Yesterday Sony took center stage for the upcoming console war, letting potential customers know about the entertainment apps it would provide upon release next week. But Microsoft’s Xbox has been called the more entertainment-centric of the two consoles, looking to take control of living rooms and be a box that appeals to more than just gamers. To rival Sony, today the Redmond-based company details its own entertainment apps that will ship with the Xbox One on November 22.
“Offering more entertainment options has always been important to Xbox fans. For years, we’ve been working with leading entertainment brands and TV providers to offer our customers a wide variety of live and on-demand entertainment”, Microsoft announces. “We set out to make Xbox One the all-in-one games and entertainment hub for your home. The one system that offers the best games next to the best entertainment experiences and apps”, said Marc Whitten, Xbox Chief Product Officer.
The Xbox One features HDMI pass-thru, essentially replacing your cable/satellite box — you still need it, you just won’t be using it, because the console will take control of it, much the way Google TV does. But beyond simply handling live and recorded TV, the gaming box will ship with a large number of apps. These vary by region, but in the US customers can expect a lineup that includes Amazon Instant Video, ESPN, HBO Go, Hulu Plus, Netflix, Redbox Instant and a number of others.
In addition to entertainment, the Xbox One will ship with additional apps that are not region-specific. These include Xbox Video, Xbox Music, Internet Explorer, Skype and Skydrive. All consoles will also ship with Xbox Fitness to ensure you stay in shape, instead of just sitting on your sofa playing games and watching TV. You can find the full list, broken down by country, by following the link below.
