You may have seen a recent article shared by Xbox staff to media outlets, highlighting what makes the Xbox One platform an All-in-One Games and Entertainment system. The information shared by Microsoft in general was specific to North American audiences, with Microsoft Australia this weekend sharing more specifics about what folk in Australia and New Zealand can expect to see when they pick up their console later this month.
#1 – Kinect
We’ve completely re-engineered Kinect to take full advantage of all that Xbox One can do. The new Kinect works in nearly any lighting condition and has an expanded field of view to accommodate a greater variety of room sizes. You can also start playing your favorite game, find your favorite show and more – with the sound of your voice. Powered by Bing technology, search for games, videos, music and more with voice by simply saying, “Xbox Bing.” Or say, “Xbox go to tenplay,” “Xbox play Forza Motorsport 5”, “Xbox go to Music” – it’s simple.
#2 – Biometric Sign In
Kinect can recognise you and instantly log you into your personalised home screen. Your favorite games, movies, albums, Skype contacts, recently played apps and more can be pinned right to your home page – so you can find everything you love quickly. Biometric sign in and personalisation extends to everyone in your house – each person has a home screen tailored just for them.
#3 – Instant Resume and Instant Switching
We’ve talked about instant switching before, but now you can see it for yourself in action. The video showcases how quickly you can jump from one experience to another and right back where you left off. You can literally jump from a game to live TV, music, movies, sports, web sites and back again in seconds, just by using your voice.
#4 – Watch Live TV via Xbox One
Xbox One lets you watch live TV from your HDMI-compatible cable or set top box, making it easy to switch from games to live TV – all with the sound of your voice, and without having to switch TV inputs. No more missed multiplayer matches while you’re watching TV or frustrating delays. If you receive your cable or satellite TV through an HDMI-capable set-top box, just connect it to your Xbox One and you can watch live TV through your Xbox One simply by saying “Xbox, watch TV.”
#5 – Get a Multiplayer Invite, while you are Watching TV
Imagine never missing a multiplayer invite, or an epic game battle while engrossed in a TV episode. With Xbox One, TV and games are not separate. You can be watching your favorite show or the big game and still receive an invite to play a game with your friends. You will always be connected to your gaming community and with features like SmartMatch and reputation management in Xbox One, you don’t have to choose between your games and entertainment. (Sam’s Comment: Although I hope this can be disabled personally – I really don’t like people interrupting me when watching TV!).
#6 – Game DVR and Upload Studio Let You Record and Share Your Greatest Moments
Imagine you’re in the middle of an intense race or a battle and you want to record this ultimate gaming moment. With Game DVR on Xbox One, you can capture your greatest moments, add your own creative touch with Upload Studio and share with your friends. By simply saying “Xbox, record that” your gameplay is recorded. Or, you can take advantage of a five-minute buffer that’s constantly recording in case something remarkable happens and you weren’t expecting it. With the Upload Studio, you can turn your gameplay footage into a work of art, record a taunt over the segment, add a skin and share it with your friends.
#7 – Do Two Things at Once
You can also choose to snap two experiences together – so you can play a game while you watch TV or listen to Xbox Music. Or, watch TV while browse the internet. For gamers, snapping Machinima opens up a whole new world of opportunity. Just by saying “Xbox, Snap Machinima,” the Machinima app will be snapped next to “Dead Rising 3” or your favorite game, and walk-throughs, game reviews, help videos and more will appear.
#8 – Skype on the Big Screen, With Groups and Free Long Distance
Skype is amazing on Xbox One, offering the only big screen experience with Group Video Chat with up to four people. Kinect is the only camera in the world that will follow the caller and pan and zoom automatically as if you had your own camera man. You can talk with your friends while surfing the Web or checking the latest stats of a sports team. And have full 1080p video calls for one-to-one chats on your TV.
#9 – OneGuide Delivers Personalized Guide to Apps
The OneGuide helps you see what’s available in your apps and manage your favorites. Today, OneGuide includes Favorites and App Channels. App Channels are like TV channels for video apps and show what’s available in your favorite apps without leaving what you’re already watching on TV. When more apps are available, more App Channels will be added to your OneGuide to show your favorite app content. Your App Channels will appear in your OneGuide after you’ve downloaded and opened video apps for the first time.
Today we’re sharing the very first wave of some of the biggest names in entertainment, coming to Xbox One, including Network Ten’s tenplay, SBS ON DEMAND and Quickflix. Just like on Xbox 360, new apps will be rolling out on a regular basis.
#10 – Xbox SmartGlass Enhances Gaming in New Way
You can use the Xbox SmartGlass app for Xbox One to stay connected with the Xbox Live community to check your Achievements and game progress, watch Game DVR clips and message your friends in the living room or on the go. Xbox SmartGlass can be used to navigate the Home screen, search, or browse the web. And, on Xbox One, Xbox SmartGlass displays game help and hints during gameplay and can support up to 16 devices at one time across your favorite games and entertainment. You can also search the entire Xbox catalog and pin content so it’s waiting for you when you turn on your console. The Xbox SmartGlass app is a free download for Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, iOS and Android devices and will be available on Nov. 22.
