Xbox One Review

Hey everyone! Here I am, actually keeping my promise to blog more regularly.
(Yeah, I'm a little proud of myself.)

So here it is. My Xbox One Review.

I'm pretty excited about getting to show you exactly why I love this console so much. I've never really done a console review before, unless you count showing off my 3DS XL when I got it (which I don't).  So go easy on me if this review isn't perfect, alright? Let's get started then!

So here's the box. It's a, um, nice box.
It's the box for the Day One edition Xbox One, so if you buy them from stores now, you'll get the green box instead (I'm assuming), which isn't nearly as pretty but honestly, who buys a console for the box?

So moving right along...

Here is the actual system, from the front, since I realized I didn't actually show you guys the front of the console in my last blog post. It doesn't have a disc tray that comes out, like the Xbox 360 did. Instead, you just slide your disc into the slot you can see on the left side of the system. I do really like their glowing Xbox logo, which serves as the power button. It's a lot cuter than the glowing green power symbol on the Xbox 360. The design of the console itself is alright. I think it's prettier in person than pictures manage to show of it, but I don't like it quite as much as I liked the Xbox 360 slim. I do, however, like it's design more than the original Xbox 360.

Now, above you can first see the new Xbox One controller, and then afterwards, a side by side comparison of the Xbox One's controller (right) to the Xbox 360's controller (left). I'd have to say I love the Xbox One's controller more than the 360's controller, which makes the One's controller my favorite controller of all time. It's quite similar to the Xbox 360's controller, with a few differences. The logo is higher, the buttons are prettier (in my opinion), the triggers are much better, and the D-pad is much better to use. There are also circular ridges around the analog sticks. At first I didn't like the ridges, since I was use to the smooth analog sticks of its predecessor. But I've noticed that with these ridges, the chance of my thumb sliding off the analog stick is barely existent. This wasn't a constant problem or anything with the 360 controller by any means, but it's still a nice addition, although I think the ridges may bother some people, especially if playing for long periods.

The only real complaint I have about the controller are the bumpers. The Xbox 360's bumpers were, in my opinion, pretty superior to the Xbox One's. This new controller's bumpers are larger, but it's impossible to tell were the bumpers actually stop towards the middle. This can easily result in pressing the bumper too closely to the center, which won't actually allow you to press the bumper at all. It's also quite a bit harder to press the bumpers down in general, compared to the 360's controller. It's not like you have to apply much force, but the difference is noticeable enough to make me prefer the 360's bumpers. Over all though, the controller is great.

And now, the headset. I have one complaint about the Xbox One, and this is it. Pictured below, you can see the comparison between the Xbox 360's headset, and the Xbox One's headset. While I certainly think the Xbox One's headset is better to look at, it is in no way better to wear. Rigid is the word that comes to mind when I wear the Xbox One's headset. It's a lot less flexible than the old headset, and a lot more uncomfortable. It seems to slide off of my head much easier, and the earpiece is very uncomfortable against my ear. It seems almost hard, pressing down on my ear rather than comfortably sitting on top of it.

 I do, however, like the volume control on the new headset much more. Pictured above, the Xbox 360's (left) had a much smaller volume control than the Xbox One's (right), but it was a lot more annoying to use. Volume was controlled via a dial on the side, which could easily be accidentally slid. This would result in either not being able to hear the people you were playing with, or suddenly having to deal with earache-inducing volumes. The Xbox One did away with the dial, now instead having large buttons to press to bring the volume either up or down. (Thank goodness.)

I don't know why the three lights appear so bright in pictures. In reality, the lights are very dim, and red.

Kinect! Kinect was a large issue for fans of Xbox. There were people, me included, that was happy my Xbox would come with a Kinect. But there were a lot of other people that hated the idea of paying more for Kinect when they didn't care to use it. I can understand why they wouldn't want to do that, but for someone like me, that's always enjoyed Kinect but never used it enough to warrant purchasing it on its own, I'm glad that it came included with the Xbox One. Giving Xbox voice commands has never been easier, and I love that Xbox picks up so well on what I'm saying (with a few exceptions of having to repeat myself).

The list of voice commands is a long one, with only a few shown in the picture above. You can see the rest of the commands here.

The homepage is fantastic too. The colors are even able to be customized! Don't like that bright green color? No problem! Change it to whatever color you fancy. Personally, I'll definitely be picking pink for my homepage.

To the left of the homepage, you have 'Pins'. Pin your favorite apps and games here for quick access! And then the store is to the right, allowing you to buy even more fantastic games, movies, and more.

No doubt, if you're looking into getting an Xbox One, you've also heard about some of the problems it's been having since launch. Defective disc drives, the Green Screen of Death, bricked consoles, and issues with online services. Luckily, these problems seem to be rare. The Xbox One I have at my house has not had a single issue at all, I'm happy to say, and I know a few other people that have been happily playing their Xbox One's since launch with no problems either.

If you do have a defective disc drive though, and send it in to Microsoft, you'll actually get a free game out of the deal. So there's a silver lining in an otherwise depressing occurrence.

So, time to actually rate the console. This is, of course, based on my opinions, and you'll no doubt have your own. Please keep in mind that my view in no way is the same as everyone else's.

Console: 8/10; A pretty console that is slightly too large and bulky.
Controller: 9/10; An otherwise perfect controller with rather annoying bumpers.
Kinect: 7/10; Good at responding to your voice most of the time, but expensive and not very useful so far.
Headset: 6/10; Quite uncomfortable, but with a nice design and better volume control
Games: 8/10; A decent launch line up with many more amazing games on the way
Dashboard: 8/10; Tidy and easy to navigate, offering a nice level of customization

Overall: 8/10

The Xbox One is a great system with amazing potential in the coming years. I highly recommend picking one up for ether yourself or the family this holiday season.

So, are you planning on getting a next-gen console this year? Let me know in the comments!