Today in Redmond, Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One, its vision for the future of home entertainment. The Xbox One will expand Microsoft's Xbox agenda well beyond gaming, blurring the boundaries of gaming and interactive TV further than ever.
Let's take a look.
The Xbox One isn't much of a departure when it comes to design — but the tech under the hood is on steroids and then some.
With integrated Blu-Ray, Kinect and a whole new batch of hyper-responsive voice and gesture controls, Microsoft is angling for casual gamers and the hardcore set alike.
Microsoft's "futureproof" Xbox One features a reimagined (but not wholly reinvented) controller with developer-programmable buttons and "vibrating impulse triggers" that provide tactile feedback.
The Xbox One soaking up the spotlight... literally.
Don Mattrick takes the stage for the biggest reveal moment of the day: the name of Microsoft's new console.
If the Today Show is any indication, the Xbox ain't just for l33t gamers these days — it's a console designed for the whole family.
Microsoft's new Xbox Live design takes after the successful formula of its predecessor rather than reinventing the wheel.
The Xbox One's multitasking chops on display, featuring a live Skype video chat demo.
With a demo of Call of Duty: Ghosts for the Xbox One, FPS fans are in understandable throes of ecstasy today. The new shooter will take the hit franchise in a new direction, setting the player up as the underdog in a ragtag team of post-apocalyptic warriors, who are presumably ghost-like in some capacity.
Since we can only assume that a handful of gamers out there won't be so into the Today Show thing, Forza Motorsport 5 will launch with the Xbox One.
The Xbox One may have made its photo op, but one big question remains: price. With so many advanced features on board, it's hard to imagine that the console will be able to match the $299 bill of its predecessor's base model. If Microsoft really wants to stave off the competition when the console becomes available—"later this year," executives said—the Xbox One's price tag needs to be as impressive as its spec sheet.
