- published: 01 Jul 2016
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The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced on May 21, 2013, it is the successor to the Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox family. It directly competes with Sony's PlayStation 4 and Nintendo's Wii U as part of the eighth generation of video game consoles. The Xbox One was released in North America, several European markets, Australia, and New Zealand on November 22, 2013, and in 26 other markets, including Japan, the remaining European markets, and the Middle East, in September 2014. It is also the first Xbox game console to be released in China, specifically in the Shanghai Free-Trade Zone. Microsoft also marketed the device as an "all-in-one entertainment system", also making it a competitor to other digital media players, such as the Apple TV and Google TV platforms.
Moving away from the Xbox 360's PowerPC-based architecture—back to the x86 architecture used in the original Xbox—the console features an AMD Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) built around the x86-64 instruction set. The Xbox One places an increased emphasis on cloud computing and entertainment integration, offering the ability to overlay live television programming from an existing set-top box with an enhanced program guide, split-screen multitasking of applications, and improved second-screen support. The console optionally includes an upgraded Kinect sensor, providing richer motion tracking and voice recognition for use in its graphical user interface (GUI) and games. The Xbox One also offers the ability for users to record and share highlights from or live-stream gameplay. The console's controller was refined over that of the Xbox 360, with a redesigned D-pad and triggers capable of delivering directional haptic feedback.
Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. It represents a series of video game consoles developed by Microsoft, with three consoles released in the sixth, seventh, and eighth generations respectively. The brand also represents applications (games), streaming services, and an online service by the name of Xbox Live. The brand was first introduced on November 15, 2001 in the United States, with the launch of the original Xbox console.
That original device was the first video game console offered by an American company after the Atari Jaguar stopped sales in 1996. It reached over 24 million units sold as of May 10, 2006. Microsoft's second console, the Xbox 360, was released in 2005 and has sold over 77.2 million consoles worldwide as of April 18, 2013. The successor to the Xbox 360 and Microsoft's most recent console, the Xbox One, was revealed on May 21, 2013. The Xbox One has been released in 21 markets in total, with a Chinese release on September 29, 2014. The head of Xbox is Phil Spencer, who succeeded former head Marc Whitten in late March 2014.