Typically, the first instinct you have when you get a brand new console is to plug it in. Unless you work at iFixit, that is. The gadget gurus at the site managed to get their grubby hands on a brand new Xbox One console, and promptly tore right into it to unearth some mysteries, like a Indiana Jones for the digital age, minus the whip and charming hat.
After popping out some screws and prying up the console's side grill let the team at the Xbox One innards. Once the metal chassis was removed, it was discovered that the HDD beside the fan is a standard 2.5 SATA II drive, and while difficult to get at, isn't too hard to pull out, prompting the thought that it could also be replaced. The bad news? As iFixit reports, "replacing the hard drive requires voiding the warranty." And the worse news - "we're not sure if the Xbox One will recognize unformatted SATA hard drives."
Yeah, sorry to burst your bubble Microsoft fans. Maybe the company has future plans so this can be accomplished, but in the mean time, best of luck managing the install data for your games and apps.
Comparatively, the PlayStation 4's HDD can be swapped without voiding the warranty, and is apparently pretty easy. Sony's even provided a how-to on the process.
On the plus side, for those of you still willing to get down and dirty with the console's insides, iFixit rated the Xbox One an 8 out of 10 for being easy to repair: "Only a few tools are required to take the whole console apart. The opening procedure is similar to, but much easier than, any Xbox 360. Once inside, a clean, no-nonsense modular design allows the drives, fan, heat sink, wireless board, and front daughterboard to be easily replaced."
Microsoft's Xbox One launches worldwide tomorrow, Nov. 22, for $499.
The new console claims an 8-core x86 processor and Microsoft hopes it will take the place of the family room cable box by letting you watch Blu-ray movies and TV through the console, in a "seamless transition" that lets players switch from playing games to watching shows and/or movies. It will come fully loaded with 8GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive.
The following games offered at launch include Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Forza Motorsport 5, Battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Dead Rising 3, FIFA 14, Killer Instinct, Ryse: Son of Rome, and more.
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