1. It’s now backward compatible with a growing library of Xbox 360 games
Thanks to the major “Xbox One Experience” update, the Xbox One can now play your old Xbox 360 games. Any games you bought digitally automatically show up in your current collection, and all your progress and old save files will transfer over, too. If you own a physical copy of the game, you just slip the disc into your Xbox and the correct version will download from Xbox Live. This also works for those games’ expansions, downloadable content, and achievements.
2. It’s a game console, plus a cord-cutting solution
You don’t need an extra set-top box to enjoy TV and movies if you have an Xbox One. It supports an array of video streaming apps like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, ESPN, and Twitch, and it can also play your Blu-ray discs and media from your storage devices via USB. You can even make Skype calls over your Xbox if you have the Kinect accessory (more on that later). And it’s super easy to switch back and forth between different content.
3. You can also watch live TV in a new way
Xbox One also works with a number of live TV apps. You can buy the Hauppauge Digital TV Tuner for less than $60, which will get you access to NBC, CBS, and Fox — or you can pay $20 a month to access TV and video on-demand via Sling TV, which comes with AMC, CNN, and more. Once you connect your content, you can create a favorites list of the TV channels and apps you watch the most, and you can also see the top trending shows based on your area and what’s trending on Twitter.
4. Xbox Live offers some great goodies and services
Microsoft's online game network Xbox Live is a great reason to own an Xbox One. You can access basic features like online multiplayer with the free service, but if you pay $60 a year for an Xbox Live Gold membership (which we heartily recommend), you'll get free Xbox One and Xbox 360 games to play every single month, plus bonus features you can't get with the free tier like exclusive discounts and special multiplayer modes for some games.
5. It's going to work great with Microsoft's HoloLens
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The HoloLens is an augmented reality headset from Microsoft that will let you see virtual layers on top of the real world, and it's coming next year. Luckily for Xbox One owners, there are some exciting applications: imagine being able to create a screen of any size and place it on any wall in your house to play video games or watch movies. The ability to stream Xbox One content to your HoloLens is just one of the cool features to expect early next year.
6. It’s powered by Windows 10
As of November, the Xbox One is now powered by Windows 10, which means lots of things: the Xbox One interface is different and now much faster than before, and you can access settings during gameplay with no interruptions. It also means you can say “Hey Cortana” and use Microsoft's digital assistant to record gameplay, check if people are online, invite them to a group chat room, and more. And if you have a Windows PC, you can now stream all your Xbox One games to any of those computers, even the Surface tablet.
7. The Xbox One Elite controller is a premium handheld
It unfortunately doesn’t come with the console, but Microsoft’s $150 Elite controller is probably the best gaming controller we’ve ever seen for a major console. It’s beautiful, it feels great, and it’s highly customizable: you can attach different thumbsticks, different directional pads, different triggers, and you can even assign different functions to those buttons for different games.
8. Microsoft’s Kinect accessory adds to the experience
Kinect is a standalone motion-sensor you can buy for the Xbox One that can help with searching, navigation, and other console functions. You can use your voice to turn the console on and off, change the volume, capture screenshots and game clips, and change TV channels. Kinect costs $100.
9. There’s a variety of console bundles to choose from
Microsoft sells the Xbox One in several $350 bundles, but most of these bundles include a popular $60 game like “Tomb Raider,” “Fallout 4,” “Star Wars: Battlefront,” and more. So for $350, you’ll get the console with 500 GB of space (you can pay an extra $50 to get 1 terabyte of storage), plus a wireless controller, plus a great game to get your collection started. Expect to see discounts on many of these bundles around the holidays.
10. “Halo: The Master Chief Collection”
"The Master Chief Collection" includes the first four "Halo" games, which have been remastered and optimized for the Xbox One. "Halo 2" gets some extra love in the form of specially-remastered cutscenes, which really do look spectacular. And the collection also includes a cool feature that lets you switch between the game's original graphics and the remastered graphics in just a click.
"'Halo: The Master Chief Collection' sets a bar that other remasters and collections will have difficulty reaching, much less topping. For players new to Halo, who have missed any of the included games, it is a stunning introduction to one of the most beloved series in video games. For Halo fans, it's a package that shows almost as much respect and affection for the Master Chief as they do."
11. “Halo 5: Guardians"
"It’s a well-crafted Halo experience with enough new bells and whistles to turn around even the most jaded Halo fan, and feels exactly like what you’d want a next-gen Halo game to be. There’s a hefty amount of content to explore here across the campaign and multiplayer modes, with a large map variety at launch and an enjoyable story to uncover. And it all looks and sounds absolutely gorgeous, with fantastic enemy and map designs on top of the excellent technical groundwork behind it all. I’m suitably impressed with Halo 5: Guardians, and I think you will be too."
12. “Rise of the Tomb Raider"
Though "Rise of the Tomb Raider" will release on the PlayStation 4 next year, the only way to currently play this game is to own an Xbox One.
"'Rise of the Tomb Raider' raises the bar set by Lara’s last outing with a rollicking adventure story, strong villains, gorgeous vistas, and smart puzzles – go off the main path to find the best stuff in dastardly optional tombs. Though the mandatory combat doesn’t distinguish itself with challenging enemies unless you crank up the difficulty, Lara’s newfound versatility on the battlefield makes fighting a lot more fun. Once again it’s Lara herself, however, who steals the show, her complex ambitions and hardened resolve showing new sides to a character who has well and truly grown from survivor to the most fascinating action hero in video games today."
13. “Titanfall”
Titanfall is an incredible exclusive game for Xbox One. It lets you control giant robots that you battle against other players online.
"'Titanfall' provides a thunderously good time; an accessible yet skillful, hulking yet ferociously nimble shot in the arm for a well-populated genre. There is a question around its staying power: will this be a game you adore fiercely for a few days before the lack of long-term motivation takes its toll? Even if Titanfall as it stands feels like a prototype for something even better, it has the capacity to thrill more than any multiplayer shooter has in years, giving you plenty of new stories to tell in the process."
14. The promise of future exclusives
There are lots of exciting Xbox One games on the horizon, including several promising exclusives like “Sea of Thieves,” “ReCore,” and “Quantum Break.” We’re also looking forward to the fourth game in the “Gears of War” action adventure franchise, which arrives early next year. At this year’s E3, Microsoft said it was focusing on more exclusive titles, particularly from indie developers, so we’re looking forward to seeing Microsoft invest more money into its current franchises and properties while exploring new opportunities.
