got it on Day One, though the deal prices today are astoundingly better. Yes, it’s superb for gameplay and I’ll discuss that. But even though Microsoft was mocked for this, I must say it’s true that with Kinect you get a surprisingly awesome entertainment system: almost a home-automation system (with voice orders like “Xbox, play music” and “Xbox, go to ESPN” or “Xbox Bing Billions” [get Bing to take you directly to a game or show, return web results in its integrated web browser]). Setup was extremely easy and the automatic integration with my AT&T Uverse TV was amazing even to a gadget lover like me, since it knew all my TV channels and can change them by voice, or even suggest shows for me with the integrated OneGuide. Using Skype on Xbox One is also a great experience.One final plus about Kinect is Xbox Fitness. If you are wanting to get in shape or stay in shape, this really is an amazing app that Microsoft has given Xbox owners. The Kinect follows your motion very well and reads heart rate without any other equipment, so you can exercise with stars like Paul George and Russell Wilson, do fight workouts, P90, general aerobics, and much more, and really measure your current level and improvement over time.As for games, Microsoft has recently touted the best lineup of games and there really are some great ones. Personally I am currently playing The Division, Hitman, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Forza Motorsport 6 (looking forward to the next Forza too). I am a racing game lover and this console + Forza is just a must-have for “serious” digital racers. The Xbox One also has tons of apps like CBS News, ESPN, Hulu, and a very good YouTube client where you can watch those videos as if you were watching TV.In short, now that the price is even better than before, I recommend the Xbox One with Kinect because it will change your idea of home entertainment, and also has great games. Right now my biggest “con” is actually that the menu system has been updated recently but doesn’t support Kinect gestures at the moment. It should, because previously you could wave your hand to switch games and apps or close them, which meant you never needed a controller except for games. Given what you can already do with your voice and Bing, I’m looking forward to the Cortana digital assistant being integrated soon also.

I’ve been a hobbyist gamer for 20+ years. I don’t take it too seriously, but I play on a regular basis. The Xbox One is a next-gen console, but has room for improvement. The power of the system is clear once you start to play your first next-gen game. Forza 5 is absolutely gorgeous, the best looking racing game I have ever played. Battlefield 4, in multiplayer mode, is greatly graphically enhanced over PS3/XB360. Just based on the fact that you can have 64 players destroying buildings and shooting at each other, tanks barreling towards you, helicopters and planes flying above you, all at the same time with-out and slow down and crystal clear graphics with details down to stone in the dirt, tells me this next-gen video gaming console has a lot of potential.What I don’t like is the Kinect sensor and feature. I think the idea behind it is great, but it does not seem to function smoothly or as designed for me. I’ve made sure it is at a proper height and I’ve synchronized it several times. In a completely quiet room it correctly recognized my voice commands 50% of the time. When playing the Kinect sports game demo it does not recognize my movement well and will make my character perform in ways I am not commanding.The Xbox One is also advertised to be the complete entertainment package, the center of all entertainment in your living room. One of its features is connecting your cable through the console. That way you can switch from playing games to watching TV with the command of your voice or selection from your console controller. This feature does not have much importance to me, in fact it makes it more difficult for other people/family members to watch TV because they have to turn on the Xbox first and select TV through the interface. For those people who are not video gamers this is an extra step and may be confusing. I will be reconnecting cable back the way it was because of this.I look forward to what the console will bring for video games in the future. I hope there will be some software updates for the Kinect and voice recognition.