Xbox One – The Specs

Although subject to change with finalised hardware, here’s a basic run-down of the Xbox One as we know it:

• An eight-core, x86-based CPU
• 800MHz custom GPU
• 8GB of DDR3 RAM
• Slot-loading Blu-ray drive
• 500GB internal hard-drive
• 802.11n WiFi and Gigabit Ethernet
• HDMI-in port (for TV services pass-through)
• HDMI-out port
• Second-generation Kinect sensor
• An updated controller, featuring rumble-enabled triggers

Early reports from the tech-gurus at Digital Foundry estimate that, at a purely theoretical level, the graphics processing unit in Sony’s PlayStation 4 is stronger. However, this advantage may be off-set by the way developers utilise Xbox One’s unique RAM layout and data encoding engines – a design Microsoft chose to presumably enable speedy transitions between TV and gaming content.

At a base level, the Xbox One seems to be about as a powerful as a mid to upper-range gaming PC, though it should be remembered that with no bloated operating system, developers will likely make more efficient use of the One’s resources over time. The x86-architecture, used by many PC applications, should make porting games between the two platforms easier.

One area the Xbox One may trump its competition is in its power usage. At a technical round-table held after the main conference yesterday, Microsoft’s engineers spoke at length about how “green” the new system is. A low-power design was likely chosen for the One to enable it to be always running, facilitating its use at an all-in-one entertainment setup device.

The new Kinect sensor, which ships with every unit, now supports 1080p video at 30FPS and includes enhanced sensory hardware for tracking body temperature. Like its predecessor, it will likely function on Windows 8 and allow PC developers to experiment with the hardware.

Conflicting reports from Microsoft’s Phil Harrison have yet to clarify the controversial issue of used-game usage. An article from Kotaku suggests that every game purchased will be uniquely tied to each user account at the point of install, with play on different system accounts requiring a fee to be paid to enable the game. As for the “always online” concern, the system should function without a constant Internet connection, but may need to authenticate with Microsoft every 24 hours. This may be problematic for gamers without access to a reliable Internet connection.

It’s also interesting to note is that the Xbox One appears to have ditched analog A/V outputs completely. This might not be a big deal for most people, but may be an issue for gamers with older televisions or who like to stream games, as HDMI video is normally copy-protected. It’s true that the Xbox One will include video-sharing functionality as part of its dashboard feature-set (briefly demonstrated yesterday), but it’s unlikely to offer as much control as, say, an X-Split feed through Twitch.tv.

We’ll have more concrete information on the Xbox One and how it really performs as we approach the release of the system, estimated to launch later this year. The Xbox One does not currently have a price-tag.

Internal Xbox One picture courtesy of Wired.com