The Other Controller
The new Kinect camera is a key component that differentiates the Xbox One from Sony's PS4. Where both consoles are at least somewhat comparable in terms of technology and features, Microsoft's insistence that every Xbox One include a Kinect is at least as significant a point as the Wii U's tablet-like controller. Granted, Sony has a new camera for its PS4 as well, but that's an optional accessory that must be purchased separately, meaning developers cannot make the assumption that you have one.

This next-generation Kinect is improved in every way. It now features a 1080p camera, stepping up from the previous model's 640x480 resolution. That alone should make Skype calling a far better experience, even from one big-screen TV to another. The new hardware also employs time-of-flight technology, which measures the time it takes individual photons to rebound off an object or person to create a depth map. The camera now uses a global shutter, rather than a rolling shutter, reducing motion blur to less than 14 ms. Compare that to the original Kinect's 65 ms.
The new Kinect also has a 60%-wider field of view, making it better at sensing multiple players. If you're confined to a smaller space, you'll appreciate that the new camera works at a minimum distance of 4.59 feet. The old Kinect needed at least six feet. You connect the Kinect to Microsoft's console using a nine-foot cable. Ideally, that'll accommodate mode living room setups.
In response to some very valid privacy concerns, Kinect is no longer required for the Xbox One to work. However, not plugging it in naturally pares back the ways you're able to interact with the Xbox.
Assuming you want to use Kinect, certain system functions can be controlled through gestures (navigating from one page to the next, for example, or expanding windows). That's nifty functionality of course, just as it was on Xbox 360, but ultimately not as advanced as anything you saw in Minority Report or Iron Man. We found it faster to use the controller or voice commands.
Controlling the Xbox One with voice is similar today as it was in the previous generation. Phrases like "Xbox, go home" or "Xbox, go to Forza 5" worked well during our review. If you're in standby mode, Kinect also turns on the console when it hears "Xbox, turn on."
Kinect does gather a stunning amount of information about your home environment. Microsoft claims that it processes 2 Gb of data per second, so naturally this sort of technology will be embraced by some and labeled invasive by others. As an example, the new Kinect recognizes faces, and thus automatically log users in. When I power up the Xbox One, it sits on a generic start screen. But when I walk into the camera's view, my profile appears and I'm greeting with "Hi Marcus!".
- Xbox One: The Exterior Design
- Power, Internal Storage, And Game Installations
- The Xbox One CPU: Complements Of AMD's Jaguar µArch
- The Xbox One GPU: GCN-Based
- The Xbox One's Controller: Vastly Improved
- A New Kinect Camera: The Xbox One's Other Controller
- Kinect, Your Privacy, And The Future
- Watching TV Through The Xbox One
- More Software: Snap, IE, Bing, And Smartglass
- Is The Xbox One Convergence Done Right?


At the time being,IMO PS4 is a better gaming machine;whereas,X1 is a better entertainment system.
PS4 has a more powerful GPU so it should perform better in games and is $100 cheaper too;whereas,X1 tries to do more than just gaming and costs more.
For me,PS4 is a better machine because I only tend to play games on a console but X1 is also a great machine
some of the ps4 reviews i read had info on gaming as well as media/entertainment. i mean info like how the games look and feel to a player, resolution and user perception, joystick (and other input devices) performance in gaming etc.
I'm pretty sure MS went over the usage stats of the 360 and found that more and more people were using the media/TV/movie aspects. After all thats where the money is.
MS could sell half as many Xbox Ones as Sony but it will still be making far more per console in subscriptions and services. The money going forward isn't in games.
However, I don't think this generation will be as long lived as the 360/PS4. I see One.5 or PS4.5 models or total replacement within 5 years.
I might be getting both, but to be honest I might not get any, as I've become more of a PC gamer
One day Tom's will move into the 21st century. Apologies folks.
It is not a bad thing when done right, yes, but then you'll have a "jack of all trades" instead of a "gaming machine". I'm not an advocate of putting too many specific functions into one device until the technology is up to par with the individual ones. Smartphone cameras is a fine example for that: today we find "good" picture quality compared to a Point and Shoot and it will get even better down the road thanks to tech advancements. In the case of consoles, I expect SteamBox to trash everything else in the living room gaming wise first and other-stuff second, including the recent-out consoles. There's a world of horsepower of difference between the custom APUs and using an Intel + nVidia/AMD video card with an optimized OS (SteamOS, remember?).
I'll need a first hand experience with the XB1 and the PS4, but as "consoles", they must not disappoint. Kinnect is a feature you should/can put in a PC/HTPC with little effort if you want one (we're in a tech site, so this phrase is valid). Same for the EyeToy. Hell, even speech recognition used in the XB1, I'm sure is a derivative from the one in Windows that anyone can actually tune and use.
Cheers!
At the time being,IMO PS4 is a better gaming machine;whereas,X1 is a better entertainment system.
PS4 has a more powerful GPU so it should perform better in games and is $100 cheaper too;whereas,X1 tries to do more than just gaming and costs more.
For me,PS4 is a better machine because I only tend to play games on a console but X1 is also a great machine
We'll have more stories on both consoles.
some of the ps4 reviews i read had info on gaming as well as media/entertainment. i mean info like how the games look and feel to a player, resolution and user perception, joystick (and other input devices) performance in gaming etc.
The problem is a lot of the functionality is limited until the day one update, which the press samples did not have yet. We will have follow ups in the coming weeks. I'll be out camping for mine Thursday night
*Edit I hope this doesn't double post -_-
The Xbox One may be an astounding piece of technology but it looks fat and ugly.