Xbox One Will Be Upgraded To Windows 10 In November
by Brett Howse on August 5, 2015 12:20 AM EST
Just a couple of days ago, Windows 10 was launched for the PC and the rollout is underway. But that is just a single aspect of Windows 10, and one of the other devices that will get the Windows 10 treatment is the Xbox One. The latest generation gaming console from Redmond originally launched with Windows 8 at its core, and like all Windows 8 devices it is going to get the Windows 10 treatment.
Microsoft fist showed off the new interface back at E3, and today at gamescom 2015 a release date was announced for November. This will bring a lot of new capabilities to the Xbox One, but the most obvious will be the new user interface. The style has certainly morphed from the Windows 8 Metro design language to what is now available in Windows 10, and the new look is certainly sharp.
There will also be some changes to some of the Xbox One’s experiences, such as the OneGuide. I do run my cable box through my Xbox One, but I have never been happy with the OneGuide that is available now, so I’m looking forward to seeing these changes. The new guide will be a key piece of the Xbox DVR functionality coming next year. Xbox One will also have a Watch section in select regions where it will pull together movies and TV shows across services, including live TV, Netflix, and HBO Go, to make discovery easier.
The Store is also getting a makeover, as it did in Windows 10. With the new Windows 10 framework, Xbox One should be able to install Microsoft’s apps created with the universal app platform, assuming the dev does the UI work to make it function on the Xbox One and its unique inputs of a controller, and possibly Kinect.
With Windows 10 on Xbox One, Cortana will also be making her way to the console to let you do natural language inputs on the Xbox One, though this will require the Kinect for the audio input. Cortana will first be available in the USA and UK on the Xbox One, but the number of countries slated to get Cortana on Windows 10 has been increased over the last couple of weeks so it would make sense for it to then roll out to the Xbox.
For those that need to do a lot of text chat, the Xbox One is also getting a new accessory called the Xbox Chatpad which lets you snap a keyboard onto the Xbox One controller.
The Xbox One has been getting some pretty solid monthly software updates since it was launched, and the November update should be the biggest yet.
Source: Xbox Wire
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hughlle - Wednesday, August 5, 2015 - link
casual gamers are better off getting an ipad... :lol: rather sets the tone as to how seriously your comment should be taken...Something, i'm not sure what, about your post leads me to think that you are ever so slightly biased against the xbox :D
Wolfpup - Wednesday, August 5, 2015 - link
Microsoft was really dumb to let Sony get that much better of a GPU in there! They were really screwing up when this thing got designed.Seems like the new chief is doing a much better job, actually focusing on cool stuff. Backwards compatibility is the 'killer app' for me, although I'm still kind of unclear on how this is working. DVR stuff is actually cool too, unlike Kinnect and the "feature" of not owning your games that the last guy thought would sell it LOL
dragonsqrrl - Wednesday, August 5, 2015 - link
I don't really understand why a large number of PC enthusiast would be interested in a PS4 (maybe they aren't). From my perspective the features and performance of a PS4 just seems largely redundant, they're all things PC's can easily do better, particularly the performance part. The only excuse I can think of might be a compelling PS4 exclusive, of which there are not many at this point. To me the Wii U compliments the PC gamer best out the 3 consoles.nikon133 - Thursday, August 6, 2015 - link
That depends on your taste in games.Wii U is getting Nintendo's in-house exclusives, but that's pretty much it. Most games are youngster-friendly which is great for families with kids... but PS4 does have more "serious" 1st and 3rd party exclusives, and multiplatforms (which are almost non-existent on Wii U) are usually better executed than on XBO.
Sushisamurai - Sunday, August 9, 2015 - link
until someone brought that up, I never really thought about it that way - my PC definitely serves the majority of my gaming needs (plus it's cheaper, more DLC, free DLC, no monthly subscription to play even though I still have xBL) through my steam library of 300+ games. The only thing missing from my Pc gaming is couch co-op, which tends to be served by my Wii U when friends come overSushisamurai - Sunday, August 9, 2015 - link
But yeah, Halo and GoW were enough to sway me to buy a XBOjiffylube1024 - Saturday, August 8, 2015 - link
I own an Xbox 1 and I'm with you that Kinect is lame and borderline pointless ("Xbox On" is a $100 feature AND it always consumes 20+ W of power - no point), and HDMI passthrough is also kind of silly.The fact that the XB1 is a bit underpowered compared to the PS4 is also a nuisance, especially given the fat that they're almost the same hardware under the hood (just go with the GDDR5 and more GPU units next time, Microsoft!).
With that said, and even with XB1's slight inferiority in cross-platform games, it's still becoming a nice system to own. The UI is very easy to use, and it's getting more and more good games. Halo: MCC and Gears of War Ultimate were basically all it took for me to jump onboard. That an the price cuts, of course!
Flunk - Wednesday, August 5, 2015 - link
Not for me, my console is about games. I already have a more full-featured box for other things.jabber - Wednesday, August 5, 2015 - link
I haven't got either console but it seems from what I have read here and there that Sony have just given up on new features for the PS4?Wolfpup - Wednesday, August 5, 2015 - link
"The Store is also getting a makeover, as it did in Windows 10. With the new Windows 10 framework, Xbox One should be able to install Microsoft’s apps created with the universal app platform, assuming the dev does the UI work to make it function on the Xbox One and its unique inputs of a controller, and possibly Kinect."Wow, seriously? That's kind of huge news, by console standards.