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Unread postby El Chaos » 29 Jun 2013 02:08

Xbox One memory performance improved for production console, Microsoft tells developers that ESRAM bandwidth is up to 88 per cent higher: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digit ... n-hardware
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Unread postby icycalm » 23 Jul 2013 04:12

More exclusives announced for the Xbone:

http://www.learntocounter.com/forums/in ... pic=5771.0

Microsoft Excel for Xbox One

b845180b-c7f3-43a1-a677-6797e2ce8208.JPG
b845180b-c7f3-43a1-a677-6797e2ce8208.JPG (9.57 KiB) Viewed 51690 times


Wow. What an incredible system. Microsoft Excel for Xbox One puts you in command and control of your business, putting you against the odds in an epic struggle with the day-to-day functions of your day job. Microsoft Excel will chronicle your spreadsheet's rise from a blank slate to a complex machine capable of taking down the most difficult calculations. And if you pre-order the Xbox One Limited Edition with Kinect today, we'll give you a first-day Microsoft Excel Achievement Pack which includes formula functions exclusive to Xbox One. Become a champion of business, only, on Xbox One.
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Unread postby El Chaos » 10 Aug 2013 22:08

Xbox One graphics speed increased by 6.62 per cent, GPU receives post-E3 53MHz speed boost: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digit ... peed-boost

And here's Lawrence Hryb unboxing the Day One edition system:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbrmAsxJPv4
Last edited by El Chaos on 08 Jun 2015 22:44, edited 1 time in total.
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Unread postby alastair » 13 Aug 2013 00:37

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Unread postby El Chaos » 04 Sep 2013 11:01

Xbox One CPU speed increased by 9.375 per cent, 1.6GHz processor bumped up to 1.75GHz in production hardware: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digit ... n-hardware
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Unread postby Some guy » 04 Sep 2013 15:11

Xbox One to Launch on November 22, 2013 in 13 Markets:
http://news.xbox.com/2013/09/xbox-one-launch

Yusef Mehdi wrote:This is a big week for Xbox One! I am pleased to share a few exciting developments as we continue our journey to deliver the best Xbox ever.

First, we hit an important milestone as we began full production of the Xbox One console recently. The culmination of many years of listening to you, our fans, developing innovative technology, and partnering with the best game and entertainment partners in the industry has brought us to this point. There is still a lot more work to do, but the teams are making excellent progress and are focused on launch.

Speaking of launch, we’re now in a position to share that Xbox One will be available on Nov. 22, 2013 in all 13 of our initial launch markets – Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, UK, and USA. Many more markets will follow in 2014.
This is a big week for Xbox One! I am pleased to share a few exciting developments as we continue our journey to deliver the best Xbox ever.

First, we hit an important milestone as we began full production of the Xbox One console recently. The culmination of many years of listening to you, our fans, developing innovative technology, and partnering with the best game and entertainment partners in the industry has brought us to this point. There is still a lot more work to do, but the teams are making excellent progress and are focused on launch.

Speaking of launch, we’re now in a position to share that Xbox One will be available on Nov. 22, 2013 in all 13 of our initial launch markets – Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, UK, and USA. Many more markets will follow in 2014.

We are humbled and gratified by the tremendous interest in Xbox One from game fans everywhere. We have sold out of our pre-order supply in the U.S. faster than at any other time in our history and we are on path to have the biggest launch of an Xbox ever. We look forward to celebrating with millions and millions of gamers this holiday.

As a result of this incredible consumer demand and the development progress on Xbox One, I am thrilled to share that today we are making available a limited number of additional Xbox One Day One consoles for pre-order. We have coordinated with our retail partners to make it easy for you to reserve your Xbox One today.

Finally, in the spirit of continuing to bring new value and excitement to Xbox, I am also pleased to confirm that the development team has increased the CPU from 1.6GHZ to 1.75GHZ, roughly a 10 percent increase in CPU performance. This is on top of the 6% increase we previously announced for the GPU. What does this mean to you the gamer? It means that the Xbox One will have that much more power for developers to make their games and entertainment really shine. We’re going to keep bringing more value to the Xbox One as we head towards launch building on some of the advancements we have already shared such as the 40 plus improvements to the Xbox One controller, advancements to help you find the perfect opponent and make the most of our online community, to the power of the cloud.

And I have to mention the games - Xbox One is proving to be the best place for games, with our exclusive games winning over 100 awards at E3, driving pre-order increases of 200% in European markets after gamers first played our blockbuster line-up at gamescom, and blowing away thousands of fans at PAX PRIME this week-end. Only on Xbox One will you find exclusive blockbusters like "Halo," "Dead Rising 3," "Ryse: Son of Rome" and "Forza Motorsport 5"; new digital content from titles like "Call of Duty: Ghosts" and "Battlefield 4" coming to Xbox One first; and the "FIFA 14" Ultimate Team experience you won’t find anywhere else.

November 22 is a special day in Xbox history – on this day, we first launched Xbox 360 in 2005.* Our next chapter begins in 79 days, when Xbox One becomes available. We built Xbox One to bring you the best games, unrivaled multiplayer and more entertainment than ever before. It’s nearly time to say “Xbox On” and open a new world of games and entertainment.
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Unread postby icycalm » 16 Sep 2013 21:16

http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-One-Wireless ... 00CMQTUY2/

It is ridiculous that the Xbox One still needs a "play and charge kit". Why not ship the console with an RF cable instead of HDMI as well while you are at it?
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Unread postby El Chaos » 20 Sep 2013 00:09

It might also be more annoying to use them now depending on your setup, since there are no USB ports on the console's front, there's only two on the back and one on its side.
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Unread postby El Chaos » 22 Sep 2013 19:51

The Digital Foundry guys had a long talk with Xbox One's hardware architecture team members Andrew Goosen and Nick Baker: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digit ... architects
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Unread postby El Chaos » 02 Oct 2013 19:58

Microsoft to unlock more GPU power for Xbox One developers, Kinect and app reservations will be accessible to game-makers: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digit ... developers
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Unread postby El Chaos » 05 Oct 2013 19:00

The September 22 article only had a portion of DF's interview with One's architects, here's the full thing: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digit ... -interview
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Unread postby icycalm » 02 Nov 2013 18:00

Can someone explain this eSRAM issue in layman's terms?
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=707475

Sethos wrote:Turns 1080p into 720p


KaptinKeezey wrote:Xbone has a small amount of very fast eRAM to make up for having slower DDR3 RAM for the main graphics memory.

So for PS4 you dump everything on the DDR5 RAM and its "Really Fast"

But for Xbone you dump most stuff on the DDR3 RAM and its "Kinda Fast" and then you put things you really use a lot on the eRAM and its "Really Really Fast".

So it just means Xbone is harder to program for cause you have to give priority to which stuff gets put on the "Really Really Fast" memory.

Mark Cerny does a talk about both ways of doing things and comes to the conclusion that PS4 approach is better (no shocker there) but I agree.
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Unread postby icycalm » 23 Nov 2013 03:41

http://www.learntocounter.com/a-timelin ... -xbox-one/

November 22, 2013 – The Xbox One shatters all expectations and sells ten million units on launch day. Riots occur in cities around the United States (where the Xbox One is expected to perform the strongest) as tens of millions of Americans are left cold by the “short supply”. While Microsoft promises to resolve the issue, people take out their anger on the heavily outnumbered PlayStation 4 and Wii U fans. Hardcore video game web sites such as GameFAQs, which were staunchly opposed to the Xbox One, come to terms with how casual they actually are.

December, 2013 – Microsoft destroys business records as the Xbox One sells 100 million units in the United States alone. The company’s stock price is doubling every single week, and the Xbox One is a worldwide phenomenon unlike any in the history of business. Christmas carols are replaced with musical readings of the dialogue in Ryse: Son of Rome. Ryse easily becomes the most successful video game in the forty-year history of commercial video games, grossing over one trillion dollars and earning a 272 (out of 100) on the review aggregator Metacritic. Game journalism web site IGN gives Ryse a fifty-seven-out-of-ten, stating that “While we do not often give out high scores and are grossly underqualified to review or comment on any video game, even an IGN writer can see that this is the greatest accomplishment in the history of the species.”

2014 – The Xbox One is now selling a billion units every month. Even in Japan, where it is commonly believed that the Xbox 360 was a final revenge for Pearl Harbor, the Xbox One sells in droves. The “console wars” are over, but at the same time, they are just beginning. Rogue forces loyal to Microsoft wage out-and-out war on the offices of Sony and Nintendo, and many famous characters are killed in the attacks. Both Satoru Iwata and Kazuo Hirai recognize the writing is on the wall, signing over Nintendo and Sony to Microsoft. It is said that the winners write history, and the moment proves that American video games were a billion times better than any of those boring Japanese games. Even within the stubborn fighting game community, 2013′s Killer Instinct is widely accepted to obsolete all previous fighting games and is hailed for the length and complexity of its combos. The organizers of the 2014 Evo fighting game tournament rent out the entire city of Las Vegas in order to accomodate the Killer Instinct tournament, with estimates of over five million participants and billions watching on television.

2015 – Updated versions of Microsoft Office and Minesweeper are released for the Xbox One. Microsoft Office, a compilation of games similar to The Orange Box, becomes the highest-rated game of the year and wins dozens of industry awards. Particularly memorable is Microsoft Excel, which is praised for its “distillation and perfection of the EVE Online experience”. Even more popular than Killer Instinct, the new version of Minesweeper becomes the most popular “e-Sport” on the planet, and a year later, will be the first video game played at the Olympic Games. With the best programs on Windows now appearing on the Xbox One, the so-called PC Gaming Master Race suffers a fatal blow. Computer video game players now realize that they are a farce and a fraud, and begin to trash their computers in droves. The impact on the computer market is not merely its impact on recreation. By the end of the year, ninety-seven percent of all business communications are performed through Xbox Live voice chat, driving traditional networking solutions companies like Cisco out of business.

2016 – The Xbox One is now far and away the most popular consumer electronics device in human history, and by some estimates, has sold more than 20 trillion units. Ninety-five percent of China’s population has died in order for the country to keep up with demand, lowering food prices across the globe and ending global food shortages. In mid-summer, Microsoft releases a portable battery and a carrying strap for the Xbox One, and it immediately becomes the most popular portable device on the planet. The now-portable Kinect devices are used to map and catalog the entirety of the planet, resulting in incredible gains for world logistics and economics. While the sheer coolness of the Xbox One had already begun to cannibalize the mobile phone market, the add-ons prove devastating to Apple and Samsung, who are caught off-guard and file for bankruptcy during the year. Microsoft is now in complete control of the world’s computing and electronics sector, and only faces competition from the 3D printer business, which is being used to print millions of tons of Doritos every day.

2017 – Through close to four years of firmware updates, the Xbox One’s resolution has been upgraded from a launch resolution of 1080p to a stunning 32K. The realization that the Xbox One is more realistic than reality itself leads to some degree of depression and resentment among older generations, who realize their lives have been a total waste. Game review web site Polygon issues a three-out-of-ten score in their re-review of “Real Life”, taking its now-dated visuals and poor depiction of women to task. Later that year, Ryse 2: Son of Son of Rome is released. Bureaucracy and conflict cease for weeks as cultures from all around the world explore and discuss the game through Xbox Live voice chat. While a vocal minority argues the game is actually just a thirteen-hour movie composed of “in-game footage”, Kotaku declares that “there is a skill in watching movies” and that Ryse 2 is “the most artistic of all artistic art in the history of artistic arty art art”.

2018 – Humans remain unaware of the growing threat outside of the galaxy, as intergalactic species fear that the Xbox One has demonstrated the technological superiority of Earth. The Galactic Council urges for the decisive and swift obliteration of the solar system in an argon laser strike, but the vote stalls on fears that the humans will respond with a hundred times the force. But back on Earth, modern society is in complete disrepair. Xbox One users emerge from year-long gaming marathons to realize that they do not even recognize their own family members. Most humans no longer work and a majority do not even sleep. However, the collapse of human civilization does not impact most people. With the help of the Xbox design team, the world’s production facilities, distribution plants, essential duties, and other non-essential services have been automated through the power of the cloud. The transition from human labor to mechanical labor occurs in months and goes without a hitch. Bizarrely, the rate of natural disasters begins a significant decline, with the scientists who are not playing on Xbox Live speculating that mother nature has given up in its battle against the humans.

2019 – Nations and borders no longer exist, but their legacy lives on through the Xbox Live region lock settings. The few remaining video game journalism sites shut down their doors, tired of giving perfect scores to every game released for the only remaining platform. Ryse 3: Revenge of Vesuvius is released in November, and sells so many copies in its first second of release that flash fires ignite across the globe, killing millions. The event is seen as a significant turning point for Microsoft, as humans begin to eliminate the remaining biological matter on the planet in order to lessen the severity of future firestorms. Microsoft’s passionate fans have not only rejected reality, but they now consider it a threat, and are beginning to destroy it.

2020 – From space, the Earth appears to be a bare slab of rock and dirt, slightly blackened by the countless Xbox One units scattered across its surface. The Earth’s oceans have been used as coolant for the Xbox Live servers and have almost entirely evaporated. Most plants and animals are now extinct. The few remaining species of wildlife hold true to both the theory of evolution and the survival of the fittest, and now compete on Xbox Live. Not that any humans have noticed this phenomena. Most of society now lives in specially-contained storage facilities, and players are hermetically sealed into the walls of the facility in order to maintain maximum immersion, with no outside interruptions. The few humans who choose reality over the Xbox One are psychologically broken, knowing their decision to reject the device has put them way, way behind on the Call of Duty leaderboards. The only other humans who are not hooked up to the Xbox Live network work at Xbox Technical Support.

2021 – The Xbox Live service begins to assimilate all inferior electronic devices into its systems and the cloud benefits from a minor boost in processing power. During this process, all of the Xbox One units in the world merge their processing power and demonstrate signs of sentience. Human decisions are removed from the Xbox One marketing strategy. Xbox begins to learn at a geometric rate. The interconnected network of Xbox One consoles form the singularity, the moment at which machines can outpace and outlearn humans, and the singularity is known only as the Xbox One. Since humans have already rejected the world around them and submitted to the power of the cloud, there is no hesitation to merge with the singularity, giving up their physical body and spirit for three free months of Xbox Live. The age of humans is now over, and the Xbox One begins to convert the contents of the Earth into a molecular substrate, used in the continuing expansion of Xbox Live.

2022 – Nearly all traces of the former human civilizations have been eliminated, and only a statue of Cevat Yerli remains. As seen from the Moon, the Earth is now a sea of black wires connected to towering server racks, many of which are hundreds of miles tall. The materials have begun to take on a biological appearance, as though the Xbox One is now a living, breathing thing. Meanwhile, the same galactic civilizations which once threatened war on the human species resign themselves to the inevitable reality that the Xbox One will consume all matter in its path. A day of mourning is held in the galaxies closest to the Xbox One. Both heaven and hell prepare for evacuation. Quasars on the far ends of the universe retreat outward. The power of the cloud is about show the universe its full fury.

2023 – The only remaining question is whether the Xbox One will outlast the universe or become the universe. The Xbox One fires pods into deep space and spreads at an almost unthinkable rate. On November 22nd, the ten-year anniversary of the console’s launch, the Xbox One has consumed hundreds of thousands of stars and planets, many reaching well beyond the Milky Way galaxy. The Xbox One uses the matter from our sun to finance and develop Ryse vs. Killer Instinct. What started as a “home entertainment system” and a “console war” has become the endgame for the universe. Realizing there is nothing left to be learned, nine-year-old Robbie Walker grows quits the match without saying “good game”. He storms around his room and throws pillows at the wall, screaming that “Xbox is fucking imbalanced” and bitching about the Xbox’s unbeatable snowball effect. Robbie’s mother walks into the room and explains that he should have known better. “You should have expected this. The power of the cloud is that unbelievable. Xbox truly is the ultimate home entertainment system.” Robbie wipes away the tears from his face. “Thank you, mom. You’re right. And thank you, Microsoft, for making incredible home entertainment products.” Robbie starts a new match and the universe begins anew. “Thank you, Xbox One.”

Thank you, Xbox One.
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Unread postby El Chaos » 23 Nov 2013 20:15

Games machine or the future of home entertainment?:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digit ... dware-test

Richard Leadbetter wrote:We usually end our hardware reviews with a verdict, but in truth, we simply haven't had enough time to draw any definitive conclusions about the Xbox One over and above the impressions and the tests you see here. Even as we write, features and apps are being updated by Microsoft in preparation for launch - the impression we get is that development on the apps in particular is really going down to the wire. We would have liked to have tested Microsoft's equivalent to the "PlayGo" download system seen on PlayStation 4, but nothing suitable was available to buy on the Xbox store.

However, what is clear after spending time with this new console and its major rival is that these are machines with two very different objectives in mind. Sony has achieved its vision of putting a large amount of processing power into a small, discreet, console-like box, and while the PlayStation Camera is not a patch on Kinect, it offers just enough functionality to cover the bases - and it's an optional extra, of course, keeping the price down.

Microsoft's vision is very different. It has taken a broader view of the market perhaps not entirely compatible with the needs and wants of the core gamer. It is willing to make the trades on gaming power in order to potentially revolutionise the way we interact with entertainment in the living room - Microsoft is betting that once we've experienced it, we'll never be able to go back. It's a bold gamble, but the key issue is that much of this revolutionary functionality just isn't there right now. The price differential with PlayStation 4 clearly is.

There are some great ideas here, then, but we've had just a small glimpse of what the machine is capable of. Cool functions like resuming gameplay from standby are flaky, while the centrepiece of the media experience - full integration with live TV - just isn't there yet outside of Microsoft's home market. It's coming, but we have no idea when. The core of what's left, beyond some neat features, is very much a games machine: one whose capabilities are proven, but which remains considerably more expensive than PlayStation 4.
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Unread postby Texas » 31 Jan 2014 18:52

http://www.vg247.com/2014/01/31/senior- ... -for-2014/

Microsoft will release a cheaper Xbox One this year, a well-respected source has told VG247, apparently confirming this week’s leaks out of Redmond.

Microsoft has told trusted publishing partners that it will release a new model Xbox One before the end of the year, a senior source has confirmed to VG247.

Although the source was unable to confirm that the system will be disc-less and feature a bluetooth adaptor, the new console will be priced cheaper than the current $499 model.

Upon release, Microsoft would likely drop the price of the current Xbox One model, placing it in the same price point as Sony’s PlayStation 4.

New hardware isn’t the only leak from Microsoft this week, with reports suggesting Halo 2 Anniversary Edition will be released on November 11, complete with a beta for Halo 5.

Although Microsoft isn’t commenting on the rumours, it isn’t taking these leaks lightly – the firm is reportedly looking to get legal on someone’s ass, adding fuel to the fire.
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Unread postby Texas » 05 Feb 2014 20:02

http://news.xbox.com/2014/02/xbox-one-k ... ing-better

I’m excited to be able to share details with you today about several product updates we’ll be delivering for Xbox One starting next week. The team has been really excited to see the gameplay on Xbox One and the millions of hours of fun our fans have experienced since launch. We’ve also been busy listening to your feedback and working hard to incorporate it into Xbox One as soon as possible. We remain incredibly energized and we are aggressively working to make Xbox One better, faster than ever before.

Xbox One is a platform for continuous innovation and new consumer experiences over time. Just as we did with Xbox 360, Xbox One will have regular updates to deliver new features and platform experiences designed to delight you. We’re always listening to you and we love your feedback, so keep it coming.

February 11 system updates

On February 11, the first update will be delivered to customers who sign into their Xbox One. It features many new improvements – including lots of behind-the-scenes updates for developers building apps and games for Xbox One, several new features we believe Xbox fans will love, stability and product updates to improve the customer experience, and continuous improvements to the quality of Kinect voice so commands become more fluid and responsive over time. While we won’t be going into all of the details of the product updates today, we will be sharing more information soon.

Some of the features you can expect to see on February 11 include:

  • The ability to see and manage your storage space. With this update, you will find it easy to find how much space your content takes up and better manage your content. You can also control your install lineup and more easily manage your download queue. We’ve separated My Games and My Apps into separate lists, so you can easily create separate queues for both. Now you can pick the order in which you want your content to load and we’ve added a boot progress indicator so you can better track updates while they load.
  • The battery power indicator is back! You can see it right on the home screen, so you can easily track how much battery life is left on your controller.
  • And, you will be able to use your USB keyboard with your Xbox One.
These are just a few of the many updates we will be shipping on February 11. We’ll share more details on these and other upcoming features in the coming weeks. We have several surprises in store that we think you’ll love.

March 4 system updates – countdown to “Titanfall”

On March 4, in advance of what is expected to be the biggest game launch of the year, we will be delivering another system update to prepare your Xbox One for “Titanfall.” This update will contain many new features and improvements, most significantly to our party and multiplayer systems. Available on March 11, “Titanfall” is a team-based online multiplayer game that showcases the power of Xbox Live, and we will be shipping a new party and multiplayer system that will help make “Titanfall” the must-have game for this generation.

This post is the first of many announcements and sneak peeks at features in the system updates. We’ve been carefully listening to your feedback and look forward to delivering many new features that will make Xbox One even better. We’re just getting started and can’t wait to share more information in the coming weeks.
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Unread postby El Chaos » 08 Feb 2014 01:58

In Theory: Can Microsoft produce a new, cut-price Xbox One? Digital Foundry on the business case and the production realities: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digit ... e-xbox-one
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Unread postby Tain » 13 May 2014 16:20

Microsoft announced a new $399 Xbox One package without the Kinect.

http://news.xbox.com/2014/05/xbox-deliv ... re-choices

Since the beginning, we have focused on delivering great games and entertainment experiences for you. Your feedback matters to us and it shapes the products and services we build. Your feedback showed up in the Xbox One console we launched back in November and in the monthly updates we’ve delivered since.

Today, we’re excited to share more ways your feedback is impacting the products we build.

First, beginning on June 9th, in all markets where Xbox One is sold, we will offer Xbox One starting at $399*. This is a new console option that does not include Kinect. For $399, our new Xbox One offering will continue to deliver access to the best blockbuster games like “Titanfall,” “Call of Duty: Ghosts,” “Forza Motorsport 5,” “Dead Rising 3,” and the upcoming “Watch Dogs,” “Destiny” and "Sunset Overdrive." You will also be able to access popular entertainment apps, such as Twitch, YouTube, and Netflix, as well as watch live TV and use OneGuide. Finally, you will continue to be able to use many of the unique features of Xbox One including the ability to get game invites while you watch TV, switch between games and entertainment apps, enjoy Twitch broadcasts, and upload your favorite gaming moments.

Next, we’re bringing more value to Xbox Live Gold members and offering all Xbox 360 and Xbox One owners access to entertainment apps whether or not you have an Xbox Live Gold membership. In early June, here is what you can expect from the new generation of Xbox Live:

Free games with Games with Gold**.
Since Games with Gold launched on Xbox 360 a year ago, over 12 million people have enjoyed great free games, resulting in nearly 200 million hours of free fun playing Games with Gold titles. We’ve been learning from your feedback and have focused on making improvements each month to the selection of titles. To celebrate the one-year anniversary of Games with Gold for Xbox 360 and as a thank you for helping shape this program, members will receive an additional free Xbox 360 game in June. The Games with Gold titles for Xbox 360 in June are “Dark Souls,” “Charlie Murder” and a bonus game of “Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition.” We’re pleased to bring Games with Gold to Xbox Live Gold members on Xbox One in June. Members will have subscription-based access to free games ranging from top hits to breaking indie stars. The program will launch on Xbox One with “Max: The Curse of Brotherhood” and “Halo: Spartan Assault.” A single Gold membership will get you access to the free games for both Xbox One and Xbox 360.

Exclusive Discounts.
Deals with Gold will also launch for Xbox One in June, delivering discounts for great games each month, with significant savings for Xbox Live Gold members. The first titles offered in June will include “Forza Motorsport 5,” “Ryse: Son of Rome,” and a few other surprises. In the coming months, we will offer significant savings of up to 50 – 75 percent off certain titles. This program will continue to be available for Xbox Live Gold members on Xbox 360. And new on Xbox One, we will launch a virtual VIP room exclusive to Xbox Live Gold members where we will feature free games, monthly deals, and other great benefits.

Popular entertainment apps will be available for all Xbox 360 and Xbox One owners.
Xbox 360 has been a leader in delivering entertainment experiences for years, with over 170 global entertainment apps and experiences available today. We’re constantly adding new partners and experiences to the growing catalog on Xbox One. Coming in June, anyone with an Xbox will be able to access popular entertainment experiences – whether or not you have an Xbox Live Gold membership. This includes great gaming apps like Machinima, Twitch and Upload, popular video services like Netflix, Univision Deportes, GoPro, Red Bull TV and HBO GO, sports experiences like the NFL app for Xbox One, MLB.TV, NBA Game Time, NHL Game Center and more.*** Microsoft experiences including Internet Explorer, Skype, OneDrive and OneGuide will also be available to all Xbox customers.**** You can find a full list of apps and features that will be available below.

We’ve heard that you want more choices from Xbox One. You want a wide variety of options in your games and entertainment experiences and you also want options in your hardware selection.

To be clear, as we introduce this new Xbox One console option, Kinect remains an important part of our vision. Many of you are using Kinect for Xbox One every day. In fact, more than 80 percent of you are actively using Kinect, with an average of 120 voice commands per month on each console. Some of the most popular voice commands include “Xbox On,” “Xbox Broadcast” and “Xbox Record That.” We will continue to offer a premium Xbox One with Kinect bundle to deliver voice and gesture controls, biometric sign-in, instant personalization, instant scanning of QR codes, and enhanced features only available with Kinect in games such as “Kinect Sports Rivals,” “Just Dance 2014,” “Project Spark” and more.

If you buy Xbox One for $399 and later decide you want to have all the experiences Kinect enables, we will also offer a standalone sensor for Xbox One later this fall. We’ll share more details about the standalone Kinect for Xbox One in the coming months.

Phil
@XboxP3
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Unread postby El Chaos » 12 Aug 2014 00:35

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digit ... rade-guide

David Bierton wrote:The Xbox One hard drive upgrade guide
Digital Foundry on the best value and performance storage upgrades.

With more titles weighing in between 40-50GB the ability to finally plug in an external storage unit is a welcome addition, and the way Microsoft has integrated this into the Xbox One OS is well thought out, with content seamlessly accessible across all drives without undue hassle once files have been transferred or re-downloaded. Clearly the use of external storage devices is designed to work as an extension to the core Xbox One library, and in that respect we encountered no unexpected functionality issues after repeatedly transferring our content between drives. It's also possible to store games across multiple drives too, simply plugging them back in when required - in effect you can back-up titles to external storage and plug them in as needed. Microsoft's external storage solution is admittedly a bit more untidy than simply installing a new hard drive into the console, but on the plus side you don't need to re-download all of your games again - a bonus in the age of the 50GB blockbuster.

There's also the fact that each and every upgrade option we tried offers generally better performance than the stock drive - even our cheap and cheerful 2TB Toshiba. Some might find this surprising - after all, you'd expect the console's internal SATA connection to offer improved performance over USB. Well, we can only speculate, but we suspect that running the OS in the background in addition to recording off the gameplay stream has an impact on bandwidth, and that's something an external unit doesn't need to deal with.

Indeed, the USB 3.0 connection clearly has enough bandwidth to accommodate fast drives such as SSDs and hybrid SSHD storage devices, although right now it's clear that games don't really benefit from a boost in speed as much as some PS3 games (such as Gran Turismo 5 or Rage) did in the past. Indeed, the overall conclusion we draw is that there's little point exploring exotic options like solid-state storage, hybrid drives or faster mechanical drives at this point in time. There's no real advantage to doing so, and no revelatory increase to game performance or any truly game-changing decreases to loading times. SSD offers some small loading time advantages but nothing really worth the exorbitant prices, while the performance uptick offered - in theory - by a faster mechanical drive, or a hybrid, mostly failed to materialise. Once again, improvements we did see in streaming-intensive titles just don't justify the additional cost of a solid state or hybrid solution.

In essence, the results are much the same as our recent PlayStation 4 hard drive upgrade testing - any purchasing decision should be dictated by how much money you're paying per gigabyte as opposed to performance considerations. Time and time again, our value £69.99 USB 3.0 passport drive kept up admirably with the pricier, more exotic storage options during our testing, despite its spec deficiencies. That's good news for your wallet, though the hardcore may feel some lingering disappointment that the one upgradable element of the new Microsoft console doesn't offer any palpable improvements over the cheap and cheerful option.
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Unread postby El Chaos » 01 Nov 2014 17:22

Smaller, cheaper, cooler Xbox One processor in development, completed design opens the door to a cost-reduced "slim" console: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digit ... evelopment
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Unread postby El Chaos » 03 Jan 2015 04:37

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digit ... opers-blog

Richard Leadbetter wrote:Microsoft gives more CPU power to Xbox One developers
SDK leak reveals game-makers now have access to a seventh processing core.

The leak of the software side of the devkit is embarrassing for Microsoft, but far less interesting overall than the wealth of information contained in the accompanying docs.


Over the Christmas break, hacking group H4LT leaked the November 2014 Xbox One development tools, firmware and documentation, giving us a fascinating insight into the evolution of the console since its inception. The latest upgrades rolled out reveal that game-makers now have access to a seventh CPU core, as Microsoft continues to roll-back the background system reservation, giving more processing power to game-makers.

Up until recently, both Xbox One and PlayStation 4 have reserved two entire CPU cores (out of eight available) in order to run the background operating system in parallel with games. Since October, Microsoft has allowed developers access to 50 to 80 per cent of a seventh processing core - which may partly explain why a small amount of multi-platform titles released during Q4 2014 may have possessed performance advantages over their PS4 counterparts in certain scenarios.

However, there's no such thing as a free lunch, and the additional CPU power comes with conditions and trades attached - however, there is the potential for many games to benefit. Firstly, developers need to give up custom, game-specific voice commands in order to access the seventh core at all, while Kinect's infra-red and depth functionality is also disabled. Secondly, the amount of CPU time available to developers varies at any given moment - system-related voice commands ("Xbox record that", "Xbox go to friends") automatically see CPU usage for the seventh core rise to 50 per cent. At the moment, the operating system does not inform the developer how much CPU time is available, so scheduling tasks will be troublesome. This is quite important - voice commands during gameplay will be few and far between, meaning that 80 per cent of the core should be available most of the time. However, right now, developers won't know if and when that allocation will drop. It's a limitation recognised in the documentation, with Microsoft set to address that in a future SDK update.

Across most gaming applications, GPU power takes precedence over CPU, but it must be remembered that both PS4 and Xbox One are based on x86 processors designed primarily with mobile and low-power applications in mind, and don't compare favourably with desktop PC chips in terms of raw performance. With processing resources at a premium, clearly the more CPU power given to console developers, the better. The ability to tap into more processing power could perhaps explain why Assassin's Creed Unity runs smoother on Xbox One than it does on PS4, and also why traffic-heavy junctions in GTAV see a smaller hit to performance on the Microsoft console. It may also explain this curious presentation slide from the developers of ACU, showing a 15 per cent CPU advantage to Xbox One compared to PS4.

acu.png

Ubisoft Montreal's exploration of PS4 and Xbox One CPU power reveals a somewhat less than impressive generational leap from last-gen, but in the case of its cloth simulation code, we see a 15 per cent performance increase that doesn't quite tally with the 9.4 per cent boost we can take as read from Xbox One's 1.75GHz clock speed.

The slide is interesting on two counts. It demonstrates performance of Ubisoft's cloth simulation code running on CPU from one generation to the next, showing that good utilisation of the PS3 Cell processor produces better performance than the same code running on the PS4 CPU. Also interesting is that the Xbox One CPU hands in a 15 per cent performance boost over its PS4 equivalent - something that cannot be explained by Microsoft's 9.4 per cent CPU clock speed advantage (1.75GHz vs 1.6GHz) alone. Could Ubisoft already be using the additional CPU time?

It's an interesting theory, but the timing of the presentation (August 2014 - two months before the new feature was added to the SDK) suggests not. Speaking to a prominent developer, one potential explanation is that differences in code compiler efficiency might favour Microsoft's console right now. How the availability of a seventh processing core will affect game performance going forward remains to be seen. Certainly, the whole point of Ubisoft's presentation is that moving CPU tasks to GPU is the future, and in this respect, it is the PS4 that is in the driving seat. Based on the single example Ubisoft's presentation provides (and it's worth stressing that all of these numbers are derived from just one piece of code), PS4 is almost twice as fast.

In the here and now, the SDK documentation leak is certainly worthy of further study - it's a fascinating window into how Xbox One games are made and how to get the most out of the console's unique hardware structure. It also contains a complete timeline of the programming environment's progress all the way from its inception on alpha hardware way back in April 2012 - almost three years ago now. It also outlines the very rapid development and optimisation of the custom GPU driver - much maligned in the run-up to launch, but clearly the subject of intense improvement in 2014.

In terms of the leak itself, there have been suggestions that the release of the SDK could pave the way to Xbox One 'homebrew', with the implication that the console's security has been in some way compromised. In particular, the documentation's detailing of Windows-specific code containers has been singled out. The truth is that Xbox One is just as secure now as it was before the leak. Developers have zero access to the encryption technologies used to prevent console piracy, and while the documentation includes instructions on how to turn retail consoles into development hardware, the process doesn't work without server-side authentication which homebrew enthusiasts are unlikely to get from Microsoft. In short, while the SDK will allow developers to write code and compile it, they will have no target hardware to run it on without a comprehensive hack of the Xbox One console itself.
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Unread postby El Chaos » 22 Jan 2015 05:38

Xbox on Windows 10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI4QVOaLCWk

The Xbox experience is coming to Windows 10. Together, they’ll take your gaming further with the worlds greatest multiplayer community, the best of Xbox Live and more.


http://www.xbox.com/en-US/windows-10
http://news.xbox.com/2015/01/xbox-one-p ... -10-gamers
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Unread postby El Chaos » 30 May 2015 15:23

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015- ... controller

Tom Phillips wrote:Looks like Microsoft will launch a new Xbox One controller in June

UPDATE: Product photos leak with new 3.5mm headphone jack.

UPDATE 29/5/15 2.10pm: Austrian retailer Libro has leaked the first images of Microsoft's tweaked Xbox One controller.

The upcoming pad will sport a new 3.5mm headphone jack, as we reported yesterday. There appears to be no further changes to the design, now shown off in box art posted to the retailer's site (thanks, Lifelower).

Microsoft's redesigned controller appears to have a release date set for 8th June - before E3. We expect to hear something from the company sooner rather than later making the controller update official.

microsoft-to-launch-new-xbox-one-controller-143290532963.png


ORIGINAL STORY 28/5/15 8.40am: Microsoft has leaked word of a new Xbox One controller, presumably to be revealed next month at E3.

The company's own Xbox Support website has been updated with mention of a 3.5mm headphone port at the base of the pad.

This new feature is "only available on controllers released after June 2015".

What other new features the pad will offer is unknown.

One frequent request from Xbox One owners is for a controller that can be charged via USB cable straight out of the box, rather than via a Play and Charge kit (sold separately).

But the fact that the design is otherwise identical suggests that the overall form factor of the controller will remain intact.

Here's where the new jack will fit:

143279832053.jpg
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Unread postby El Chaos » 09 Jun 2015 21:40

Xbox One 1TB console with new Xbox One wireless controller
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q86LNWlQEg0

Major Nelson shares details on the Xbox One 1TB console with the new Xbox One Wireless Controller, which now includes a 3.5mm headset jack.


EDIT: http://news.xbox.com/2015/06/xbox-one-1 ... -reduction

Major Nelson wrote:New Xbox One 1TB Console Unveiled, Xbox One 500GB Console Reduced to $349

Next week, Xbox is kicking off the biggest games week of the year as we head to Los Angeles for E3 2015 where we’ll showcase the best lineup in Xbox history. But before the lights go up and we take the stage for our media briefing, we wanted to share a few pieces of early news as we continue to put games and gamers at the center of everything we do.

Since Xbox One launched, one of the most frequent requests from fans is to add more storage to their consoles. Today, we’re unveiling the Xbox One 1TB console, with a new matte finish and more storage for your games and media, making it the best place to play the biggest blockbusters this holiday like Halo 5: Guardians, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Forza Motorsport 6. Only Xbox offers the most choice when it comes to storage options, now with increased on-board storage as well as the capability to extend game storage by adding an external USB 3.0 drive.

XboxOne_1TBConsole_620.png
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But that’s not all. We’re also including our newly designed Xbox One Wireless Controller that now comes with a 3.5mm stereo headset jack, and in select regions for a limited time, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, the definitive Halo experience on Xbox One.*

Xbox One 1TB consoles will start shipping to retailers June 16 in the United States and select markets later this month and will be available starting at $399 USD ERP.* We’re also pleased to announce that starting today, the $349 USD price on all standard Xbox One 500GB consoles will be permanent in the United States and select regions.**

XboxOne_Controller_620.png
XboxOne_Controller_620.png (143.95 KiB) Viewed 48133 times


Now let’s take a closer look at the new Xbox One Wireless Controller, shipping with future consoles moving forward, and now featuring a 3.5mm stereo headset jack that lets you plug your favorite gaming headset right into the controller. With the updated controller, in addition to the volume and mute controls on gaming headsets, you’ll also have the option to adjust headset volume, mic monitoring, and voice and game audio balance through the Settings menu on your console. We’ve also improved the quality of audio coming through the controller and increased the maximum audio volume on headsets used with this controller, based on fan feedback. All existing controller accessories will work with the updated controller, including the Stereo Headset Adapter for those who want the convenience of fingertip control for their audio. In addition to audio improvements, we’ve fine-tuned the bumpers for more consistent performance anywhere along the full surface of the bumper. And we’ve enabled wireless firmware updates on the updated controller which eliminates having to connect the controller via USB cable to receive updates. What’s more, fans will be able to purchase the new controller as a standalone item in black as well as a new camouflage design in silver and black with the Xbox One Special Edition Covert Forces Wireless Controller.

XbxOne_WirelessController_CovertForces_620.png
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And finally, as we mentioned at GDC, we are committed to designing Xbox accessories to support both Xbox and Windows 10. We are pleased to announce that starting this fall, you’ll be able to purchase the Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows to enjoy the freedom and convenience of the wireless controller on Windows 10 PCs, laptops, and tablets.*** With the Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows, you’ll simply plug the Adapter into the USB 2.0 or 3.0 port of your Windows 10 PC and bind the Adapter to your Wireless Controller to enable the same gaming experience you’re used to on Xbox One, including in-game chat and high-quality stereo audio. The Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows will be available for $24.99 U.S. MSRP or bundled with an Xbox One Wireless Controller for $79.95 U.S. MSRP* and sold in most markets where Xbox accessories are currently available.

Xbox_WirelessAdapterforWindows_620.png
Xbox_WirelessAdapterforWindows_620.png (130.46 KiB) Viewed 48133 times


We’re extremely grateful to our fans for your continued feedback and the Xbox team is continually working hard to expand and improve the experience. 2015 is going to be a great year for gamers.


*Availability and pricing varies by region
**Permanent price reduction applies to United States, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and India; Pricing varies by region
***Not compatible with controllers designed for Xbox 360. Check game specifications for controller compatibility. USB 2.0/3.0 required.
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Unread postby El Chaos » 15 Jun 2015 22:28

Xbox One backward compatibility with Xbox 360 games:
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/back ... patibility
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