Xbox One will officially hit the shelves on Nov. 22, though publications such as CNN's tech website CNET have already tested the new console in a living room demo arranged by Microsoft.
The living room set up emphasized how much "One" embraces the notion of video game systems being more than just a place to play "Madden" or "Grand Theft Auto." Microsoft's newest console promises to be a full home entertainment system where all one's needs come from just "One" source, according to CNET.
That's mostly the case, except for a few hiccups that have plagued other integrated TV initiatives like Google TV, according to CNET.
Just as Internet leaks predicted, the Xbox One has its own TV Guide (OneGuide), Blu-Ray playback, and voice and motion controls via a program called Kinect. OneGuide, however, isn't perfectly synched with DVR. CNET testers said it was difficult to schedule a recording too far in the future (as in, anything later in the day or night) and that the guide doesn't easily access previously recorded shows and movies. To do either of those two things, one better use the remote, according to CNET.
A unique feature of One's integrate approach is a channel for the streaming TV sites Hulu that will appear on the OneGuide next to actual channels like ESPN, FX, etc. Other online entertainment sites such as YouTube and Netflix could eventually join the guide, too, according to CNET.
Microsoft will offer a strong list of apps for One, though their availability is listed as somewhere between the Nov. 22 launch and spring of 2014, CNET reported. Apps can be accessed at the same time through a "cool" feature called SNAP, but without any hierarchy between the audios of both apps, their simultaneous use can feel out of synch, according to CNET. For example, a user could be playing GTA V while receiving NFL score updates via a side bar at the same time, except the volume distribution for each will be the same.
Despite a few complaints, the CNET team was impressed with Xbox One and felt it would need to experience it in a true living room setting to see if it actually combines one's entertainment choices into "One" of if it is just "One" of many.
