There’s some brand new information related to the upcoming Xbox One console from Microsoft that could easily leverage the console ahead of its nearest rival – Sony’s PlayStation 4.
According to reports, sources close to Microsoft have spoken with Digital Foundry regarding the apparent unnecessary size of the Xbox One. The source has stated that the reason for the size is to incorporate a number of tests on the console, which would otherwise be impossible if the device was smaller. Apparently, the source also states that the Xbox One is also capable of staying on or in standby mode for ten years straight.
“Our information suggests the Xbox One design is based on an ambitious brief, essentially impossible to test in anything resembling real-life conditions, and so the company played it safe, putting unit reliability first. A highly placed source says that the console has been designed with a ten-year lifecycle in mind and that it is designed to be switched on for that entire period,” Eurogamer states.
The report adds that the company opted for the size “where heat dissipation comes first.” Moreover, Microsoft's engineers are also aware that the company's reputation for quality hardware “is still in the balance after the Red Ring of Death Xbox 360 build quality fiasco, which cost the company over a billion dollars.”
Although Microsoft is yet to release any official specifications on the dimensions of the final console, based on the sizes of known components (like the USB port), it's thought that the Xbox One is approximately 34x26x8cm – nearly similar to a set-top box than console, and noticeably larger than the launch version of the Xbox 360.
Microsoft is also paying attention to the console's heat ventilation. It's believed that the console will definitely heat up if kept on for a long time, but it has been stated that Xbox One will arrive with an advanced heat reduction system, coupled with a not-so-silent fan on standby. Reportedly, the fan will only be noticeable when the system is running a game that requires higher processing.
“Our sources say that Xbox One is expected to remain almost entirely silent in standby and during its media functions, with fan noise only noticeable during gaming when the AMD processor is really being put through its paces,” the report states.
Xbox One is currently set for a November 2013 release.