Xbox One Launches New Console, Platform

Xbox One, the third major redesign of Microsoft’s game console, became available in Nov. 2013. The new console improves on its predecessor, Xbox 360 (which Microsoft continues to sell), with more powerful hardware and new television integration features. The console ships with a new version of the Kinect motion and voice sensor that later will become available in a PC-compatible version with business application support. Microsoft is positioning Xbox One as the central device for family-room entertainment, and it provides multiple platforms for application offerings from consumer-facing companies. However, glitches and a dearth of software may limit early customer satisfaction.

Latest Hardware, Kinect Included

Xbox 360 was released in Nov. 2005 and has seen great success with sales of about 80 million consoles. More than 1,000 games and dozens of video and music applications run on Xbox 360, but it is based on nearly decade-old hardware.

Xbox One delivers hardware with much higher performance potential: it includes eight CPU cores, 8GB of RAM, a powerful graphics processing unit, a 500GB hard drive, and a Blu-ray disc drive. This hardware allows Xbox One to support expansive next-generation games that will be delivered by Microsoft and other publishers. However, Xbox One is not compatible with Xbox 360 games, applications, and accessories.