The battle of next generation consoles is finally beginning to heat up. With both the PS4 and the Xbox One slated to drop in mid-November gamers are chomping at the bit to get at these new systems that promise big graphics and even more realistic gaming experiences. The Xbox One will be the third console from Microsoft and fanboys are excited for their new system, however, the Xbox One has pros and cons that should be considered before buying. This Xbox One review aims to break it down and make the buying decision for you.

Specs

The Xbox One, when it drops, will come with an 8-core x86 processor that will speed up gaming and make moving across different game and entertainment avenues seamless. The speed and graphics will allow for a more inclusive gaming experience than we’ve seen thus far. 8GB of ram and a 500GB hard drive is more than enough space to really create a complete entertainment portal for most gamers. The added blu-ray player will also allow gamers to chuck the additional hardware and rely solely on the One for their entertainment needs.

The Look

One of the main drawbacks of the Xbox One that has been discussed is the design. Microsoft went in a different direction with this next generation gaming console. Instead of futuristic the company has moved towards a more nostalgic look. Heavy, square and glossy black it looks more like a 1980s VCR than a next-gen gaming system.

Cons

While the Xbox One is a great gaming console there are some cons. As discussed above the looks of it leave something to be desired. Aside from that the company has left out Kinect, the company’s motion sensing technology, from the console. You can utilize Kinect through peripherals, but it is disappointing that it was not built into the console.

The company had also tried to add several restrictions to the Xbox One on shared games and what not, but backlash has forced Microsoft to revise their policies. That is not to say they can’t alter those policies again after launch, making some gamers leery of buying into this next-generation console.

Pros

The pros lie in the gaming console’s abilities. With high graphics capability, lightning fast response, and blu-ray capabilities, it absolutely is a next generation console. The gaming demos that have been shown thus far look promising and gamers can expect crisper and more detailed worlds to play around in. Gamers can also expect the connection to the network to be stronger than ever before.

Microsoft left the controller largely unchanged, and that’s a positive to most gamers. The Xbox control remains a favorite, and seeing it unchanged nods at Microsoft’s ability to not play with a perfect product.

The Bottom Line

Microsoft has worked long and hard on the Xbox One and it shows. While there are some minor disappointments with the device, it is better to think of them as slight quirks that gamers will get used to. Sure, it isn’t the best looking system around, but the goal was to create a gaming experience that is second to none and it looks like Microsoft has done just that. It is absolutely worth the upgrade.