Xbox One



"Jump ahead."

The Xbox One is the watercooler successor to the Xbox 360.

This system became infamous for its disastrous launch that attempted to push aggressive always-online DRM, the console as a TV-centric media consumption machine, mandatory use of the Kinect add-on, and no backwards compatibility. Microsoft salvaged it by backtracking on pretty much all of that crap, and it ultimately received a vast number of great games, although its sales always paled next to rival PlayStation 4 since.

Microsoft discontinued the system in 2020 but did not say so until 2022.

Notes:
 * The system is region-free for games (physical and digital, cross-region store purchases possible without needing alt accounts). However, it is region-locked for movies on DVD or Blu-Ray.
 * Backwards compatibility is limited: only 632 out of 2154 Xbox 360 games, and 63 out of 997 OG Xbox games will work. A few have improvements like higher resolution and framerate. Check the compatibility list.
 * Xbox Live Gold: required for online play. Can import and use your Xbox 360 profile (achievements included).
 * Games with Gold: Every month, Xbox Live Gold users will receive two free Xbox One titles and two free Xbox 360 titles, all digitally. The Xbox One titles can be downloaded and played so long as you keep your subscription, while the 360 titles are yours to keep forever. All forthcoming 360 titles will be backwards-compatible, so you basically get four free games every month.
 * Game Pass: A sort of Netflix for games where you have access to dozens of games. You can download them on your console and play them offline. Games are constantly being added but also being taken out. Microsoft has said that all of their future first party titles will be available day one on Game Pass. List of games
 * Game Pass Ultimate: Gold + Game Pass for console and PC, plus cloud gaming to mobile devices. A sweet deal to play a ton of games without breaking the bank.

The List
This icon indicates a game is "Always Online", meaning it requires an internet connection to have all its features. If the game servers or the internet are down, the game will not work correctly. In short, this game will most likely not be functional outside of this console gen as game servers are taken down due to games getting older. For a general rule of thumb, any game that holds multiplayer above single player and any Ubisoft title is suspect to A-on features.

Videos
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