Contact with Xbox One a month before its launch

In it we were able to get in touch with the future Xbox One, the new remote control and see the new Kinect up close. We have been able to play Forza Motorsport 5, Ryse: Son of Rome, Killer Instinct or Dead Rising 3 and check the improvement in level of detail compared to previous Xbox versions and we show you in video

Xbox One, more than an evolution

The next version of the console Xbox, offers a more than notable improvement in hardware. We are talking about an 8-year difference that, in the technological world, is much more noticeable than in other sectors. Microsoft comments that Xbox One is 8 times more powerful than Xbox 360 and with this updated version they intend to last another 10 years on the market.

Xbox One integrates an AMD Jaguar octo-core APU, 64-bit 40nm processor with 4MB L2 cache, and that runs at 1.6 GHz. That CPU is accompanied by a 800 MHz GPU with 32 MB of ESRAM and 8 GB of RAM In addition, it also integrates other Hardware blocks that manage certain types of specific tasks and that alleviate load to the main processor.

According to those responsible for Microsoft, the power of the Xbox One is 8 times greater than that of the Xbox 360This improvement in hardware brings with it the possibility of playing titles in FullHD resolution with a graphic level much higher than those of the previous generation of consoles. We have been able to appreciate this when we see the games in motion, for example, the details of Forza Motorsport 5: definition of the car models, cockpit, reflections, the detail of the smoke and dust when leaving the track, depth of field and smoothness at all times.

In the game Killer Instinct has shown a high level of graphics with many details (rain, snow or dust) suspended at the mercy of the air and a setting that gives great depth to the game. To this we must add the amount of particles that jump when hitting your opponent.

Xbox One Connections

However, Xbox One goes from being a proper console to a living room device more thanks to the integration of a connector HDMI with which we can connect any digital audio/video device to the console itself as a set- pay TV top box and you can start watching via voice commands directly with Xbox One and Kinect.

But not only that since you can also make calls via Skype with your contacts and even group video calls with up to 8 participants.

Designed for refrigeration, end of the red ring of death?

This new console has seen a major external redesign with the focus primarily on the cooling So much so that we have ventilation grilles on practically the entire console: both sides, top and rear.

This helps doubly as it will not only make the console run cooler in temperature avoiding the problems seen in the early versions of Xbox 360 and will also allow it to run cooler silent, something Microsoft has highlighted.

It is a console with black color quite discreet and that can form part of the natural decoration of practically any living room. It has a finish, where there is no grille, in black gloss so we could call it a fingerprint magnet and on which any speck of dust will be noticed , as we have also seen in Kinect that shares that glossy finish and we see in the previous image.

Xbox One Kinect, Complete Renewal

Kinect, on this occasion, it does not arrive as an accessory but is part of the console pack, something that Microsoft has remarked: no will be sold separately, is part of Xbox One.

Microsoft has renewed not only aesthetically, being more compact than its predecessor, but internally it has undergone a more than remarkable change. The first thing we see as a difference is that it only integrates a camera with an integrated IR system, instead of the dual camera and IR emitter system of the previous model.

The renewed model offers recording video 1080p at 60 images per second and gains 60% in visual angle and in light sensitivity In addition it is possible to improve the number of people it recognizes, reaching monitoring of up to 6 usersat a time and reducing the minimum operating distance to just 1.4 meters.

Xbox One controller, small improvements that are noticeable

This is one of the points that, aesthetically, least seems to have evolved from the Xbox 360 model. However, 8 years then, believe us, in the hand it is noticeable.

The external evolution is light, with new lines that seem to fit the hand, both large and small making it very comfortable theuse in the short period that we have been able to test it (we will have to see how it turns out during long games) .

See complete gallery » Xbox One controller (7 photos)

Microsoft has told us that there are more than 40 structural changesas well as improvements such as force feedback on triggers or some sticks They offer good grip and precision. The button layout is similar to Xbox 360 except for the Guide button which scrolls up noticeably.

The controller has a great finish, nothing to do with the rude plastic of Xbox 360 controllers and has managed to give it a feelmuch more smooth and a format that feels better in the hand.

Gold Accounts and Cloud Gaming

Today we have been clarified in a certain way the controversy that there were Gold accounts, users and the possibility of playing games.

Apparently if you have your console and a Gold account would allow any user who played from your console as a Gold user to play.If you play on any other console without the need for its owner to have a Gold account, you will be able to access your library of online games and play as the user with a Gold account that you are. That is, if you have a Gold account, said account is assigned to your console and your user.

However, we would like to test the system once it goes live to see what the final limitations are.

Initial conclusions

The Xbox One has left us a good taste in the mouth , it's not that a firm opinion can be given with so little testing time, but we can affirm that the feeling we've had of the new controller is good, as well as the graphical improvements that this new hardware allows.

8 years after the arrival of Xbox an update was expected and it seems that Microsoft has opted for a full entertainment solution For the salon.We will also probably see console packs with multimedia content from different pay channel providers.

Without a doubt, those from Redmond are committed to an entertainment center far beyond a video console with online gaming possibilities, something that really popularized the previous generation.

The new Xbox One will hit stores next November 22 at a price of 499 euros and we would be delighted to be able to test it thoroughly to offer you more complete conclusions about the system, since -for example- we have not been able to test the new version of Kinect or the entire online gaming system, which is they will sync with your account and travel with you wherever you go. Nor if it will eventually be compatible with all Windows 8 applications as has been rumored.

In Xataka Windows | The new Microsoft Xbox One console. In VidaExtra | Xbox One.