It's a little ironic that this blog post is only two posts away from a rant about the post-reveal fallout. In all honest, I never thought I would have ended up with an Xbox One. My choice had largely been made after E3 and it was really only due to the enormous ineptitude of Harvey Norman and their pathetic system of pre-orders that bumped me out of the launch day queue. I had one dead console and another practically useless for playing any media - I needed a new BR player/Netflix streamer quickly and waiting until the end of the December/Mid-Jan wasn't going to cut it. If even by default, the Xbox One originally got a sale purely because stock was available.
But then I started using it, and was impressed that the majority of the claims Microsoft made, worked. The Windows 8.1 inspired UI is much more refined that it is on PC - allowing a limited amount of customisation, but then also rearranging tile placement based on how the console is actually used. For example - both the TV, Bluray and Netflix apps are largely used more than any other ATM, mainly because I generally *don't play* a lot of games on consoles. They aren't my primary devices - especially when the lineup is fairly sparse. As a result, the Home screen puts those apps in quick and easy focus, allowing me to "Pin" the others in a window to the left.
The other surprisingly good addition is the workable voice activation, that ingrains itself in almost every App. I can pause DVDs, select Netflix profiles, bring up the GPS in NFS: Rivals. It works 9 out of 10 times and is great when you don't have the controller handy or don't feel like digging through menus. The Kinect is much more useful in a more subtle way too - it picks up who is using the console and logs them in, follows the active speaker in Skype, and tracks bodies and even fingers a zillion times better. The only issue I had is that it took a decent amount of calibration and placement to make it reliable.
One very underrated addition is the SmartGlass app - it works *perfectly*. It essentially allows for full remote/local management and control of the Xbox and XBL profile. I can check/add/send friends, messages, achievements. I can control and open apps via a touch remote or direct command. I can load up second screen companions for games. It worked straight out of the gate and it's probably one of the best pieces of software MS have made in quite a few years.
Then there's the controller. It's the 360 controller with grippy analog sticks, better triggers with fine rumble inside them. That's basically it - it's an even better improvement on easily the best controller ever made. A lot of people have claimed it still takes second fiddle to the new DS4 - also a markedly better improvement on the abysmal DS3, but still missing Asymmetric analog sticks and a deeper recess on top.
Really, and most quixotically, what the console is really missing is decent games. Forza 5 and DR3 are great titles - but they aren't really for me. I don't pretend to be into Sims, and a lot of the microtransaction rubbish put me off instantly. DR3 suffers from one of my personal bugbears - a great, fun, engaging title that has awful controls and a silly inventory system. The rest of the lineup is largely cross-plat stuff, but Rivals is really the standout for me. It's a ton of fun to play, doesn't take itself seriously and features a very cool system of cat and mouse with enough extra flavour to not grow old.
Its on that same token that most of the core people I play console games with don't own a XB1. Yet. Half of them bought PS4s or are simply waiting for next year when a killer app pops up that they can't resist. So, essentially, I'm back on the PC until the stars align - which is likely when Watch Dogs and Titanfall arrive in March, forcing people to take the leap. By that point I'll probably have a PS4 anyway which will render any sort of cross-platform problem moot in any case. But for now, I'm happy with the One - it's a supremely capable TV companion that is simply begging for a host of new games, both Indie and AAA.
