Xbox One Owner Impressions

By trooper11
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Here are my impressions after a week using the Xbox One.

 

Setup:

Setting up the Xbox One is your first impression of the system and it is a good introduction. The out of box setup feels modern and looks beautiful just too bad that the Day 1 installation puts an interruption in the middle of it.

 

The UI:

I have heard many people complain that the UI is confusing, but I have a feeling that sentiment will be different after a few days of use or at least that has been my experience. The UI is simple but also very modern, beautiful, and the ways you interact with it are pretty revolutionary. It really pays off once you start to use all forms of input without thinking about which one is right for what. At first I was overwhelmed because every input method in Xbox One works across the entire OS, those inputs being: voice, motion, SmartGlass and controller but the beauty of the system comes to life once you start using them together. Voice is perfect for navigating directly to something you know you want to see, motion is perfect for scrolling through large amounts of data and the controller offers a great way to click on buttons etc.

 

A great example of using them together is the following string of events. "Xbox go to My Apps and Games", at this point I then grab the screen and scroll the content until I find something that gets my attention. Once you are where you want, you have three options to select your content, you can either use motion and press in on the icon until it fills and then release, you can click the icon with the controller or you can open it with voice by saying "xbox go to name of game/media". I typically use voice in this scenario and would say "xbox go to Forza Motorsport 5". The first few days you will find yourself second guessing what is best and maybe getting frustrated but once you learn the system it will all be second nature and you won't even think about it. Once I reached this point, navigating the Xbox One not only felt like something out of the future, but it is so fast it makes all other UI feel clunky.

 

Controls:

So using the inputs is well thought out in principle but how do these inputs actually work? Let's start with the controller.

 

The Xbox One controller is great. It feels a lot like the Xbox 360 controller but they added some very nice little touches. First it feels better in my hands, it is lighter, the grips on the analog sticks are better, the movement of the analog sticks is better, triggers feel better and the d-pad is greatly improved. To top it off they used Kinect to tell it when to use battery which makes it last forever. Overall, the controller is a great improvement to what I feel was the best controller ever made. They also added some rumble to the triggers which is very useful in giving feedback to the way you play games "for example if you are breaking too hard in forza" and they also added infrared to the controller so Kinect can track it's exact movements "put to great use in Dead Rising to throw off Zombies".

 

Kinect is the next input device used with the Xbox One and they really got it right with the Kinect this time around. Last generation Kinect was a cool but frustrating tech that most times felt like a gimmick. Thankfully those days are over, Kinect is not only a first class input on Xbox One, but it is what makes the overall system come together. Being in the kitchen and turning on your TV and Xbox is not only mind blowing awesome but extremely convenient. "Xbox On", start coffee, "Xbox Watch ESPN or Xbox go to Forza Motorsport 5"  have become part of my morning routine. And during commercials or loading times "Xbox snap xxxx" is automatic. Kinect not only makes your life easier but it changes the way you think about using these devices.

 

I hear people say "xbox one voice sucks it isn't accurate". This isn't true, Kinect voice commands are the best you will currently find on any platform or device. The first week you and Kinect will have some frustrations getting to know each other but a week in, I don't even think about it, it just works. I admit early I had frustrations but it was mostly because I was not clear in my orders, I would either mumble or pause because I didn't know what I wanted to ask Xbox. Those days are over, now I just rattle my commands off and feel very comfortable doing so. It has changed my way of interacting with my TV and Console for the better.

 

Next up is motion which is also greatly improved but has a little bit of a learning curve. Getting the Xbox to initiate motion is a gesture of raising your hand palm open, however getting this to work is different depending on your position. If you are standing, it just works, raise your hand and you are in business, but if you are sitting "especially if you are lounging" you have to find the sweet spot for Xbox to recognize this gesture and remember what it likes. Once initiated you basically have three things to remember. Closing your hand grabs the screen, opening your hand releases the screen and moving your "open" hand forward a few inches "until the hand become solid white" and pulling back selects something "pushes the button". It is a beautiful system overall. In no time you will be moving around the OS and large amounts of data like you are in Minority Report. It not only feels awesome but for scrolling large amounts of data it is the most useful method to quickly parse the data. The only downside is that not all apps support it. For example, Netflix does scrolling with hand gestures very poorly. Hopefully the API's will make it easier for all developers to use it the same way as the OS does. As for motion gaming, the only game I played that uses motion was Kinect Sports Rivals Preview and I have to say it worked great, the steering felt natural even if that event doesn't particularly interest me. I am very excited to see what they do with Tennis and Bowling now that it can recognize more precise motions in the wrists.

 

That isn't all Kinect does though, there are many smaller things that just make the experience better. For example, as mentioned above turning off the controller when it is not in use, or signing you onto the system when you walk into the living room or switching controller settings if you grab a different controller. The Kinect is such a huge part of the experience that it is hard to even think of it as a peripheral, it is integral to everything the system does.

 

Last up in input devices is SmartGlass and it is also greatly improved. First thing you will notice about the next generation of SmartGlass is the connection is fast. Last generation it took 5 to 10 seconds before SmartGlass would connect with your Xbox, but thanks to utilizing WifiDirect those days are over. By the time the app launches, which is maybe 1 to 2 seconds, SmartGlass is connected and ready to issue commands. Opening games, searching movies etc all work great with SmartGlass. As a "remote control" for the Xbox One, I find the SmartGlass app to work but it is not quite what I imagine it being in the future. It works fine with the swiping and tapping gestures, but I would prefer that it just brought the UI to the tablet and let you directly manipulate it like a real second screen. Also although it provides DLNA support, it is a bit hit or miss. For example, you can share a youtube video to the Xbox One but it has to open the Video app and then stream it. I usually run out of patience by the time it starts playing and close it. Also you cannot share Internet Explorer pages with your Xbox One, although they say that feature is coming. Ideally it would be nice to use it as a replacement for Google Chrome but it is not quite there. A useful companion to the Xbox One for sure, but still has a long ways to go.

 

Games:

I have spent so much time gaming on my Xbox One but I haven't played very many games because I have been so caught up with every game I have tried. Let's start out with Forza Motorsport 5 which is just amazing. I have put in over 50 hours with this game in the first week and every time I play it I am blown away. The graphics, the production, the audio, the controls "that rumble on the brakes is absolutely a game changer in the genre" and the drivatars really take Forza to new places in gaming. The rumble in the breaking trigger and the drivatars are the two additions that change the gameplay the most from Forza 4 but they are so well implemented you will never be able to go back. I could go on and on about the rumble in the braking, in a racing SIM you just don't realize how necessary this was until you have it. It is almost as if it was added to the controllers just for this exact reason. This is a must buy game in my opinion, especially if you are a fan of racing simulation games.

 

Second up is PowerStar Golf, which I am also obsessed with. PowerStar Golf is just a perfect time waster and I have found it the perfect companion to TV and Hulu to pass time during commecials. As soon as Hulu hits a commercial my reactions is "Xbox go to Powerstar Golf, Xbox snap Hulu Plus". The graphics are nice but most importantly the game is extremely fun and will have you coming back over and over. For 20 dollars it is a no brainer, must have game.

 

Third is Dead Rising 3, which I have mixed feelings about. The game looks nice, and the scope of Zombies is incredible. I also really like the gesture to throw Zombies off instead of quicktime events but the overall gameplay just doesn't feel right. The camera, animations, controls etc just feel like they aren't quite done. I am enjoying the game, but I get frustrated with the controls.

 

The final game I downloaded was Killer Instinct and it is great. It comes free with the Character Jago and that character alone will offer you hours upon hours of gameplay. I spend more than two hours alone just using the game dojo to learn moves, but once you get online is when the fun really starts. It is really too bad Skype snapping doesn't work yet, because seeing your friends as you pull off these massive combos would be a lot of fun.

 

Overall, extremely pleased with the games. Forza, Powerstar Golf and Killer Instinct are all three standouts and games that will last far into the new year with great re-playability.

 

Entertainment:

As an entertainment system Xbox One is a dream come true. TV and Hulu Plus are especially enhanced compared to any other alternatives. Commercial breaks are now just a great excuse to get in a hole on Powerstar Golf, chat with a friend, check out activity etc. I didn't realize how much I would appreciate the media features but they really do change the game. I am buying another Xbox One just to put in my other room because of the media features and how badly I miss them when they are not there. Netflix, Hulu Plus, ESPN, NFL, Amazon Instant are the apps I use daily and all of them are great. There are many apps missing but having TV and setting favorites in the Xbox One has made me forget about most of them. I still would like to see HBOGO "coming soon", Showtime and NBA GameTime.

 

The Bad/Missing:

I love my Xbox One as is, but there is still a lot of room for growth over the next few years. Voice is used perfectly as a command center but also needs to be used to dictate "for entering text". The Apps are great but there are not very many of them. Would love to see the apps extended beyond Media too and used for home automation etc "Nest App would be great". Gestures in the OS work awesome, but in apps are hit and miss "Netflix does not support scrolling, IE does not using selecting correctly". Loading times on games is also a big desire, smaller games like Powerstar Golf and Killer Instinct load quickly but bigger games with large textures like Forza 5 take longer to load than I would like "thank goodness for Snap TV". Lastly I would like to see the Xbox One opened up to developers as was promised. The idea that every Xbox One can be an SDK is a very powerful idea and one I hope comes to fruition. I can't wait to make experiences for the Xbox One and hope I get this opportunity.

 

To sum it up.. Welcome to the future, it is a wonderful place and I can't wait to see where it continues to go.

Grand Master

trooper11

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Only 2 problems I have with my Xbox One:

  • The Drive is noisy when installing games. (not sure if meant to make noise or not.)
  • The price of the games are too damn high!

Well considering a few consoles have had faulty disc drives, you should definitely keep a close eye on it. When you say noisy, how loud is it and what kind of sound?

My drive spins up when installing and it was audible, but nothing unusual in the sound, just reminded me of a PC dvd drive spinning up.

Grand Master

trooper11

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Has anyone actually played Crimson Dragon?

The reason I ask is that I've watched a few play-throughs on youtube and I'm seeing people actually like the game, a whole lot more than the professional reviews.

Personally, I come from a gaming background that includes Panzer Dragoon Orta, which was a game I really enjoyed back in that day. From the looks of it, Crimson Dragon really is the spiritual successor to it, with good music, decent grinding (the good kind of grinding to level up things like your dragon or to 'evolve' them), good visuals and environment variation, good level of difficulty (not easy, actually requires effort to get through it), and good controls to fit its genre (rail shooter). I know some brought up the micro transactions bit, but seriously, if you watch people play the game, those transactions don't even come into play for them. They just play the game.

I've been tempted to get it since its only $20, but I'd love to hear more impressions from people that are actually playing it.

Grand Master

George P Global Moderator

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Man, the Xbox forums are full of people who want things added or tweaked in the OS.    I hope MS gets out updates quick, even if they're small ones as long as they're often, to keep people happy.  But then I have this feeling that they're going to fall right back into their ways and we won't see a system update for 8+ months.  

Grand Master

DrunknMunky Veteran

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Man, the Xbox forums are full of people who want things added or tweaked in the OS.    I hope MS gets out updates quick, even if they're small ones as long as they're often, to keep people happy.  But then I have this feeling that they're going to fall right back into their ways and we won't see a system update for 8+ months.  

 

As much as I'd like to see smaller more frequent updates, I have a feeling the OS team have a routine down that they'll want to keep.

 

Would be nice to see smaller incremental updates inbetween the larger patches though. I doubt they'll be refreshing the dashboard, the same way they did the 360, any time soon so who knows.

Grand Master

George P Global Moderator

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As much as I'd like to see smaller more frequent updates, I have a feeling the OS team have a routine down that they'll want to keep.

 

Would be nice to see smaller incremental updates inbetween the larger patches though. I doubt they'll be refreshing the dashboard, the same way they did the 360, any time soon so who knows.

 

I don't think they have to, the way the 360 was coded the dashboard itself was like one big app that ran on it's own.   With the XB1 they should be able to update parts without having to upgrade the whole thing in one go like before.   It should be more modular now, but we'll see.  There's parts that are lacking and the longer it takes to address them the more fans are going to complain.    I can see them waiting for the holiday rush to end and for things to quiet down before they push out updates but I think it'd be better for something to go out in January or February at the latest, even if it's small.

Grand Master

trooper11

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I don't think they have to, the way the 360 was coded the dashboard itself was like one big app that ran on it's own.   With the XB1 they should be able to update parts without having to upgrade the whole thing in one go like before.   It should be more modular now, but we'll see.  There's parts that are lacking and the longer it takes to address them the more fans are going to complain.    I can see them waiting for the holiday rush to end and for things to quiet down before they push out updates but I think it'd be better for something to go out in January or February at the latest, even if it's small.

I agree that it seems like they built the OS in order to make it easier to upgrade/tweak it over time.

I hope they are aggressive in addressing issues and making fixes.

At the same time, I'm ok with it being January or February before they get updates rolling out. Having to deal with the end of the year rush is probably taking up most of their time at the moment. Plus, they may want to actually take a small amount of time off after the rush to get things done for launch. I think they could simply mention a vague timeline for getting updates out. Maybe say that they plan to roll out updates based on feedback, etc over the course of the next couple of months. Maybe even lay out the issues they want to take care of first or something.

Grand Master

DrunknMunky Veteran

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I don't think they have to, the way the 360 was coded the dashboard itself was like one big app that ran on it's own.   With the XB1 they should be able to update parts without having to upgrade the whole thing in one go like before.   It should be more modular now, but we'll see.  There's parts that are lacking and the longer it takes to address them the more fans are going to complain.    I can see them waiting for the holiday rush to end and for things to quiet down before they push out updates but I think it'd be better for something to go out in January or February at the latest, even if it's small.

 

What I mean to say is, I don't think we'll see big changes in small updates. I think anything that drastically changes the dashboard experience (say something like Twitch integration just for example), will still be included in an annual or biannual update. Anything that's hooked into all corners of the OS, basically.

 

Features like 3D blu ray (which is still quite a big feature IMO), would be a small incremental update and what I expect to see them tackle on the wish list first. As well as headsets, ext HDD support etc. I don't doubt those features and apps will get updates frequently/when necessary.

 

But for big changes they add, they expect/want developers to use them. They won't want to add them every week without giving devs a chance to take advantage of them. That goes for all 3 consoles.

Grand Master

George P Global Moderator

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What I mean to say is, I don't think we'll see big changes in small updates. I think anything that drastically changes the dashboard experience (say something like Twitch integration just for example), will still be included in an annual or biannual update. Anything that's hooked into all corners of the OS, basically.

 

Features like 3D blu ray (which is still quite a big feature IMO), would be a small incremental update and what I expect to see them tackle on the wish list first. As well as headsets, ext HDD support etc. I don't doubt those features and apps will get updates frequently/when necessary.

 

But for big changes they add, they expect/want developers to use them. They won't want to add them every week without giving devs a chance to take advantage of them. That goes for all 3 consoles.

 

Right, I agree about large system wide features coming later, just that I don't think it should be a year later for example.     I'm fine with waiting for things to come but the more vocal fan base out there are already crying out for things, much better overall if they could get something out sooner rather than later, that's my hope anyways.  

Grand Master

trooper11

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What I mean to say is, I don't think we'll see big changes in small updates. I think anything that drastically changes the dashboard experience (say something like Twitch integration just for example), will still be included in an annual or biannual update. Anything that's hooked into all corners of the OS, basically.

If that is the case, that might point to a big update coming in January possibly since MS has said that they plan to have Twitch integration by then.

It could be possible that MS decided to push to get a major update out as quickly as possible, to cover as many small things as possible and the bigger bullet points. Considering the scramble to get it done for launch, maybe this was their plan going forward.

Grand Master

DrunknMunky Veteran

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I think the biggest disappointment for me (now) is the lack of demos.

I loved how XBLA required every game to have a demo and I have a feeling that's a thing of the past.

 

+1000 to that.

 

Microsoft obviously caved to developers on it who probably blame them for low sales though (N)

Grand Master

trooper11

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+1000 to that.

 

Microsoft obviously caved to developers on it who probably blame them for low sales though (N)

So far, both Sony and MS seem to not be pushing demos for most games.

Although I did find demos in the X1 yesterday. There is a demo for FIFA and NBA Live. Of course KI and Sports Rivals have demos, but those were the first retail demos I found.

Maybe it is just due to the whole rushed nature that seems to surround the next gen stuff. Maybe developers simply had no time to get demos ready.

Grand Master

trooper11

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Any owners that want to give suggestions for improvements can share them on this reddit page:

http://www.reddit.com/r/xboxone/comments/1rcsrc/xbox_feedback_my_unofficial_list_of_issues_and/

Its a great idea to start compiling all the small and large fixes or changes we would like to see for the X1 OS. The list there is already pretty extensive. Maybe it will help MS prioritize which fixes come first as well. Hopefully someone does this for the ps4 as well.

Grand Master

BajiRav

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So far, both Sony and MS seem to not be pushing demos for most games.

Although I did find demos in the X1 yesterday. There is a demo for FIFA and NBA Live. Of course KI and Sports Rivals have demos, but those were the first retail demos I found.

Maybe it is just due to the whole rushed nature that seems to surround the next gen stuff. Maybe developers simply had no time to get demos ready.

 

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I think demos require certification and they were put on a low priority for launch.

Grand Master

trooper11

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I think demos require certification and they were put on a low priority for launch.

I saw a Zoo Tycoon demo for the 360, I didn't realize it was out for the X1 as well.

Yeah, I think its clear that they just didn't have them ready for launch.

I hope we see more third party demos show up. I'd love to try out AC4 for example.

Grand Master

DrunknMunky Veteran

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So far, both Sony and MS seem to not be pushing demos for most games.

Although I did find demos in the X1 yesterday. There is a demo for FIFA and NBA Live. Of course KI and Sports Rivals have demos, but those were the first retail demos I found.

Maybe it is just due to the whole rushed nature that seems to surround the next gen stuff. Maybe developers simply had no time to get demos ready.

 

I was talking specifically about XBLA aka "downloadable" branded games on X1. It was an essential to release on XBLA and now MS have removed it from their policies. That was in favour for developers, either to help them with sales or managing time for builds.

Grand Master

trooper11

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I was talking specifically about XBLA aka "downloadable" branded games on X1. It was an essential to release on XBLA and now MS have removed it from their policies. That was in favour for developers, either to help them with sales or managing time for builds.

When you say XBLA, are you talking about full size retail titles that are in digital form or smaller games that are only sold via XBL?

I agree that it was a mandate last gen and its obviously not one at this point. The only question is if that is a temporary lifting of the mandate due to time constraints, or if its a longer term change of policy

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