Microsoft unveils new Xbox One game console

Redmond, Wash. (CNNMoney)
Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One on
Tuesday, and with it comes the next
generation of content for its Kinect
motion control technology.
From a hardware standpoint, while everything
is more powerful, little is radically different
from the Xbox 360. The Xbox One controller
has received some cosmetic changes to its
exterior, but at its core, it offers the same
game experience.
The Kinect hardware has also been redesigned,
and packs more powerful guts that are able to
detect more subtle movement and positioning
from gamers.
Microsoft ( , Fortune 500)touts the
ability to detect subtle things like your balance
and heart rate using Kinect alone. And it is now
your control hub for the living room, using
voice commands and gestures to weave
through all those entertainment options.
Using the Kinect to interpret voice commands,
Microsoft corporate vice president Yusuf
Mehdi was able to turn the Xbox on from its
off state, and switched from gaming to apps to
TV watching almost effortlessly.
Mehdi then demoed a new feature borrowed
from Windows 8: Snap Mode. With Snapmode,
users can dedicate part of their screen to a
widget delivering supplementary information.
One such example was bringing up player stats
in the snap widget while a basketball game
played out in the main screen.
And of course, Kinect is able to function as a
1080p Skype cam, turning your living room,
into a Jetsons-like communication room.
Microsoft's Xbox One is the latest in a series of
new gaming consoles. Earlier this year, Sony
( ) introduced the long-awaited
PlayStation 4 . Last year, Nintendo unveiled
the Wii U , although Nintendo has continued
to struggle this year as sales of the Wii U
slumped.