Xbox One



"Jump ahead."

The Xbox One is the watercooler successor to the Xbox 360.

The third console from Microsoft had a rough launch. When shown off to the world for the first time, the presentation was more focused on the non-gaming entertainment you could do with the system. What really rubbed people the wrong way was all the anti-consumer features that were going to be included. The system would have to be connected to Microsoft's servers every 12 hours or else the system wouldn't work. The system required the second gen Kinect to always be connected. Used games might be possible, but it would be up to publisher to decide that. Also, the system would not be backwards compatible with any past Xbox 360 or Original Xbox titles. It also forced a rename of the original Xbox, since most people colloquially called it the Xbox One.

After getting thoroughly chewed out by everyone (including a few deep jabs from Sony at E3 2013), Microsoft was force to renege on most of the controversial features. The system still launched at $499 though. Microsoft eventually got wise and got rid of all the people responsible for the controversy. They eventually brought in people who knew the Xbox was a gaming brand first and foremost. They did add a ton of Xbox 360 title to Backwards compatibility and even a few Original Xbox titles. Along the way, Microsoft snatched up a ton of developers to make exclusive games for them. The system even got some decent console exclusives (Cuphead and PUBG).

Eventually,two new redesigns of the system were released. The first was a smaller, more compact version called the Xbox One S. Its 40% smaller, a bit more powerful than the original model, capable of playing 4k Blurays, and was the first Xbox since the original to include an internal power supply. The second was a bit of an overhaul, the One X. This included all the enhancements of the One S, but allowed certain titles to be played in proper 4k resolution and with HDR.

Microsoft has since announced the Xbox Series X for launch in Holiday 2020, but have promised to keep the platform alive. They've gone so far as to say there won't be any exclusive Series X titles for the first few years. Meaning both systems will have the latest first party titles from Microsoft. Certain games will even come with a copy for Series X so you don't have to buy it again.

System Specs & Details

 * 8GB DDR3 RAM
 * 8 core "Jaguar" CPU
 * non-replaceable 500 GB/1 TB internal Hard Drive, External Hard Drive support available
 * Blu-Ray/DVD
 * Wifi with ethernet port in back
 * HDMI in-out
 * USB 3.0, three ports
 * Region-Free (physicial and digital, cross-region store purchases possible without needing alt accounts)
 * Always Online by default- Internet + working servers needed to play many games.
 * Mandatory use of cloud saves. All games and Apps (even Youtube) may fail if the Xbox network is acting up. More details.
 * Day One update required to be able to use the system offline.
 * Backwards compatible with select OG Xbox and 360 games, some with Xbox One X enhancements. As of 2019, Microsoft has no plans to release more backwards compatible titles. At least not until their new ninth gen console is out. Full list of backwards compatible games
 * Xbox Live Gold Required for online play. Can import and use your Xbox 360 profile.
 * Achievements will be ported from Xbox 360 along with your profile
 * Mandatory game installs of even disc-based games
 * Games with Gold: Every month, Xbox Live Gold users will receive two free Xbox One titles and two free Xbox 360 titles, all digitally. The Xbox One titles can be downloaded and played so long as you keep your subscription, while the 360 titles are yours to keep forever. All forthcoming 360 titles will be backwards-compatible, so you basically get four free games every month.
 * Game Pass: A sort of Netflix for games where you have access to dozens of games. You can download them on your console and play them offline. Games are constantly being added but also being taken out. Microsoft has said that all of their future first party titles will be available day one on Game Pass. List of games
 * Game Pass Ultimate: Gold + Game Pass for console and PC. Arguably one of the sweetest deals to play a bunch of games without breaking the bank. PC Game Pass is still in beta and the list of games is honestly not that great.

Spec Source and More Details

The List
A-on is short for Always Online. For this list it means that the game requires an internet connection to have all it's features. If the game servers or the internet are down then the game will not work correctly. In short, this game will most likely not be functional outside of this console gen as game servers are taken down due to games getting older. For a general rule of thumb, any game that holds multiplayer above single player and any Ubisoft title is suspect to A-on features.