Microsoft Xbox One Six Months Later: Likes and Dislikes

[Jos]

Read the full article at:
[newwindow=https://www.techspot.com/review/831-xbox-one-review-update/]https://www.techspot.com/review/831-xbox-one-review-update/[/newwindow]

Please leave your feedback here.

 

[jayessay]

I have an Xbox 360. I LIKE my Xbox 360. It still works just fine for me, and I'm not seeing any killer features or Xbox One-exclusive games that I'm missing.

I don't need another device for watching TV-between a SmartTV, a cable box with on-demand, a blu ray player with internet-app options, and an Xbox 360 with a gold subscription, I have plenty of redundant streaming options. The issues I've read when it comes to the voice controls and Kinect controls have certainly convinced me that for media playing, there's nothing the Xbox One offers that I don't already have.

As for games, I have not come across anything that is Xbox One exclusive that I really want to play, and I find the graphics of the Xbox 360 to be pretty damn good. There are games that make me feel like I'm playing a movie, if you know what I mean. The Xbox One has interesting specs, sure, and I'm sure there are games that look brilliant on it, but it's not a huge evolutionary step past the 360 the way the Xbox 360 was from the Xbox (or the PS 3 from the PS 2, SNES to NES, etc.). I'm quite happy with the 360 and have yet to see a reason to upgrade.

 

[treetops]

I have an Xbox 360. I LIKE my Xbox 360. It still works just fine for me, and I'm not seeing any killer features or Xbox One-exclusive games that I'm missing.

I don't need another device for watching TV-between a SmartTV, a cable box with on-demand, a blu ray player with internet-app options, and an Xbox 360 with a gold subscription, I have plenty of redundant streaming options. The issues I've read when it comes to the voice controls and Kinect controls have certainly convinced me that for media playing, there's nothing the Xbox One offers that I don't already have.

As for games, I have not come across anything that is Xbox One exclusive that I really want to play, and I find the graphics of the Xbox 360 to be pretty damn good. There are games that make me feel like I'm playing a movie, if you know what I mean. The Xbox One has interesting specs, sure, and I'm sure there are games that look brilliant on it, but it's not a huge evolutionary step past the 360 the way the Xbox 360 was from the Xbox (or the PS 3 from the PS 2, SNES to NES, etc.). I'm quite happy with the 360 and have yet to see a reason to upgrade.

It blows the 360 away or it will when they start to releasing more xbox one only games graphically.

Yeah the voice command is a major annoyance, I turned it off day one. Same goes for the kinect commands, you itch your nose then it stops playing a movie. Like wtf. I turned it off a couple of times and it keeps turning on so I have a old shirt covering my kinect.

At the moment the lack of 1080p makes it meh. What really disappoints me is the lack of co op games. Most games are online co op only with other people online, pretty much no 2 player split screen online multiplayer action!

 

[Scshadow]

The only reason to get next gen right now is if you are the type to buy games day 1. Us budget gamers can't imagine wasting so much money. It hasn't been but a couple years since I really started enjoyed being a ps3 gamer. I enjoy great games as much as others did years ago, I just payed 10 bucks for it instead of 60.

 

[Guest]

Maybe the controller sticks feel lose because its broken? If you look through google at the major problem Microsoft have with the controllers and their customer service being very, very bad. This is a massive downfall for Microsoft and a lot of gamers have made the jump to Sony on this reason. Not one controller I have purchased or used yet is put together properly or not broken when it comes to the left trigger stick. Something to think about.

 

[Guest]

To give some thoughts to your question about what is "Microsoft's vision for this thing?" it's all about control! They want to control every aspect of it including the people who use it. My teenage son along with many of his friends tells me that they have seen around what this corporation is trying to do and will not touch this product! Brainwashing and privacy issues on a massive scale whilst taking your money with a big grin. Sums up the American dream entirely and why an ever increasing percentage of this planet treats America with suspicion and disdain!

It's not just the old f*rts like me but the young people who are waking up to the reality of this corporate consumerist hell that we are living in.

 

[Guest]

Tip: I think the command to pause playback is, "Xbox, the pizza guy cometh" or "Stahp Xbox Stahp" in a pewdiepie way.

I love how this thing was all about the media center, now MS are saying its all about the games ? They clearly have no idea what market to grab and have failed to grab anyone other than the sheep who thought "MS is better than Sony" fanboi clan. Which I believe has shrunk this gen of console.

 

[Guest]

Xbox One promised a lot, then Microsoft did an about-face and scrapped the 'game key only model' (software from download or media but access granted to either only by key that is owned by an account) after listening to a very vocal minority of users (probably mainly the games pirates). I did however stick with it, my day-one order was already placed, in the hope they'd come out with some kind of hybrid to keep both the pirates happy and those of us who live in the modern world and prefer downloading stuff.

Although they've made progress on the management of downloaded software, I.e. it is now associated with your account and available everywhere, they have really made a mess of it with their pricing. You pay a 30-40% premium for the downloadable version of a game, and an 80-90% premium over the price for the same game on the PC.

Once my Gold subscription expires, the Xbox One will be dead to me, I will be going the HTPC route, with games streamed from my high-end desktop PC.

 

[cmbjive]

I would say that this reviewer's dislikes are very similar to mine regarding the Xbox One console. MS should never have bundled Kinect with the system because it is a worthless gimmick. Now, MS is suddenly realizing this and is doing away with it (I say before the end of next year the Kinect-bundled Xbox One system will disappear with no fanfare). The voice commands wore off pretty quickly and the only thing I use it for is automatic sign-in.

I, too, think the OS is pretty noisy. There's a lot going on that shouldn't be. The tiles are everywhere and every screen seems cluttered. Also, the black background is boring. I wish MS would have kept the second generation OS from the 360 which allows you to use themes and did a good job separating all of the various services Xbox Live offers.

I'm not too concerned about the size of the system. In fact, I feel quite comfortable with its size. The Xbox One sits right next to the PS4 in my entertainment center (yes, the PS4 is that small), and it is pronounced whereas you would not even know the PS4 was there.

And gameswise (sic), the only game that matters to me on Xbox One is Titanfall. That is the one game I play religiously so other games at this point don't matter.

I'm happy with my Xbox One, but I would be more happy if I didn't have Kinect sitting at the top of my TV.

 

[cmbjive]

I have an Xbox 360. I LIKE my Xbox 360. It still works just fine for me, and I'm not seeing any killer features or Xbox One-exclusive games that I'm missing.

I don't need another device for watching TV-between a SmartTV, a cable box with on-demand, a blu ray player with internet-app options, and an Xbox 360 with a gold subscription, I have plenty of redundant streaming options. The issues I've read when it comes to the voice controls and Kinect controls have certainly convinced me that for media playing, there's nothing the Xbox One offers that I don't already have.

As for games, I have not come across anything that is Xbox One exclusive that I really want to play, and I find the graphics of the Xbox 360 to be pretty damn good. There are games that make me feel like I'm playing a movie, if you know what I mean. The Xbox One has interesting specs, sure, and I'm sure there are games that look brilliant on it, but it's not a huge evolutionary step past the 360 the way the Xbox 360 was from the Xbox (or the PS 3 from the PS 2, SNES to NES, etc.). I'm quite happy with the 360 and have yet to see a reason to upgrade.

It blows the 360 away or it will when they start to releasing more xbox one only games graphically.

Yeah the voice command is a major annoyance, I turned it off day one. Same goes for the kinect commands, you itch your nose then it stops playing a movie. Like wtf. I turned it off a couple of times and it keeps turning on so I have a old shirt covering my kinect.

Kinect is too damn sensitive. When I stretch my arms out in protest, the device thinks I'm wanting to shrink or stretch the screen.

 

[TomSEA]

"The not-on-PlayStation Titanfall has certainly been the most successful game on the Xbox One. However, the Xbox One didn't even get the definitive version that game, which ran noticeably more smoothly on PC and without the Xbox One version's ugly screen-tearing."

That's a dumb statement. Titanfall was developed on and for the PC and of course it's going to look better there. Even crappy console game ports to a PC generally play and look better on a PC. Trying to compare the two is ridiculous.

 

[GhostRyder]

Well as far as the console goes and the review, I disagree mostly because most of the issues spoken of are no longer problems or are not issues for me.

"The not-on-PlayStation Titanfall has certainly been the most successful game on the Xbox One. However, the Xbox One didn't even get the definitive version that game, which ran noticeably more smoothly on PC and without the Xbox One version's ugly screen-tearing."

That's a dumb statement. Titanfall was developed on and for the PC and of course it's going to look better there. Even crappy console game ports to a PC generally play and look better on a PC. Trying to compare the two is ridiculous.

I agree, I picked up Titanfall for Xbox ONE to play with some friends who got it but I do not see any of the mentioned screen tearing issues and its plenty smooth to me. Maybe im just lucky...

I'm happy with my Xbox One, but I would be more happy if I didn't have Kinect sitting at the top of my TV.

I am confused by your statement... Just unplug it if you do not want to use it?

I find that the Xbox ONE is much more appealing to play on than my PS4 and ive bought most of my games for the ONE. The controller feels better, the OS to me works better for doing everything and has a much more robust feature set, and the fact that I gain an HDMI port with it adds a nice setup for my whole home theater system. I much rather enjoyed in the past playing DvD's and Blu-rays on the PS3 (Over having a player and playing DvD's on the 360), but this round it has reversed for me.

 

[cmbjive]

I am confused by your statement... Just unplug it if you do not want to use it?

I'll unplug it as soon as Xbox Live gets auto-sign in without Kinect. Until then, it stays.

 

[DDG4005]

I just want the controller for the PC though I still like the Xbox 360 controller. And, if and when, Microsoft brings Xbox One's controller to the PC I hope they remember that some us like our controllers tethered not free (or is that shaken not stirred?).

 

[Jad Chaar]

"The not-on-PlayStation Titanfall has certainly been the most successful game on the Xbox One. However, the Xbox One didn't even get the definitive version that game, which ran noticeably more smoothly on PC and without the Xbox One version's ugly screen-tearing."

That's a dumb statement. Titanfall was developed on and for the PC and of course it's going to look better there. Even crappy console game ports to a PC generally play and look better on a PC. Trying to compare the two is ridiculous.

Exactly!

 

[yukka]

I didn't realise the OS was laggy. Or that the snap features introduced lag. Those features should be smooth and just a polished aside you can use to show off, not something that demonstrates the limits parts of the system are running at.

I'm afraid titanfall is a pixelated jerky mess in comparison to the PC (in particular trees branches look messy and badly aliased and battles slow down when there's too much on the screen). I was excited to see it after playing the PC beta but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It's just showcases the limits of the console in the first 6 months if release which is a shame.

 

[Puiu]

It remains for at least another year or 2 an american console. most of the world doesn't have a good reason to buy it.

 

[Guest]

Maybe the controller sticks feel lose because its broken? If you look through google at the major problem Microsoft have with the controllers and their customer service being very, very bad. This is a massive downfall for Microsoft and a lot of gamers have made the jump to Sony on this reason. Not one controller I have purchased or used yet is put together properly or not broken when it comes to the left trigger stick. Something to think about.

Really? Not even one controller you've either used or bought has not been shipped broken or not assembled correctly? LOL Hilarious to infer.

I hear that a huge Sony PS4 problem. Why dont you go back to yours.

 

[Guest]

It just did so unplug your Kinect.

 

[Guest]

Interesting review. I agree with the voice commands issues. It is hit and miss and very frustrating. As of late I feel it has been improved with the updates but it's still not good enough.

At first I didn't like the controller but now I really do. My mine gripe was the shoulder buttons but I have gotten used to it. It is an improvement over the 360 controller.

Laggy OS? Really? Can't say I agree. I will say that the OS isn't the most intuitive UI but, like anything, if you use it every day it will be a moot point. I also feel the OS becomes a lot easier to use if you use the Smartglass app available on every platform available to man. The review should have covered the Smartglass feature (you covered the remote.) And in the latest version of Smartglass it lets you rearrange your pins and use the one guide on your smartphone/tablet.

I've only found myself using the snap feature when using the Machinima app. They have a feature called Wingman that I used while playing Woflenstein to help you find hidden items. It was very useful. But other than that I can't recall the last time I used snap.

All in all I'm very happy with my Xbox One. If only the voice commands where flawless.

 

[Phr3d]

Corporate politics - Balmer wanted all of this and CGA win8 for whatever reasons as his Statement. He spent all dwindling political capital on forcing those issues. Most of his whiz-bang has been a flop, exit stage left (with Big Hook).

What happens (is happening) this year will tell what the real brains of Microsoft had in mind - constant reference to 'about-face' could (should?) as easily be called the 'balmerectomy'.
It will be a Strange year, but anticipate it called The Correcting Year at future dates. Will the correction finally get MS back to slow and steady goodness? Time will tell but it Definitely sounds like someone is Listening again after 2 Years on not doing so.