Hey, guys! I’ve been off the radar since…you guessed it, launch day. I’m back though and you should see me writing until Titanfall and Destiny ruin my life, lol. It’s been four days since I picked up my first next gen console and I think I’ve had enough time with it to express my first impression (which can also be found at my blog.
Let’s start with the console itself.
Console: The unit itself is not the sleekest looking piece of hardware. While I don’t think it looks like an old VCR, the older gamers will definitely be reminded of the Beta Max days to a degree. Microsoft does a very good job ensuring the console blends seamlessly into our entertainment centers; the console does not stand out and I think that’s the point. It is a cohesive part of my living room and I appreciate that; I do however understand how the design will not be for everyone. The minimal illumination on the console does add this unexplainable high-end look to the unit and most importantly, it is very quiet. Unlike the 360, I don’t feel like the console is getting ready for launch every time it is powered on; it also runs surprisingly cool.
Controller: Prior to launch I was worried about the controller. The 360 controller was the best gaming controller to date and the idea of Microsoft feeling the need to tweak it made me very nervous. MSFT has made an effort to mention the controller has an alleged 40 improvements and although I can’t list many of them, the controller does feel and function just as well as the 360 controller, if not better. The triggers are elongated so that you can wrap you entire finger around them, which just makes it feel better. The bumpers have gotten some negative reviews because of the new shape and the “clickiness” they now bring. I’ve had no problem adjusting and actually really like the new bumpers. The buttons are also a bit clicky, but again it does not bother me. The D-pad is new and improved; no longer a disc, but an actual plus shape. With the D-pad, the “clickiness” is a bother as it makes using it feel odd, but this is just my opinion. My major gripe with the controller would have to be the analogs. The entire controller feels slightly smaller and more compacted to the center of the controller itself, but the noticeable size difference is in the analogs. I have fairly large hands and so I always appreciated being able to rest my entire thumb on the 360’s analogs, but with the XB1’s controllers I was forced to use the brim or edge to control the analog. This felt particularly awkward when playing Battlefield and I assume it will continue to feel weird with FPS games for a while, until I adapt. I may need to pick up the inevitable larger third-party controller when it becomes available.
Kinect: So I was an early adopter of the original Kinect. I hunted it down on launch and picked it up immediately. Once I got it home I set it up and was immediately frustrated and disappointed. This never changed throughout thelife span of the unit and it became the gimmicky toy hiding somewhere in my entertainment center’s drawers. Kinect 2.0 is not perfect either, but it has invigorated some hope in me. The facial recognition is fast and continues to make me smile every time it works. I had a few friends over throughout the weekend and after creating a profile it would sign them in automatically every time they came over. There’s nothing like waking up in the morning and saying “Xbox On” on my way to the bathroom and then come back to find my TV turned on to NFL AM. The built-in IR blaster is great too! I have connected everything from my TV and cable box to my receiver. Motion controls still work, but take a back seat to the far more convenient voice controls, or at least when the voice controls actually work.
That’s my biggest issue and seems to be a universal concern for many in the Xbox One community, particularly when using voice to control the channels on your cable box. The main issue being that Kinect cannot tell the difference between ESPN and ESPN 2 or HBO and HBO West. The reason for this is that when Kinect hears the first part of that command it automatically stops listening. There are some “fixes” which involve using your favorites list, but this problem makes the Kinect far from perfect. The other problem is that you need to speak to Kinect in very specific ways. I can’t just say “Xbox play Forza” or “Xbox go to Forza”; I would need to say “Xbox go to Forza Motorsport 5”. This has annoyed me to no end. The other problem is that the Kinect will very often just not understand you or think you’re giving it a command when in conversation with someone. I’ve come very close to unplugging the Kinect since there’s a threat of it thinking I want it to turn off my console and losing all my progress because I was speaking to my wife. It feels weird to always be threatened that Kinect will do something I don’t want it too simply because I am having a conversation in my home. My latest problem came when having too many people in front of the camera. The Kinect would get confused and asked players to please sign in to a proper controller because we had four people logged in, but five people in front of the camera. I was forced to ask friends, who were not signed in, to sit outside the view of the camera.
System OS and User Interface: Let’s start with the bad; without Kinect this dashboard is a nightmare to navigate because many of the options and features are under so many layers and behind walls of options and menus. My next problem is that there is no way to check your systems hard drive, meaning there is no way to know how much space you have left. This is either a huge oversight or MSFT’s way of not letting us see how much space is being used for the three separate operating systems. Rumor is the XB1 will delete items that have not been used for a while when ever space is needed for a new game or download, the problem is as of right now we will not have control of what it deletes. This can be troublesome if DLC comes out 6 months after the release of a game or if randomly some of your friends are on an older game, but you can’t join them because you need to do a 30 gb download first. It would be nice to at least have the option to choose whether to download the single or multiplayer parts first like on the PS4. I just hope these are all things that will eventually be patched in.
The friends and followers system is amazing, but would benefit from a real names option since I often don’t remember which gamertag is associated with which of my friends. MSFT did say this is coming soon so that’s a relief. The social media like feed of what all you friends are doing looks great and is a nice little touch. The new notifications look great and are very colorful; speaking of which, the dashboard colors affect your notifications and can all be customized. I appreciate the dashboard only having three separate sections, none of which are used to advertise, unlike the current 360 dashbaord. The pins section works and makes finding you favorite apps a breeze. The store is also nicely organized and where you will find any and all marketing. The home page is great; it shows your most recently played games and used apps and also contains your gamerpic and access to friends list.
Snapping apps in is fun and works great, although some people may not like the decreased window size for anything that is snapped in. Switching from a game to an app or vice versa is unbelievably quick and works as you would expect. When having some like TV snapped in it is important to note that the audio channel is shared so there is no way to dictate whether you want to hear only the games audio or the TV’s; this is another thing MSFT has said they are looking into.
The ability to record and edit game play on a whim and upload to your profile or use Skybox to upload it anywhere else is great and will see a lot of use from me. I do wish Twitch was ready to broadcast like on PS4, but this feature will come soon enough. Another cool little feature is the new party system. When starting a matchmaking game the chat will automatically invite all friends to join the same matchmaking so that you can play together. This is an awesome idea and solves issues of inviting friends and being denied because the game or server is full.
Games must be installed, this is the same for disc based games. The installs have varied in speed from shockingly fast to disappointingly slow. A nice touch is the ability to begin playing a game while it is being downloaded, albeit in a very limited capacity. For example when using this feature with Madden I was only allowed one game mode option and only 2 teams were available, regardless is a nice little touch and I appreciate it.
Verdict: The Xbox One is a great console and an even better entertainment hub, but is not without its flaws. The console, in particular the Kinect, is buggy and does not always work the way it should. This could be frustrating. There are a very limited amount of apps and games at the moment and it lacks its killer new IP which many assume will be Titanfall. The OS and User Interface feel like what “next gen” should feel like and are fun to use, but can be a bit daunting at first. The TV overlay is great, but may just complicate things for some people especially parents who may not even see the need to add another overlay ontop of the cable box’s interface. Regardless of any complaints, Xbox One is without a doubt a must buy for any gamer or entertainment enthusiast, just not at launch. There are many benefits to waiting, such as a patched up dashboard and a larger gaming library. Microsoft’s latest is here to stay and it will be interesting to watch it evolve in the next decade.
For an even more detailed look, pictures, and reviews on many of the launch games be sure to check out my blog at
http://gamerdaddyweekly.blogspot.com/ Also feel free to hit me up with any questions you may have. Thanks for reading!
I have medium size hands and it almost feels like the controller was made for me, it fits so nice. I said that in my review, as soon as I hook both hands around it, its so nice.
