And a number of high-level executive shifts — including the departure of Don Mattrick, host of the Xbox One unveiling and president of Microsoft's interactive entertainment arm — gave some people the impression of a company in disarray.
Yet after spending the last two weeks tinkering with the Xbox One, I can say that I was pleasantly surprised by just how much fun it was to play. There were a predictable number of technical pre-launch glitches that Microsoft assured me would be ironed out come launch day on Friday. But the Xbox One really is a compelling piece of hardware, complete with a strong lineup of launch games. And that's more than I could say for Sony's PlayStation 4, which arrived last Friday.
If gaming is your No. 1 priority, I would still recommend waiting to see how the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One evolve to suit your particular wants. But if you're really craving a new system now — or need something to bring home to the kids — the Xbox One is your best bet. It offers a wealth of solid entertainment options right out of the box ... or, at least, after several hours of software updates and installations.
The hardware: Silent but bulkyWhen it was introduced in May, the Xbox One was maligned for its sheer monstrosity. For a machine meant to herald a new generation of interactive entertainment, it looked an awful lot like a 1980s-era VCR. Compared to the nimble design of its predecessor, the slimmed-down Xbox 360 — one of the most beautiful pieces of hardware to come out of Microsoft, let alone the video game industry — the Xbox One seemed particularly unsightly.
No doubt, the Xbox One is a monstrosity. It's significantly larger than the PS4 in size as well as price — at $499, it costs $100 more at launch. I had to reorganize my console and TV layout just to find a place to comfortably fit it and the new larger Kinect camera.
Source : NBC News.com
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