The Xbox One has gone through the more significant metamorphosis of the two big consoles since their release in November 2013 - the other being the PlayStation 4. Even before its launch, Microsoft had begun changing the messaging philosophy of the platform, going from a console that heavily relied on DRM to an unshackled experience where owners can trade in and play used games. That was followed up by making the Kinect motion sensor no longer a required part of the system(the no-Kinect bundle is now the default entry-level model).
Meanwhile, a lot has been fine-tuned under the Xbox One’s hood - particularly the firmware’s functionality(not actual hardware tweaks), which, from a performance and ease-of-use standpoint, is still playing second to Sony’s impressively smooth interface. A massive interface update dubbed the "New Xbox One Experience" was released in November 2015 that has improved some of the dashboard’s logistics and aesthetics, but it’s still hanging on to some lingering frustrations. But more on that later.
Overall, Xbox One has had a great 2015 and is home to the best exclusives of the 2015 holiday season. In the short term, Xbox One makes a solid argument for ownership, but do 2016 and beyond look to be just as promising?