Xbox One hardware – a practical primer

                                                                The Xbox One – Xbox Wire Media Assets

The Xbox One is set for release in late November, after the long reign of its predecessor, the Xbox 360, and bringing beefed-up hardware and polished, new software to the masses. Before a major event like this, companies touting their machines will be filling forums and game-journalism websites with rhetoric like how the Xbox one will be “10 times” more powerful than its predecessor. The company will release its list of specifications for the new machine’s hardware on a glossy website, eye-glazing for the majority of those planning to spend their money on a new console.

It’s time to sift through the rhetoric, and the seemingly-meaningless specs and comparisons, to get to the real, practical details of what this console is all about. Keep in mind, these hardware upgrades are simply a foundation for developers to build on, which they can decide to take full or partial advantage of. And the software upgrades will be under constant-evolution throughout the Xbox One’s life cycle.

The real way to help the consumer is to present the main “theme” of each new console, examining the most practical uses for the average gamer for the new console’s accessories, hardware and software, and get insight from those who have used the hardware. This shows where the console will be headed, and helps the consumer with a potentially decade-long investment in this next-generation console.

GPU and CPU – The Brains

The Xbox One console – Xbox Wire media assets

Back in May, Microsoft Xbox Australia spokesperson Adam Pollington, in interview with Stevivor, said “‘… the Xbox One is 10 times more powerful than the Xbox 360, so we’re effectively 40 times greater than the Xbox 360 in terms of processing capabilities [using the cloud].’”

The Xbox One is run by an eight-core 86x processor, the speed of which has been boosted closer to launch. In early August, Xbox One chief product officer Mark Whitten confirmed they had boosted the power of the Xbox One’s graphics processing unit from 800 to 853 MHz. That number doesn’t have much meaning to most, but can be put into some context when compared to the predecessor the Xbox 360’s GPU power – 500 MHz. It’s nearly a twofold jump.

The CPU, according to Xbox chief marketing officer Yusef Mehdi, has been clocked in at 1.75 GHz from 1.6 GHz, for each of the eight cores. The 360’s CPU contained three cores, each running at 3.2 GHz, according to an archived version of the Xbox 360 specs.

What does this mean for the consumer?

These improvements represent a foundation on which a developer can build. Microsoft has stated on its website that the “Xbox One’s unique architecture allows creators to build realistic, cinematic experiences of the highest fidelity possible,” architecture meaning the way the guts of the machine (including the GPU and CPU) work together, and how they’re physically placed inside the console. This could accelerate the process through which developers reach the console’s full potential graphically, and could even help shorten game development cycles considering the architecture should be easier for developers to work with than what was in the 360. However, its practicality lies in the way it meets the consumer through actual interaction.

This also isn’t taking into account multi-platform games that are usually levelled out graphically so they can be released for multiple systems. The majority of the games, to take full advantage of this unique architecture, will most likely be only for the Xbox One; for example, Turn 10’s work on the Xbox One exclusive Forza Motorsport 5.

Next, the frames per second capability of the Xbox One has been improved from (as stated on Twitter by the head of Microsoft Game studios Phil Spencer back in late September), from 30 frames per second to 60. This means smoother gameplay, less screen jerking and dizzying turns, and more elegant camera movement and transitions.

Graphics are where these units really shine. The ability to process more assets means more detail. Whether it’s the scruff on a soldier’s face or the leather interior of a sports car, it’s noticeable. The CPU and GPU will help lead Xbox One games to new levels of photo-realism.

To show off both the frames per second boost, and graphical capability, the video shown at E3 of the violent Xbox One exclusive Ryse, shows great detail in the characters and environment and smooth camera and character movement. (The gameplay starts around 2:15. Warning: extreme violence)

But there’s a balance. Microsoft is approaching its new console as an all-in-one entertainment system. Microsoft claims on its website that “you get the best of both worlds, without compromise,” but a processor created for running not just games but also apps ranging from video to music can’t be optimized for either, and seemingly must make some compromises.

Of course, if developers decide to include massive amounts of complex physical detail into their game, resolution might suffer.

RAM

Dead Rising 3 screenshot – Xbox Wire media assets

The Xbox One has had a major increase in its RAM (random access memory). Whereas the 360 had 512 MB of RAM, the Xbox One has increased to eight GB. Microsoft has also said that three GB of this RAM will be reserved for its operating system.

What does this mean for the consumer?

The new Xbox One dashboard will run smoother and faster, as explained on the dashboard section of their Xbox One website, with all linking apps and sections loading at a much more reasonable rate than the sluggish 360. Increased RAM also allows for more multitasking. More companion apps will be available that work alongside, and even within, their parent app to enhance the experience.

In terms of gaming, the RAM plays an important role. Essentially more in-game assets will be visible at any given time. That means more characters on screen, with more unique artificial intelligence within each on-screen character (thanks to the processor) to humanize once foolish enemies in some cases. Environments can become even more organic and vibrant, with more environmental assets visible to the player at any one time. More RAM equals less in-game fog to cover up once cumbersome assets. That’s shown in the above Ryse video by the number of on-screen characters, and the multiple scripted moments happening concurrently.

The enhanced RAM can also be seen in the zombie-infested trailer for Dead Rising 3, touting hundreds of zombies on-screen at the same time. (Warning: extreme violence)

The Xbox One Wireless controller

Xbox One wireless controller – Xbox Wire media assets

Improving on the controller used with the 360, Microsoft claims to have added “40 improvements” to its new controller. Immediately noticeable is the color – liquid black. The new controller fits with the colour scheme of the accompanying Xbox One console and Kinect sensor. The actual dimensions of the controller are similar to the 360 controller: most of the aesthetic changes are shown on the face of the controller as opposed to the overall size.

What does this mean for you the consumer?

Comfort-wise, the new Xbox One controller seems to have been improved, which will show long-term in multi-hour gaming sessions. Microsoft claims the new controller is ergonomically designed to fit a “wider variety of hands” (and has been shaved down a “tenth of a millimetre”). The battery pack from the 360 controller that protruded from the back of the controller has been blended into the back to leave a smooth, flat surface, making a more a comfortable resting place for fingers. This does mean that the removable battery packs from the Xbox 360 wireless controller are gone: No more mad-scrambling for double-A batteries in the middle of an online game. But long-term, the constant recharging of the controller could represent a problem. In the same way a laptop battery loses its ability to hold its original power, the Xbox One controller could go through the same degradation. To combat this, or at least slow the process, the Xbox Wire staff have said that the Xbox One controller will enter a “low power state” when it’s not in use (when watching a video or stepping away from the console).

The design of the thumb sticks has been altered to provide more precision. The ridge around the top of the thumb stick is knurled to prevent fingers from slipping during rapid movement. According to Xbox Wire, the thumb sticks take “25 per cent less force to move,” with less “thumbstick deadzone in the centre.” This means quicker twitch movement when playing shooters and better feathering in racing games when easing around corners. Overall, the thumb sticks should lead to faster, more accurate movements.

Along with increased ease of movement, the triggers and bumpers on the shoulders of the controller are now easier to push. This should help with repetitive bumper or trigger pressing, and easing into the trigger. The triggers have also been rigged to vibrate to help increase the level of immersion within a game and provide a new type of feedback.

The a,b,x,y  face buttons have been lowered and are now closer together. This means quicker finger movement between buttons and less force required to push the button. This, in combination with the accuracy and sturdiness improvements to the d-pad, will help the new Xbox controller become a more legitimate choice for fighting game fans.

Kyle Wagner from Gizmodo got his hands on the new controller, and seemed to enjoy the improvements. He explained what he saw as the main notable differences.

“After holding one for a few minutes, I can officially say that the Xbox One controller is very nice. It’s just more comfortable … the biggest change is moving the centre of gravity closer to your body, giving you less to prop up on the far end… the improved D-pad is far, far easier to use than the current version’s, the analog sticks have an easier to handle give to them… Overall, it’s supposed to fit in more hand sizes more comfortably.”

The new Xbox wireless controller looks like an improvement in many ways from the 360 controller.

Kinect 2.0

Kinect for Xbox One – Xbox Wire media assets

Microsoft is bringing back its motion-centric sensor Kinect to the Xbox One, this time with some improved hardware. It’s worth noting that whether this version of Kinect ends up integrating into the average user’s experience, those who buy an Xbox One will be stuck with it. Throughout Microsoft’s wavering on policies, one that has been repeated since the Xbox One’s reveal is still written in stone – all Xbox Ones will launch with Kinect.

The physical look of the new Kinect fits with the black color scheme, and blocky design of the console. No doubt Microsoft is looking to keep the Kinect as part of a complete package with the console and controller, and therefore unified the aesthetics.

The usual voice command capability is back, with the user able to navigate the Xbox dashboard by voice. This means that voice commands can be integrated into gaming, not something that was really taken advantage of in the previous Xbox.

Also returning is the ability to navigate the main dashboard using motion controls. But with Kinect’s supposed upgraded motion detecting capabilities, navigating them this time around should be easier and involve more subtle movements.

The actual power of the new Kinect has been touted by Microsoft as being quite an improvement over the previous iteration. In two videos released by Microsoft at the beginning of October, the tech behind the “eyes,” and “brains” of the new Kinect was explained.

The Eyes

Immediately noticeable in the presentation is the ability to stand closer to Kinect than before. No more shuffling around couches and tables to make the necessary adjustments to be able to actually use the machine. The new camera also has a wider field of view, helping alleviate distance issues when there is more than one player involved. And, unlike the previous Kinect, the new version can see in crisp 1080p (no doubt to help with video messaging apps like Skype), and in 3D. It can also automatically adjust its sensors to see in the dark and combat awkward room lighting.

The Brain

To paraphrase the video, where the previous version of Kinect could only understand “gross human motion,” the new Kinect is said to be able to sense numerous other types of movements, picking up neck movement, arms, shoulders, knees, ankles and even the opening and closing of hands. This has the possibility of opening up a much wider variety of Kinect-centric gameplay beyond broad arm and leg flailing. The new Kinect also can now measure the twisting and rotation of body parts, and even the level of stress being put on parts of the body in real time. The new Kinect sensor also measures the user’s real-time heartbeat via the pulses in their face. Those three new measurements seem instrumental in bringing Kinect-based exercise games to a new level of accuracy, and giving the user  new levels of useful feedback.

What does this mean for the consumer?

The improved technology inside the new Kinect means gamers might be one step closer to a minority-report style gaming experience. The new camera is able to pick up more subtle gestures in the human body, making it ideal to be more subtly integrated into hard-core gaming experiences, rather than remaining separate from hard-core gamers and more in the realm of family and casual gaming.

But the videos Microsoft releases should be taken with a grain of salt. Not only is the environment in which the tech demo is shown is the absolute optimal setting for the Kinect sensor, it’s up to actual game developers to decide whether they want to take advantage of this new technology and use it in a meaningful ways. And, as seen with the previous Kinect, developers integrating Kinect into more hard-core games (for example Skyrim, Dead Space 3 and Mass Effect 3), only used the voice command capability of Kinect. The motion sensing capability simply wasn’t accurate and responsive enough to appeal to hard-core gamers.

Kotaku’s Marl Serrels got his hands on the new version of Kinect back in September. Based on Serrel’s experience, the tech demos Microsoft released may have exaggerated the responsiveness of Kinect. After about 10 minutes of having his body measured to be built into a 3D in-game avatar, Serrels was finally able to try out the Xbox One game Kinect Rivals. But unlike the above tech demo showing anatomical correctness, Serrels’ avatar had anything but.

Immediately I notice there is something wrong. My avatar’s limbs are contorted like some screwed up Lovecraftian marionette, my arms twitch incessantly, clearly not responding to any movements.

When Serrels was finally in the game, with his avatar’s body calibrated properly, he ran into the same problems that plagued the first-gen Kinect.

I never really felt like I was in control of my actions. My movements weren’t being replicated accurately … the disconnect between my movements in real life as replicated on screen is obvious.

Keep in mind, Serrels explained that his demo of Kinect was led by a Microsoft representative, who was at his side at all times. What happens when the new Kinect is put into millions of homes, with all sorts of varying entertainment set-ups, lighting, room sizes and without a “Microsoft representative guiding [them] step by step”?

However, the fact that Microsoft is bundling Kinect 2.0 with every Xbox One shows the confidence it has in its product. The wave of first generation Xbox One Kinect’s may have its share of issues similar to the first Kinect (or Serrel’s experience might be rare), but with every Xbox One owner having the new Kinect, it should be ample motivation for Microsoft to be constantly looking for new ways to improve it.

Still, while you’ll be able to navigate menus with voice commands and motion controls, nothing seems to beat the accuracy and practicality of a physical controller.

Some added bells and whistles

Xbox One Box – Xbox Wire media assets

The hard drive

Unlike the Xbox 360, the Xbox One has no detachable hard drive. Instead they have embedded a 500GB hard drive into the system.

What does this mean for you the consumer?

The Xbox One is taking a more universal approach to entertainment, expanding on what the 360 started. This means more apps, ranging from Web videos to interactive sport apps. This also means the typical plethora of game saves, downloadable content add-ons, arcade games and full retail digital game downloads will be as present as ever. Much more content will be saved to the system’s hard drive, so a bigger hard drive seems perfectly sensible.

Blu-Ray

The optical drive of the Xbox One has also been expanded to include a Blu-ray player, so the Xbox One will play higher resolution movies. Of course, the Xbox One will also include a wide range of digital movie downloads with the same level of resolution.

Accessories

Xbox One mic and play & charge kit – Xbox Wire media assets

Microphone

As with the 360, the Xbox One comes with a new wired mic to plug into the new controller and chat online with “friends and foes.”

Play and Charge Kit

To be able to charge the new controller (considering the battery is now built in), Microsoft is also including a “play and charge” kit, that hooks up to the controller to charge the battery, which can be plugged in while still using the controller.

The Verdict

Xbox One hero shot – Xbox Wire media assets

The Xbox One is a solid leap forward from the 360 power-wise, and the physical design both inside and out represents a bold direction for Microsoft. Microsoft is bundling the Xbox One with Kinect together as a complete package: the colour scheme and similar design features of the console, controller and Kinect represent that. The hardware capabilities show how focused Microsoft is on marketing the Xbox One not just as a gaming machine but as an all-in-one entertainment machine to replace all others – whether that be for movies, music, TV shows or many other types of media. The hardware seems to have the ability to properly house this ambitious, ever-evolving goal.

Coming in part two: An Xbox One software practical primer