Microsoft is gearing up to release its new gaming console the Xbox One on Nov. 22, but it appears that the new Xbox will not be able to perform most functions when it’s first unboxed. The Xbox One will need a software update before users are able to do almost anything with the new device.
According to engadget.com:
“Imagine it’s November 22nd: You’ve got your shiny new Xbox One from the local games merchant, you’ve got it home, and it’s time to video game. Aw shucks, the Internet is out! But that’s okay, as you’ve got yourself a physical game disc ready to go. Sadly, it looks like you’ve got yourself a $500 paperweight until your ISP comes back online. ‘Functionally, you will be able to do very little without taking the day one update,’ Microsoft senior director of product management Albert Penello told Engadget in a recent interview. We posed just such a scenario to him, and asked what we could do with an Xbox One out of the box. ‘Nothing. You need the day one update,’ he said.
“We’ve known since June that the Xbox One would require such an update, but not how comprehensive it will be. ‘A lot of the apps come with the day one update because they wouldn’t have even been done,’ Penello added. ‘You’re gonna need to take this update. It’s not gonna be really an optional thing.’
“Essentially, the Xbox One currently being manufactured contains a relatively old version of the console’s operating system, and thus the need for such an update. That even games are unplayable may seem a bit extreme, but it’s a measure of the system’s software being updated until the very last minute.”
Sony also reported an issue with its upcoming PS4 release, where the console will need to be updated before it can play DVDs. However, the Xbox One update is a much bigger deal as users won’t be able to do anything without it.
The Xbox One update shouldn’t pose a problem for most people, but there are potentially some customers who won’t have access to the Internet on the first day of purchasing their device. Microsoft should have some type of contingency plan for these users, like a physical disk with the update included in the box.
Check out what the Xbox One will be able to do when it is updated in the comprehensive demonstration video below.
