History of video games/Platforms/Xbox One

History

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The logotype for the Xbox One.

Development

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Development of backwards compatibility tools for the Xbox One to support games for the original Xbox and Xbox 360 took a large amount of effort.[1]

Launch

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The Xbox One was launched in November of 2013 at a cost of $500.[2] The Xbox One likely sold at a loss launch, with much of the manufacturing cost coming from the Kinect sensor.[3] At the time of launch Shareholders were urging the company to sell off it's Xbox devision, a move that Steve Balmer successfully resisted at the same time that he was stepping down as CEO of Microsoft.[4][5]

Controversy surrounds the launch due to Microsoft's planned use of an always online requirement, lack of backwards compatibility, and restrictions on game sharing.[6][7] Furthermore there were privacy concerns regarding the required Kinect camera accessory.[8] The competing PlayStation 4 launches without these restrictions and appeals to gamers as a gaming focused device.[6] Microsoft quickly drops these restrictions, though their early fumble costs them market share.[9][6]

Recovery

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Xbox at Gamescom 2019

Economizing

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Over the course of 2014, Microsoft took many steps to make the Xbox One more consumer friendly and competitive in the market, including a number of price reductions and offering the system without a Kinect for a cheaper price.[10]

For the market in Brazil Microsoft manufactured the Xbox One there, letting it cost only 2,199 reals compared to the cost of the PlayStation 4's Brazilian cost of 3,999 reals.[11]

Software improvements

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In late 2013 an incomplete developer mode for the Xbox One surfaced, prompting curiosity.[12] By 2014 the ID@Xbox Indie development program had launched.[13]

The Xbox One launched in Japan on September 4th, 2014, to little fanfare.[14] Also in 2014 Microsoft acquired the Swedish company Mojang, the developers of Minecraft, for 2.5 billion dollars.[15]

In 2015 backwards compatibility for the Xbox 360 was added to the Xbox One.[6][16]

In early 2016 it was announced that the Xbox one would support Universal Windows Applications.[17]

In January 2022 restrictions began being implemented to stop homebrew and emulation.[18]

Refresh

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The improved Xbox One S was launched on August 2nd, 2016.[19]

In 2018 Microsoft acquires the developer Obsidian, giving them ownership of series like Pillars of Eternity.[20]

The Xbox One X was launched in late 2017.[21] By late August 2017 the original Xbox One was discontinued.[22][23]

The price reduced Xbox One S All Digital Edition was launched in 2019.[24]

Legacy

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We lost the worst generation to lose in the Xbox One generation, where everybody built their digital library of games.

—Phil Spencer, Kinda Funny Games interview[25]

Production of the Xbox One S All Digital Edition and the Xbox One X were discontinued in early 2020 to focus on production of the upcoming Xbox Series X and Series X.[26] This was confirmed officially in January 2022.[27]

Technology

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The Xbox One APU
 
An 28nm original Xbox APU die.

Xbox One

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Compute

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The Xbox One uses an AMD APU which contains the CPU and GPU.[28] The Xbox One has an eight core Jaguar CPU clocked at 1.75 gigahertz.[28]

The Xbox One GPU contains 12 compute units clocked at 853 megahertz.[29][30]

The original Xbox One is capable of 1.31 teraflops of performance.[29]

The CPU contains 32 megabytes of high speed ESRAM and eight gigabytes of DDR3 RAM.[31]

Hardware

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The Xbox One contains a 500 gigabyte hard drive and Blu-Ray drive.[31] The Xbox One Elite Edition uses a one terabyte hybrid hard drive and SSD combo instead of a pure hard drive.[32]

The Xbox One contains three Wi-Fi n radios and gigabit ethernet.[31][33]

Design

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Though the system would receive a 2014 Red Dot design award,[34] popular reception of the design was less welcome, and comparisons to home AV equipment were often made.[35]

Xbox One S

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Compute

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The Xbox One S has an AMD APU containing eight Jaguar CPU cores clocked at 1.75 gigahertz and a GPU clocked at 914 megahertz.[36][37]

The Xbox One S is capable of 1.4 teraflops of performance.[29]

The Xbox One S has eight gigabytes of GDDR3 RAM.[36][37]

Hardware

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The Xbox One S has either a 500 gigabyte, a one terabyte, or a two terabyte hard disk drive depending on the model.[36][37] The Xbox One S also has an Ultra HD Blu-Ray optical disk drive, though this was excluded from the all digital edition of the Xbox One S.[37][38][39]

The Xbox One S motherboard was later reused on the Chwi Japanese Mini-PC.[40]

Xbox One X

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Compute

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An Xbox One X SOC.
 
An 16nm Xbox One X die.

The Xbox One X has an eight core CPU clocked at 2.3 gigahertz.[41]

The Xbox One X GPU is based on the AMD Polaris architecture and is clocked at 1.172 gigahertz and has forty compute units.[41] The Xbox One X outputs up to 4K resolution with HDR10 support.[42]

The Xbox One X is capable of six teraflops of performance.[43]

The Xbox One X has 12 gigabytes of GDDR5 at a speed of 326 gigabytes per second.[42]

Hardware

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The Xbox One X has eight gigabytes of flash storage and a one terabyte hard drive.[42] The Xbox One X has a UHD Blu-Ray optical disk drive.[42]

The Xbox One X has dual band (2.4 gigahertz and 5 gigahertz) ac Wi-Fi, a gigabit ethernet port, and an IR blaster.[42][41]

Scorpio Dev Kit

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The Scorpio Dev Kit is similar to an Xbox One X, but has a extra SSD with a one terabyte capacity, an OLED screen, 24 gigabytes of DDR5 RAM, and 44 GPU compute units.[44]

Controller

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The Xbox One controller uses four motors to create directional force feedback.[45]

Security

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The Xbox One has security features that would later become the Microsoft Pluton Processor.[46]

Notable Games

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2013

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The Xbox One at E3 2013.

2014

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2015

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2016

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2017

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2018

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2019

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Gears 5

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Gears 5 screenshot.

2020

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Special Edition Xbox One consoles

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  • Cyberpunk 2077 Xbox One X - Released in June 2020 with glow in the dark "No Future" tag - 45,000 made.[47][48]
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Xbox One

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Xbox One S

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Xbox One X

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Xbox One Internals

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Peripherals

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External Resources

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References

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  1. "The Untold Story of Xbox One Backwards Compatibility - IGN". Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  2. Gilbert, Ben. "Why the Xbox One is losing to the PS4, according to the guy who made Xbox matter". Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/how-microsoft-bungled-the-xbox-one-launch-2015-8. Retrieved 28 October 2020. 
  3. "Teardown of Xbox, PS4 reveal tight margins" (in en). CNBC. 27 November 2013. https://www.cnbc.com/2013/11/27/teardown-of-xbox-ps4-reveal-tight-margins.html. 
  4. Gralla, Preston (19 November 2013). "Steve Balmer's farewell message to Microsoft shareholders: Save Bing and Xbox" (in en). Computerworld. https://www.computerworld.com/article/2475507/steve-balmer-s-farewell-message-to-microsoft-shareholders--save-bing-and-xbox.html. 
  5. Worstall, Tim. "Links 23 Aug. Steve Ballmer Announces Resignation, Microsoft Stock Soars And No It Won't Be Bill Gates" (in en). Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/08/23/links-23-aug-steve-ballmer-announces-resignation-microsoft-stock-soars/?sh=6fa1aa4b360d. 
  6. a b c d Burford, Doc (10 December 2018). "The Fall and Rise of the Xbox One". USgamer. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  7. "Xbox One DRM restrictions dropped after gamer outcry". the Guardian. 19 June 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  8. Davison, Pete (8 June 2013). "Is Xbox One Xboning Consumers?". USgamer. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  9. Stuart, Keith (20 June 2013). "Xbox One: was Microsoft's reversal the right decision?". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  10. Wingfield, Nick (5 January 2015). "PlayStation 4 Faces Resurgent Rivals in Xbox One and Wii U (Published 2015)". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  11. Good, Owen S. (10 January 2015). "Nintendo ends console and game distribution in Brazil, citing high taxes" (in en). Polygon. https://www.polygon.com/2015/1/10/7524759/nintendo-brazil-wii-u-3ds-tariffs-taxes. Retrieved 26 October 2020. 
  12. Arif, Fahad (3 December 2013). "Xbox One Dev Kit Menu Unlocked - Microsoft Warns Not To Mess With The Dev Kit". Wccftech. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  13. Phillips, Tom (30 July 2014). "ID@Xbox dev reveals costs of launching Xbox One game". Eurogamer. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  14. "Japan's Xbox One Launch Looks Sad As You'd Expect" (in en-us). Kotaku. September 4th, 2014. https://kotaku.com/japans-xbox-one-launch-as-sad-as-youd-expect-1630411606. 
  15. Stuart, Keith; Hern, Alex (15 September 2014). "Minecraft sold: Microsoft buys Mojang for $2.5bn". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  16. Pino, Nick. "Xbox One is now backwards compatible with all your old 360 games". TechRadar. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  17. "Activate Dev Mode on Xbox One". Windows Central. 2 April 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  18. "Xbox Begins Disabling Dev Mode Accounts, Removing Access To Emulators". Pure Xbox. 5 January 2022. https://www.purexbox.com/news/2022/01/xbox-begins-disabling-dev-mode-accounts-removing-access-to-emulators. 
  19. Welch, Chris (18 July 2016). "Microsoft's Xbox One S will launch on August 2nd". The Verge. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  20. McWhertor, Michael (10 November 2018). "Microsoft acquires Obsidian Entertainment". Polygon. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  21. Tuttle, Will; Chief, Xbox Wire Editor in (7 November 2017). "The World's Most Powerful Console, Xbox One X, Launches Worldwide". Xbox Wire. Retrieved 25 November 2020. {{cite web}}: |first2= has generic name (help)
  22. Yin-Poole, Wesley (29 August 2017). "Microsoft discontinued the original Xbox One after the S launched". Eurogamer. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  23. Warren, Tom (25 August 2017). "Microsoft stops selling the original Xbox One". The Verge. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  24. "What is the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition release date?". Windows Central. 16 April 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  25. Warren, Tom (4 May 2023). "Microsoft’s Xbox chief thinks losing the Xbox One generation was “the worst generation to lose”". The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/4/23711047/microsoft-xbox-phil-spencer-xbox-one-generation-redfall-launch. 
  26. Warren, Tom (16 July 2020). "Microsoft discontinues Xbox One X and Xbox One S digital edition ahead of Series X launch". The Verge. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  27. "It's Game Over for the Xbox One, as Microsoft Has Officially Stopped Production". MUO. 14 January 2022. https://www.makeuseof.com/xbox-one-stopped-production/. 
  28. a b "Playstation 4 Vs Xbox One GPU Understanding the Differences". RedGamingTech. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  29. a b c Warren, Tom (2 August 2016). "Xbox One S is 7.1 percent faster than Xbox One, but it's complicated". The Verge. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  30. Leadbetter, Richard (22 May 2013). "Spec Analysis: Xbox One". Eurogamer. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  31. a b c "Xbox One hardware and specs: 8-core CPU, 8GB RAM, 500GB hard drive and more". Engadget. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  32. "Microsoft Xbox One - Elite Bundle - game console - 1 TB Hybrid Drive Specs". CNET. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  33. "Xbox One: Hardware and software specs detailed and analyzed - ExtremeTech". www.extremetech.com. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  34. "Red Dot Design Award: Xbox One". www.red-dot.org. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  35. "The Evolution of Game Console Design—and American Gamers". Wired. https://www.wired.com/story/evolution-of-game-console-design-america/. 
  36. a b c Yuen, Ced. "Specifications and features Review". Trusted Reviews. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  37. a b c d November 2020, Adam Vjestica 13. "Xbox Series S vs Xbox One S: the cheapest Xbox consoles compared". TechRadar. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  38. "Xbox One S All-Digital Edition review". Pocket-lint. 28 April 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  39. Yuen, Ced. "UHD Blu-ray, HDR and Verdict Review". Trusted Reviews. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  40. Liu, Zhiye (April 15, 2020). "AMD-Based Chuwi Mini-PC Uses Same Motherboard as Xbox One S" (in en). Tom's Hardware. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/chuwi-aerobox-amd-xbox-cpu-motherboard. 
  41. a b c "These are the Xbox One X's hardware specs". Windows Central. 11 June 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  42. a b c d e "Xbox One X". Xbox.com. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  43. "Xbox One X vs. PlayStation 4 Pro". www.digitaltrends.com. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  44. Phillips, Tom (12 April 2017). "Here's a first look at Xbox One Scorpio's superpowered dev kit". Eurogamer. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  45. Staff, Xbox Wire (6 June 2013). "The New Generation Xbox Controller". Xbox Wire. https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2013/06/06/xbox-one-controller-feature/. Retrieved 28 October 2020. 
  46. "Meet the Microsoft Pluton processor – The security chip designed for the future of Windows PCs". Microsoft Security. 17 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  47. Lyles, Taylor (2 December 2020). "Living the full Cyberpunk 2077 lifestyle will cost you over $2,000 and your dignity". The Verge. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  48. Olson, Mathew (17 April 2020). "A Special Edition Cyberpunk 2077 Xbox One X Is Coming in June". USgamer. Retrieved 4 December 2020.