Microsoft’s Xbox One reserved a set amount of its power to run Kinect and its three-tiered operating system. The big news at the moment is that Microsoft is dropping Kinect like a particularly warm edible tuber. Could dropping Kinect mean that power could be used for games?
“Xbox One has a conservative 10 per cent time-sliced reservation on the GPU for system processing. This is used both for the GPGPU processing for Kinect and for the rendering of concurrent system content such as snap mode,” Microsoft’s technical chap Andrew Goossen said of the Xbox One last year.
Two of the system’s available cores are used for the operating system and Kinect. so will Kinect’s excision mean the power could go to games? Quite probably, according to Microsoft’s Yusuf Mehdi.
“We are in discussions with our game publishers about what we might do in this space and we will have more to talk about soon,” he said.
What we do know is that the system’s interface will soon receive a less Kinect-centric overhaul, making it less about shouting at your console, and more about using the controller…pretty much exactly what everybody wanted in the first place.
“We do want to find ways to give you some of those shortcuts and make some of the things that we have with Kinect easier with the controller,” Mehdi said.
“You can expect to see us do a bunch of things over the coming months to make the experience easier and easier, even if you don’t have a Kinect.”
For early adopters forced in to owning Kinect though, Microsoft probably won’t be giving you anything extra by way of apology – so don’t go expecting any Ambassador Programs with free games as we saw when Nintendo slashed the 3DS’ price.
Honestly, I think Kinect was a mistake to begin with, made to try capitalise on the Wii’s motion control success. That was a flash in the pan, and motion controls are nearly unanimously worse for games. It was Kinect that turned gamers away from Microsoft back with the 360 already, and the company’s resolute focus on it then meant they focused less on actual games. Its forced inclusion in the Xbox One just added fuel to the fire.
Industry people have said that Kinect was Don Mattrick’s baby, and that seems to be the case. Since he’s left, and a more gamer-oriented Phil spencer has taken his place the Xbox seems to have a renewed focus on games
They’re not getting rid of Kinect entirely mind; it’ll still be sold and it will still be used in games – but the important distinction is that consumer now have the choice of whether or not to purchase it.
Last Updated: May 14, 2014
Admiral Chief in Space
May 14, 2014 at 11:37
Yeah this is all good and well, but will it run Crysis?
Hammersteyn
May 14, 2014 at 11:44
Maybe now they can run games at 900p?
Admiral Chief in Space
May 14, 2014 at 11:45
That’s pushing it Deon, that’s pushing it too far
oVg Errorist
May 14, 2014 at 12:19
Bwahahahahaha
You wish.
It just means they can run more OS in the background for their DATA farming.
Hammersteyn
May 14, 2014 at 13:56
They will need a new device then “The eye of Gates” isn’t fixed on them anymore
JayDiCee
May 14, 2014 at 14:16
Maybe now it will support Tetris and Pacman at 1080p ?
Hammersteyn
May 14, 2014 at 14:26
XD
FoxOneZA
May 14, 2014 at 12:46
Bwahahaha! It can do one game at 1080p/60fps though 😛
Edit: Make that 2.
HvR - THE Average GAmer
May 14, 2014 at 11:38
At the end of the financial year Phill Spencer should ship all the unsold Kinects to Mattrick’s house with a note. “Here you wanted it”
Admiral Chief in Space
May 14, 2014 at 11:38
” the Xbox seems to have a renewed focus on games”
http://www.asicentral.com/images/blogs/grumpy-good.jpg
oVg Errorist
May 14, 2014 at 11:57
Until they make enough money to renew their focus on other shit again.
180 180 180 180 180…
Would you give your money to a lying car salesman. It seems only gamers do.
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 14, 2014 at 11:39
Consumer choice? WTF is that? That’s not how Steve Jobs did it!
Hammersteyn
May 14, 2014 at 11:44
Thank heavens Apple isn’t making consoles yet.
Admiral Chief in Space
May 14, 2014 at 11:46
What will they call them? Crate? Pie? Strudel? (damn now I’m hungry)
Hammersteyn
May 14, 2014 at 11:49
Apple Crumble. It’s not like they haven’t tried before
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/Pippin-Atmark-Console-Set.png/300px-Pippin-Atmark-Console-Set.png
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 14, 2014 at 11:55
iDiot
Admiral Chief in Space
May 14, 2014 at 11:57
Sold, make it so!
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 14, 2014 at 11:50
It would be so confusing for the hipsters. It’s Apple, but all the other platforms were playing indie games first.
Hammersteyn
May 14, 2014 at 11:50
whahaha
Norm the Horrible
May 14, 2014 at 13:19
Yet…
Hammersteyn
May 14, 2014 at 13:55
*shudders*
Umar Returns
May 14, 2014 at 11:41
MS is so confusing my god
http://guides.gamercorner.net/images/ffviii/hawkwind-plains-confuse.jpg
Hammersteyn
May 14, 2014 at 11:43
hahahaha
RinceBroken
May 14, 2014 at 11:49
HAHAHAHA! Love this game SO MUCH!
Umar Returns
May 14, 2014 at 11:57
DUUUDE, same here!!
RinceBroken
May 14, 2014 at 11:58
If ONLY they gave all the characters pink hair, that would be SICK!
Kensei Seraph
May 14, 2014 at 11:58
http://lilacbrickroad.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/tumblr_lv8cbicm751qj5r2s.gif?w=500&h=390
RinceBroken
May 14, 2014 at 11:59
GAHHHHHHH! It BURNS! IT BURNS!
Kensei Seraph
May 14, 2014 at 12:00
But you literally indicated that you wanted it.
RinceBroken
May 14, 2014 at 12:02
SARCASM damn you! The pain!
Kensei Seraph
May 14, 2014 at 12:13
I know. 😛
https://1-media-cdn.foolz.us/ffuuka/board/a/image/1358/54/1358543558873.gif
RinceBroken
May 14, 2014 at 12:22
Hehe 🙂
Umar Returns
May 14, 2014 at 12:04
You know you love her
RinceBroken
May 14, 2014 at 12:26
Neva!
Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!
May 14, 2014 at 12:09
hehehe
Hammersteyn
May 14, 2014 at 11:42
Motion control games still has a long way to go, nice try forcing it upon the gamers though MS. Now see how many Kinects you sell.
http://d24w6bsrhbeh9d.cloudfront.net/photo/anY3M4V_460sa.gif
Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!
May 14, 2014 at 12:05
I can’t stop watching
CAE9872
May 14, 2014 at 12:22
Yeah I know what you mean – I keep expecting a different outcome!
Norm the Horrible
May 14, 2014 at 13:17
So much failception…
RinceBroken
May 14, 2014 at 11:49
In my words of earlier today… BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
RinceBroken
May 14, 2014 at 11:50
So who is going to pay for the RR of the bloody thing?
RinceBroken
May 14, 2014 at 11:52
I want to get excited by this, but they have messed up SO many times it is amazing. What I also find amazing is the fanboys, who defended MS and their cacophony of mess ups, are now saying this is a good thing when initially they said 180. Has the use of the kinect brainwashed all of them with MS new policies?
Hammersteyn
May 14, 2014 at 11:54
http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/i-kNmj7Cv-950×10000.jpg
oVg Errorist
May 14, 2014 at 12:08
I have never known such a fcking mess of a Next Gen launch. From the ANTI-CLIMAX of the reveal on the 22nd of Feb last year to the bullshit now.
Sighhh…….. I THOUGHT THE FUTURE MEANT ease and efficiency. FCuck the future. All it means is FUBAR… thanks to the internet.
It was so simple when we bought finished and fully envisioned products.
BACK WHEN WHEN TWO FCKING CONTROL PADS WAS NORMAL!!!!
oVg Errorist
May 14, 2014 at 12:09
I can still smell the plastic 🙂
Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!
May 14, 2014 at 12:10
Step away from the console man
oVg Errorist
May 14, 2014 at 12:12
THIS was the last console. The shit today is worse than the hassle of PCs.
Kensei Seraph
May 14, 2014 at 12:25
Is that the Rince Special Edition?
oVg Errorist
May 14, 2014 at 12:29
I tried so hard to get the PINK one but South Africa was out of stock overnight.
PINK IS FOR WINNERS
RinceBroken
May 14, 2014 at 12:35
“zero sized reply” Is that what she said? 🙂
RinceBroken
May 14, 2014 at 12:24
Yeah, cus you probably have it sitting next to your bedside table as a blanky 😛
oVg Errorist
May 14, 2014 at 12:26
Not to mention the weight of the thick glossy instruction manuals and massive cartridge that did not know what the word LOADING meant.
PRESS START, RESET and POWR BUTTON.
Fcuk things were so simple.
Martin du preez
May 14, 2014 at 12:11
Well, while you guys rush out to buy a
$400 console that needs to go meditate with monks in the Himalayas for the next
few years seeking it’s “true self”, the rest of us will be happy with
our PS4s that hit the ground running and continue to put you guys on the search
for Shangri’lah each and every day.
Xbots, gather around your new mascot
and enter deep meditation. XBone hidden power is like a Spirit Bomb. We need
you all to send your energy to the XBone now to unlock the hidden powahs
insyde.
oVg Errorist
May 14, 2014 at 12:16
It just amazes me how one can fcuk up a console.
It is either a video game machine or it is not.
One would think that Microsoft would learn from SONYs mistake back in 2008 when they marketed the PS3 as a BLU-RAY player that plays games. We all know how that turned out.
Kensei Seraph
May 14, 2014 at 12:21
So angry, but so right.
Martin du preez
May 14, 2014 at 12:26
I’m not angry. I am at maximum level ZEN.
*Sips herbal tea*
sentient_slug
May 14, 2014 at 12:24
My playstation is better than your playstation.
oVg Errorist
May 14, 2014 at 12:32
With a little help from Viagra of course 😛
CAE9872
May 14, 2014 at 12:27
Why would you even admit it can give more power – sure do so behind closed doors but man if you say that out loud you making more hurt for yourself. Now everyone has in writing what we all expected – let the internet explode! Sometimes those execs do need ball gags!
ps4lol
May 14, 2014 at 13:29
They can’t do much more than reduce the GPU reserve from 10% to 2%.
Wraith
May 14, 2014 at 13:55
In theory it might give you an extra frame or two, but doubt they’d actually implement that.
Firstly it would be a huge slap in the face to early adopters and secondly they’d have to essentially develop games targeting two player bases (with/without kinect).
Ryanza
May 14, 2014 at 14:07
The one thing I really didn’t like, about what the Xbox 360 turned into, was the dashboard. The nxe dashboard turned the console into a slow and sluggish experiences.
So I knew that the Xbox One’s operating system would use a lot of the console’s resources.
All that useless tv shit is what’s eating the consoles power.
Brian Murphy
May 14, 2014 at 16:02
Well, insofar that it allows the X1 to use that extra 10% yes…however, that extra 10% was already accessible (Microsoft changed that awhile back). So…no. Addition by subtraction does not make the X1 more powerful.
TopNotch_Nismo
May 14, 2014 at 17:06
Xbox one ? Its not recomended because i know some reasons about why i dont want one . First off : Her name . Its the first Xbox ? No . Its the third generation of Xbox ( they could call it Xbox 720 or Xbox All-Stars , but Xbox One , Cmon ) . Two : It cost more than the PS4 and almost all best games ever are in PS4/PS3 . Three : Its not made for gamers because he is more made for TV or Internet , not video games . Four : When the owner of Microsoft showed the Xbox One , that was marked in a survey than PS4 got 84% of the preference . Five : The Kinect always watch you . When you wish to go to shop for food , cloth … you are under her watch .
TopNotch_Nismo
May 14, 2014 at 17:26
Guys , i strongly recommend to avoid buying a Xbox One and buy a PS4 now you see the defaults of the Microsoft .