Xbox One

Xbox One is an upcoming video game console developed and manufactured by Microsoft. Announced on May 21, 2013, it is the successor to the Xbox 360 and is the third console in the Xbox family of consoles. The Xbox One is scheduled for release across North America, several European markets, Australia, and New Zealand on November 22, 2013, with later release in Japan and the remaining European markets in 2014. It will directly compete with Sony's PlayStation 4 and Nintendo's Wii U as part of the eighth generation of video game consoles. Microsoft and various publications have classified the device as an "all-in-one entertainment system", making it a competitor to other home media devices such as the Apple TV and the Google TV platforms.

Moving away from the Xbox 360's PowerPC-based architecture and back into the x86 architecture used in the first Xbox, the console features an AMD processor built around the x86-64 instruction set. The console places an increasing emphasis on entertainment and integration with the Kinect peripheral, offering the ability to use an existing set-top box to watch live television programming (augmented by an enhanced program guide with support for voice commands), a built-in Skype client, and improved second screen support. The console also provides new functionality for use in games, such as an expanded Xbox Live service, improved Kinect functionality, cloud computing, the ability to automatically record and share video highlights from gameplay, and integrated support for live streaming gameplay online.

The console's initial policies surrounding online connectivity requirements, mandatory integration with Kinect, ambiguous restrictions on the resale and sharing of used games, and the higher price than its direct competitors led to mostly mixed reviews and concerns after the console's reveal. In response to these criticisms, Microsoft announced they would be dropping these restrictions.

The Xbox One is a successor to Microsoft's previous console, the Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 was introduced in 2005 as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles, and as of June 2013, remains in production by Microsoft through after a number of small hardware revisions to reduce the unit's size and improve its reliability. In 2010, Microsoft's Chris Lewis stated that the 360 was about "halfway" through its lifecycle; this was aided by the introduction of the Kinect device that year which Lewis stated would extend the lifecycle by five years.

Initial hardware for the 360's successor, commonly referred to by the industry as the "Xbox 720", was reportedly in hands of developers as early as May 2011. The official developer kit was codenamed Durango, and appeared to be available to developers by mid-2012.Leaked documents suggested that the new console would include an improved Kinect device, cloud access to games and media, integration with phone and tablet devices, and technology to provide players heads-up displays on glasses worn by the player, codenamed "Fortaleza"; Microsoft did not comment on these reported features.Similar, leaked design documents also suggested that Microsoft was seeking to eliminate the ability to play used games, though Microsoft later clarified they were still reviewing the design and were "thinking about what is next and how we can push the boundaries of technology like we did with Kinect", but did not comment on the validity of the information.

The console, now known as the Xbox One, was publicly unveiled on May 21, 2013 in a press conference designed to cover the unit's broad multimedia and social capabilities.A second press event for the console was held during E3 on June 10, 2013, focusing on its video game-oriented functionality. At that time, Microsoft announced that the console would release in 21 different markets at launch, but this was later amended down to 13.The change, which pushed the release date for the other 8 markets to 2014, was attributed to unforeseen complexity in localizing the new Kinect peripheral.