Xbox One - Ask Us Anything: We Answer Your Burning Questions

Xbox One - Ask Us Anything: We Answer Your Burning Questions

95
Dan Webb

Earlier on – on Facebook and Twitter – we asked followers and fans if they had any burning questions about the Xbox One for a live-feature this evening… turned out there was a lot of questions, and we’re now on hand for the next 4-hours (maybe longer)  answering your burning questions. We’ll start off answering a handful (there’s been a lot!) of the questions on Facebook and Twitter, before descending into the comments for more questions, so if you do want to know something, get involved – you can also submit questions via Facebook here and Twitter here  using the hashtag #XBAAUA.

And that about sums it up, please do get involved if you want a question answered. If not, sit back, and see what you learn about Microsoft’s new platform. We’ll be doing a series of tests too, to verify some of the more technical questions, so ask us anything. Right… here goes it. Oh, and if you’ve not checked out all our videos, reviews and achievements lists for the Xbox One, then head to our Xbox One Launch Zone.

So then.... Ask Us Anything...

Agent00047 asked, in relation to Kinect earlier, “Dan, did you set up the kinect to your own voice? Because you had to say XBOX a few times before it actually realised you were givin it a command.”

We did calibrate it in the beginning, but that’s all we did. I’m honestly not sure whether it actually can tell the difference between voices, for instance, Lee, Rich and myself have all been controlling the dashboard with my voice. And as for repeating commands, it works very well, but only if no-one else is speaking at the same time. Background noise from the TV is fine, as it takes that into account when it calibrates, but if other people are talking, it likely won’t pick up your commands. Even if you shout them.

@Ciancr on Twitter asks, “can we plug our xbox 360 into the xbox one - to use the sky go app - on the tv feature on Xbox one? #XBAAUA”

Yes, you can. Actually, you can even plug your 360 into your Xbox One and play Xbox 360 games through the “TV” app too. Heck, you can even have one snapped on the side while you’re playing 360 games. Not sure why you would, but it’s a fun fact.

Skilled JR on a news piece earlier asked, “Hey Dan will there be a separate XBONE achievement site?”

No, sir. This site will become a hub for all things Xbox, which obviously means a new domain name, and of course, we couldn’t do that without a makeover. We’re shooting for launch this weekend, but we’re trying to find the most convenient time to do it for you – there will be some downtime as we switch over servers, upgrade the site, etc. and doing that during the launch weekend is going to be tricky as people will obviously want to use us over the weekend.

@The_WORLDEATER  on Twitter asks, “Will connecting a third party DVR disable the use of live tv and other streaming apps? #xbaaua”

I can’t speak for all devices, but our Blackmagic capture card would not allow us to watch the TV when it was connected – it basically showed nothing but a black screen.

Benchem on our Xbox Dashboard tour earlier wrote, “Nice review, but two nitpicks:

1) No comment on how the Xbox Guide works, and how achievements and the like are shown on it.

2) No information explicitly on whether or not challenges and achievements have their individual lists. As we know they are 0G achievements, which suggests the are bundled together, but clarification would be nice.”

1. Well, there is no Xbox Guide anymore, pressing in the – what we usually call – the guide button brings up the dashboard, with the game paused in the background. It’s all part of the Xbox One’s multitasking. So, essentially, the achievements you saw in the video earlier are the only achievement page you’ll only see on the Xbox.

2. Okay, so there are two types of challenge achievements: timed and non-timed achievements. The timed ones don’t actually show in the your game’s achievement list (these can include community challenges) unless you unlock them, but the non-timed challenge achievements do. They’re also not even worth 0 Gamerscore, they’re worth literally nothing, if that makes any sense. See this Vine below.

@gcwberesford on Twitter asks, “Can you carry over your avatar items from Xbox 360 to Xbox One? #XBAAUA”

Absolutely, yes. Even the awardables carry over!

Stoph Johnson on Facebook asks, “Did Dan really play 97 hours of Crimson Dragon or is my xbox lying to me?”

Hah, no, it’s lying to you! We put well over 10 hours in though. We reckon if the game is running in the background, it still counts as the game being played, which is obviously disappointing and probably going to ruin the whole feature a little. Actually, having looked at a few of these stats just, they're not very accurate at all.

Everybody, everywhere asks, "Where is the Ryse review?"

It's coming, 11am GMT tomorrow... so about 14 hours from now.

@chrisdys0n on Twitter asks, “does the Xbox One come with a booklet of commands for Kinect? And how is the speech recognition on the new Kinect? #xbaaua”

No, it does not. That said, if you just say “Xbox,” it brings you up your choices. After a while, it becomes apparent when it comes to your list of commands.

DarkGin87 asks, “Can you Skype call and play games?”

Yes, you absolutely can. It’s one of the options in the ‘snap’ feature.

Zmoke asks, “Well how do the vibrating trigger feel? Are they fun/annoying?

What is the best feature on Xbox One that Xbox 360 didn't have?”

They’re surprisingly brilliant actually and only add to the experience. Rather fun, never annoying. Forza is a great example of using them to the best of their abilities.

Hmmm, tough question, but having discussed it with the lads, we came to the conclusion that it has to be the multitasking. That includes being able to jump from a game into another app, and back again picking up your session at exactly the same point. And of course, that includes ‘snap,’ which is great.

fat_hill asks, "Probably a dumb quesiton but can I have my Gold account active at the same time on my Xbox 360 AND Xbox One or do I have continually transfer it from one to the other (like I do whenever I go to a friends house)?"

Yes, you can have them both running at once. In fact, I actually had the Xbox 360 profile logged into Xbox Live, running through the Xbox One, also logged into Xbox Live.

@Mikglynn on Twitter asks, “are there any noticeable differences in the avatars and does the moving avatar show on dashboard?”

Not really. They may be a slightly higher resolution if anything, and no, the moving avatar does not show on the dashboard. I’ve only seen it in my profile, actually.

Games 4 Ever asks, "Dumb question, but will I be able to send messages to my friends on their Xbox One from my Xbox 360 and vice versa?"

Yes, sir. Absolutely. Text based, anyway. It actually looks voice messages have fallen by the wayside as there isn't an option for them anymore - between Xbox One and 360, and between two Xbox Ones.

mentaljason asks, "May be a dumb question, but is HDMI the only video input option?"

No, it appears you can use DVI as there is an option in the menu too.

bobbyhopadop asks, "1: Same as @16, can we send messages and enter parties from a 360 to an Xbox One and vice versa?

2: I am still confused about how challenges interfere with the achievement lists! What you mentioned above about some challenges being on your list and some not is very messy. If the timed challenges are not on your list.....then where are they!

3: If I have tv/youtube/skype snapped while im playing a game then can you decide which one you want to listen to?"

1. Messages, yes. Parties, no. Literally just tested it to no avail.

2. Well, the community challenges don't show up in your achievement list (see the Vine) until you actually unlock them. Basically, if you miss them, you won't have them staining your list for ever.

3. So, the system automatically has the 'snapped' app as the dominant when it comes to sound. You'll hear the game audio, but not over the top of whatever you have snapped. There appears to be no way to actually control the volume.

JSP 16 asks, "Will we be able to access porn through Xbone? PS4's doing it!!"

Yes, we just tested it... just for you. You're welcome.

Midnight_Jasper asks, "Can I put my dick in it?"

There's no tray anymore, so unless you have a really small one, then no. And yes, we just tried... just for you. That, by the way, is in no way related to the previous question. Honest.

UberPirateNinja asks, "How much does the console weigh? Does the power brick get excessively warm?"

Just over 3 kilograms, and no, surprisingly not. We've had ours on for 18 hours today and it's as cold as Iceland in winter.

blav84 asks, "if you play duty on xbone can you play with ppl that are playing it on 360?"

No, sir, I'm afraid not.

Patrick Ryan on Facebook asks, "Heya want to know if my current Xbox 360 money balance will transfer to Xbox One to use?"

Yes, sir, abso-frickin'-lutely.

@EDDSfkoff on Twitter asks, "can you stream xbox music in the background without having to have it snapped to the side?"

No, it doesn't appear as if you can.

Nicholas Mitchell on Facebook, "I saw you mentioned plugging the Xbox360 into the Xbox One and using it through the TV app - does this mean it acts as a 'backwards compatibility' because the console can be used through the Xbox One? If so, does it function with placing discs in the disc tray, DLC and USB inputs such as Guitar Hero/Rock Band peripherals? Thank you if you do answer this."

Yes. Yes to everything. Your 360 acts like your 360 would if plugged straight into your TV.

Sensi Sachez asks, "I've heard that there is lag when you try to play xbox 360 through. Is this the case? I plan on doing this if I can."

I can only talk about my experience with it and there was no issue. I've literally just come off from playing a game of FIFA to test whether it does lag. It didn't. That said, we ran through a HD channel on Sky yesterday and that was laggy, so it's hard to tell across the board whether that's the case.

adam85222 asks, "I am still hearing various reports if the xbox one will play xbox360 games and is backwards compatible. Can you clear this up for me?"

There is no backwards compatibility. The Xbox One will not play Xbox 360 discs. The confusion is probably coming from the fact that you can plug the HDMI from your Xbox 360 into your Xbox One and play the Xbox 360 through the TV app of the Xbox One, making out as if there is an illusion of backwards compatibility. You still need to have a working Xbox 360 sat next to and plugged into the Xbox One though.

bobbyhopadop asks, "Cheers for the videos; I was looking forward to finding out about the achievments. But there was a couple of other things I was hoping to see! It may not e possible to answer them yet though....

1: Are completed challenges listed on the same page of your profile as achievements?
2: Are non-completed challenges listed after their time is up? Like 5/12 complete etc.
3: How are Xbox One and Xbox 360 achievements that you have won seperated on your profile?"

1. Yes, both timed and non-timed.
2. Can't say for certain, but I doubt it as they seem to be in a completely separate area to the rest of the challenge achievements.
3. They're separated into two headings within the same section: "Xbox One" and "Other Achievements." They all count towards the same Gamerscore though.

McDurbin asks, "I too would like to know if challenges affect your completion percentage. When you view someones profile do they have two separate options for achievements and challenges, like compare achievements and compare challenges?"

Looking at my achievement list now, the completion percentage looks like it's based on Gamerscore, not how many achievements you unlock. Case in point: Forza 5, we have 19 out of 79 achievements (there are 60 in all worth actual Gamerscore and 19 that are challenges, worth nothing) and 130 Gamerscore; our completion percentage is 13%. As for the separation, there is no distinction between achievements worth Gamerscore and non-timed challenges worth no Gamerscore. The only ones separated are timed-challenges.

skribla asks, "We've heard that the friends list is increasing from 100 to 1000 and that everything migrates from the 360 to the One but how does that impact your friends list when you go back to 360? i.e. if I have 200 friends on the One, am I still limited to 100 friends when I fire up my 360? And if so which 100 friends are they - is it the most recent 100 friends added for instance?"

Superb question! So we just did some experimentation and we have an answer for you. I had 100 friends on the Xbox 360, added 2 more to make it 102 on the Xbox One. When I went back to my Xbox 360 list, it still said 100. Looking at it, the 2 that I added on the Xbox One weren't showing on there, so that opened up another question: if I remove one on the 360, would one of the two new people I added on the Xbox One show up in that empty slot? The short answer is no, so it looks like if you add someone on the Xbox One, that friend is only available on the Xbox One.

Folks, thanks for joining us this evening, we spent a good 6 hours going over your questions and testing and answering as many as we could (and knew the answers too). We'll try and update it, and answer some more, if we get a few minutes over the next few days. Thanks for everyone's involvement, you were ace.

Comments
95
  • This is my only speaker input, how do i plug my Xbox One into this? #XboxOne pic.twitter.com/82uD5I7bTS
  • Very informitave. Almost time ! :)
  • Is there any new sort of settings for notifications ? Can you Skype call and play games?
  • please shed light on the saving games, do you have an option to chose cloud or HDD, I just can't put my 100% behind the cloud yet...
  • Like I asked on Twitter, how does the license transfering work on the Xbox One?
  • Will the haptic triggers respond through 360 games through Hdmi pass through?
  • Have you guys tested plugging your 360 into the One via HDMI and trying to snap between the two?
  • Will the HDMI pass-through let you work your TV provider's DVR, or will you have to physically swap inputs for that?
  • How will it show your Xbox 360 achievements? Will it only add the gamerscore?
  • What about the xbox live party system, how does it work on Xbox one?
  • Oops, seems as if my question was answered. So you can be playing a 360 game through your 360 and then snap to a One game and play that? All without account issues? If so, that's pretty awesome and kinda intrigues me to sort of want a One.
  • I've heard that there is lag when you try to play xbox 360 through. Is this the case? I plan on doing this if I can.
  • Can I ask questions in this form as well? Well how do the vibrating trigger feel? Are they fun/annoying? What is the best feature on Xbox One that Xbox 360 didn't have?
  • Does the Xbox One have a personalized name like the Xbox and Xbox 360? I know I won't be able to pop in Halo: Combat Evolved to find out. Donut, Stumpy and I have had a great 13 years so far.
  • Probably a dumb quesiton but can I have my Gold account active at the same time on my Xbox 360 AND Xbox One or do I have continually transfer it from one to the other (like I do whenever I go to a friends house)? Thanks,
  • Dumb question, but will I be able to send messages to my friends on their Xbox One from my Xbox 360 and vice versa?
  • @16, I'd say yes, seeing as you can send messages from Xbox.com, Windows 8, Windows phones, etc.
  • 1. Can you put FPS Freek on your joysticks? 2. Is there a lot of lag when snapping Skype while playing a MP match? 3.
  • @15 - No, it will work on both. Your Gamertag is basically your 'account' - you won't need to recover it each time on either device, not sure if you can be logged on with both at the same time though?
  • Just some clarification please. So it appears that when connecting your HD Cable TV to your Xbox One it has to go directly from the wall jack to the Xbox and cannot go through a DVR? That kind of sucks if so.
  • May be a dumb question, but is HDMI the only video input option?
  • Is there any way to show case achievements you have earned?
  • Can you play games right at the beginning of the installation? Or does it have to be at least 50% installed?
  • The question I want answered is how do I pay for my Xbox from the Microsoft Store? I have spent over 10 hours on the phone with at least 12 different people and it still won't let me pay for it. Even the managers are stumped and in my Microsoft purchase history it says I have paid for the console 7 time and had 5 declined transactions. It seems no one at Microsoft can help me is anyone else having this problem?
  • I posted this in another thread but I'll post it here as well to see if it gets noticed. Any news on when the second wave of consoles is going to be available, I missed out due to store taking too many orders, and I don't want to pay ebay prices...
  • Is there composit output? For surround sound you need to plug your HDMI into the TV and then the red and white composite bits into your speakers or, in my case, gaming chair etc. however from what im reading so far both PS4 and Xbox one make this impossible without buying some funky shit that will no doubt reduce quality and cause lag. Please tell me I am worng and the Xbox one does allow you to connect to the TV through HDMI as well as a surround sou system?
  • Can I put my dick in it?
  • @27 Yes you can, but it is not recommended.
  • 1 very good question. When comes the Xbox One out in the Netherlands, Don't let the 8 countries wait longer thank you.
  • Has anyone really been far as decided to use even go want to do look more like?
  • Will it blend?
  • Saw another review that said the XB1 doesn't support Surround sound passing your Cable DVR through the XB1 and downmixes to stereo. Have you found this to be an issue or true at all?
  • Can you see friends playing on the Xbox 360 and them see you playing on the Xbox One?
  • As killer instinct is classed as a "generous demo" or f2p, Can you still download it with a silver xbox live account, or do you need gold to have access?
  • If you're playing a 360 game and an Xbox One game at the same time, which does it show you are playing if someone were browsing your profile?
  • will you ever make a way to play 360 games on Xbox 1 as I have played 195 games and 100% about 37-39 and i'm reluctant to swap over and be forced to start a brand new collection and see my other games be traded in without them being fully completed
  • this was prob asked all over the place but seem to miss the answer, will my current Xbox balance (money) transfer over to the XB1?
  • Thanks for answering my question.
  • 1: Same as @16, can we send messages and enter parties from a 360 to an Xbox One and vice versa? 2: I am still confused about how challenges interfere with the achievement lists! What you mentioned above about some challenges being on your list and some not is very messy. If the timed challenges are not on your list.....then where are they! 3: If I have tv/youtube/skype snapped while im playing a game then can you decide which one you want to listen to?
  • How much does the console weigh? Does the power brick get excessively warm?
  • Is there a wired controller? Or are they all wireless that i have to plug into the system to charge?
  • Have you got a Play and Charge kit for the controller? If so, how is that? More reliable than the Xbox 360 one, which liked to disconnect and not work for me all the time?
  • I'm thinking of getting Ryse, want it Day One - can get it Day One if I order in the next few hours. But still on the fence. So, without any detailed review analysis, could you tell me whether I should order it now or just hold off a few weeks? If not, that's cool.
  • Will we be able to access porn through Xbone? PS4's doing it!!
  • if you play duty on xbone can you play with ppl that are playing it on 360?
  • I have a space set on my shelving for my Xbox One that's 27.2 cm deep and about 38 cm wide. Will this be plenty of room for my console?
  • @Staff Great feature tonight, cheers!
  • Is there a way to manage the HD like on the 360, to view how much each game is taking up and delete stuff as necessary? I've seen a couple reviews and no one has mentioned it yet.
  • I saw you mentioned plugging the Xbox360 into the Xbox One and using it through the TV app - does this mean it acts as a 'backwards compatibility' because the console can be used through the Xbox One? If so, does it function with placing discs in the disc tray, DLC and USB inputs such as Guitar Hero/Rock Band peripherals? Thank you if you do answer this - this was posted on Facebook but I would LOVE to know :)
  • Can you clarify exactly what you meant with snapped audio? What do you mean you'll hear the game sound but not over the snapped audio? Is the game quieter or does it mute temporarily when the snapped app has something to say? Can you watch TV/Netflix (or whatever app you Brits use) and snap a game to it? Or does the game have to take up the main screen.
  • I am still hearing various reports if the xbox one will play xbox360 games and is backwards compatible. Can you clear this up for me? Thank you!
  • Do any launch titles other than Forza use the haptic feedback triggers? I was kind of hoping one of the two big fps titles would support it.
  • No. It's just routing video.
  • Not sure if you will know this being UK based, but if I am using my cable box through the X1 can it access my DVR'd shows? I know it can't have direct access to the actual HDD in my box but is there a command it can send through the IR blaster to bring up my DVR list?
  • What bugs or glitches have you noticed yet with the system?
  • How are achievement notifications shown? Is it just like the 360 with the pop-up in the corner of the screen or did they change theirs like Sony did for the PS4?
  • Is it possible to view the total of xbox one achievements you have unlocked seperatetly from your total gamerscore?
  • can I NOT transfer my achievement list?
  • does your game save data stay on your xbox one? i dont care if the installed disc data gets put on the cloud but what of my game save?
  • When I made my Netflix account, it had me select what consoles I would sign in on. Obviously, the XBone wasn't an option. Will I still be able to use it without it messing anything up?
  • What apps have achievements with score and which don't? I saw a zero next to video and didn't think it showed a number unless the achievements have an actual score. I also didn't think Xbox fitness app would have any, being an app but we now know it does.
  • If I'm on 360 and my friend is on the Xbone, can we be in a party together and stuff like that? Are things like that possible and if so, to what extent?
  • How big is the day one update?
  • I keep hearing rumors of achievements transferring for games like CoD: Ghosts? Is this true or just a rumor? I know that you can transfer your mp data!
  • We've heard that the friends list is increasing from 100 to 1000 and that everything migrates from the 360 to the One but how does that impact your friends list when you go back to 360? i.e. if I have 200 friends on the One, am I still limited to 100 friends when I fire up my 360? And if so which 100 friends are they - is it the most recent 100 friends added for instance?
  • By the sounds of it they've deterred me from doing any of the timed challenges if they end up showing on my cheevo list when I unlock even one. They should have kept the time challenges completely separate! It'll be just as annoying when you get apps like IE showing up on your cheevo list with 0 next to them...
  • Have you experienced any issues with it so far? Such as over-heating, crashing/freezing etc.?
  • This is a great thread/page.
  • Have you guys ever tried crack?
  • Is it possible to hook up the Xbox One to a surround sound/cinema system?
  • Hey i was wondering if when you compare games with someone it provides a faster way to look at your chievos in retrospect to the way you showed in your video. Also could you should a vine of the comparing games menu... Just for me x
  • Does the Xbox One still require ports to be forwarded (an open NAT) to operate properly? This has been a constant problem for me with the 360 as I unfortunately do not have access to the router.
  • THOSE WHO ARE WORRIED ABOUT HDMI AND AUDDIO ISSUES Most HDTVs have an audio output jack, usually stereo RCA (composite is video,) just like you're used to. Worse comes to worst, they have a headphone out or some cvariation of that you can get an adapter for at radio shack or any other place that carries audio
  • Kinda a continuation to the second last question answered. Is there a separate stats showing XBO gamerscore/achievements and 360? Like x/y in total for each plus an all together total?
  • Do you know what the general publics minimum data requirements are from the various internet providers in terms of internet speed that would optimize the xbox one's performance? Is there a specific router recommended?
  • So since you can't see the friends that were added after 100, will you still get friend request when on your xbox 360? Or will the new friend request only show up on the xbox one?
  • @72, Of course it will. Just because it has new hardware in it that doesn't mean it can bypass how the internet works.
  • Are games that are available on both 360 and one (ghost,assassins creed 4) have seperate achievement lists? What I mean by this is let's say I play assassins creed on 360 and got 1000gs in it already will there be no achievements for me to unlock on one or is it set up so I can get 1000gs on that as well equaling up to 2000gs for that one game? Hope that wasn't confusing.
  • the porn questions and the following question after that is hilarious lol
  • Awesome feature, guys! :D And thanks for answering my question. 1 more question: If I look on my friends list on the 360 or One will I be able to see if my friends are using the 360 or One?
  • This is awesome thank you guys so much for this information Just makes me even more excited for the One I never lost hope
  • 1. After being on and used for an extended period of time, how hot/warm does the console feel? 2. Since you guys have been playing, how do all the games seem to be running? For example, has the console frozen up while playing something or has there been any lag while playing any of the games, particularly while playing another game online?
  • Just wondering. Can the kinect 2 work on 360?
  • @x360a is there a feature similar to 360, where i can stream music from my pc whilst i am playing games? having a get together on Saturday, and its better having a bit background music than listening to fifa commentary tbh
  • Quick, but obvious question. What are the dimensions of the One and where are the air vents. I need to clear space for it in my cabinet and was wondering whether the positioning of the vents would allow me to put my 360 on top of it as I am unlikely to use both at the same time.
  • is there an option to which friends you want to see pop up on your notifications? ex. If you have more than 200 friends on your list, Instead of seeing constant friends online on your screen, can you pick which friend you want to see go online out of your 200 friends?
  • Too bad this already ended, really wanted to know if your game state would still be saved if you would cut power to your xbox after turning it off.
  • It's pretty badass that I will be able to plug my 360 into my Xbox One which will allow me to send a party invite to my friends who are not able to get the Xbox One right away..
  • @70 I want to know that to.
  • Does the Xbox One work WITHOUT connecting the Kinect AT ALL? I mean UNPLUG it and NEVER use it again?
  • So if I hook up the 360 to my xbox one can I play two different games on my profile at the same time?
  • The most Legit question has to be," Will it ever be sold With-Out the Kinect?
  • Damn I cant put my dick in it.
  • Probably too late, and not entirely relevant, but you guys have started reviewing 'arcade'/digital games, due to Microsoft merging games under one collective. Why is it that you never used to review arcade games?
  • so one of my friends has i think the Xbox one but for a while he has had in his profile like behind his Gamertag 360 LAUNCH???? ?XE KINECT but whenever i search it nothing he is a Microsoft employe so i think that is how he got it but he also has had Xbox for 9 years
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