Why Consoles are Awesome Part 2: Xbox One!

Welcome back to “Why Consoles are Awesome!” In part one we talked about the “awesome” features of the PS4, some of which include: Share Play, great exclusives, the game DVR and new and improved Dualshock 4 controller.

Today we’re going to be looking at the Xbox One. Just to avoid any bias issues I’ll start by saying this is my console of choice for this generation, and I’m going to try to point out things that have enhanced my experience from last generation. You may not agree with some of the points I list, but if you’re looking for an article dedicated to how good the Playstation 4 is, please check out the previous article. So, without further ado, let’s get into why the Xbox One is awesome!

We’ll start off with my personal favourite feature out of the Xbox One, which is Snap. For those of you who don’t know, it functions similarly to the guide from the Xbox 360, and is kind of like a simplified home screen from the PS4. The difference is, it is snapped to the side of the screen so you can use it while you’re playing. Snap allows you to access pretty much everything you need while allowing you to stay immersed in your game (or other entertainment). You can snap things like your friend list, party, Achievements, Netflix and Youtube and really does turn the Xbox into a multitasking machine. I use Snap almost everyday to watch Youtube while I play and it works (almost) seamlessly.

Another great thing about the Xbox is the Kinect menu integration, allowing you to access pretty much your entire dashboard using just your voice and hand gestures. With just your voice you can, launch games, open messages, view achievements, invite friends and loads more. I honestly can’t list all of the ways that the Kinect helps to unify the Xbox into an all around entertainment device. Although I understand they needed to do so for a more competitive pricing structure, a little part of me died inside when I heard Microsoft announce their Kinect-less bundle. This means a lot of people who look only at price and try to get the best deal won’t be able to experience one of the best parts of the Xbox One. It also means that developers are less likely to make games for the Kinect because not everyone has one, and why wouldn’t game devs target the wider install base? I still 100% recommend if you own an Xbox but not a Kinect that you go out and get one. It’s a great enhancement!

The next thing I’d like to talk about it the game DVR. I know I’ve already talked about this in terms of the Playstation but I feel like it is worth a mention here too. First of all with Kinect integration, which I spoke about before, you can simply shout out “Xbox record that” and almost instantly, the last 30 seconds of gameplay are saved, allowing you to share awesome moments with friends or for the bragging rights when playing against them… As well as the DVR, you also have Upload Studio, which allows you to edit your clips into mini montages with cool effects and add commentary if that’s your thing! You’ve also got streaming to Twitch, allowing you to live broadcast the games you play to fans and friends.

These, of course, are just a few of the things that make the Xbox One a great system to own. There are many more such as the great exclusives that have been released and that are coming in the near future. The Windows 10 kernel coming later this year(hopefully) that I am always talking about, coming with DirectX 12 fully integrated.

It’s going to be a really great year for Microsoft and the Xbox One. With a lot of new features and great games coming up, the console wars won’t get much closer than it will be this year! Let’s kick it up a gear Microsoft!

That’s it for part 2! If you missed it, be sure to go back and read part 1 where we talk Playstation 4. Up next, a lesser known and used console, but an 8th generation console nonetheless, the Wii U. Stay tuned!

If you own an Xbox one, what are your favourite features? If not, what would make you interested in buying one? Leave us a comment below and let us know what you think!