Xbox release date announced

A fierce battle to attract the nation’s gamers has been triggered with news that the Xbox One is to be launched on November 22, the Daily Mail reported.

Microsoft’s new games and entertainment console, which will cost £429, will go head to head with Sony’s PlayStation 4 during the crucial pre-Christmas period.

The PS4 will also launch in November at a cheaper price of £349 in what is likely to be a close competition for sales.

Xbox One players will be able to create personalised avatars of themselves, which are created using a 3D scan of their face taken by cameras built into the console.

In a world first, these avatars will be able to take part in physical games, where the movement, power and balance of the player will be acted out on screen.

Microsoft defended the £429 price tag, pointing out that it includes the high-tech box, the Kinect system of cameras, a headset and one controller.

As an extra sweetener, families who pre-order the device will get a free FIFA 14 game, which is the biggest computer game in the world.

Microsoft has also signed a deal with EA, the maker of FIFA 14, so that Xbox users will be able to download exclusive game content.

The company is launching a football Legends feature which allows users to add some of the best players of previous generations to their teams - the first three being Ruud Gullit, Lothar Matthäus and Freddie Ljungberg

Microsoft is under pressure to demonstrate to the 8.5million British families who currently have an Xbox 360 why they should upgrade to the new console.


Users of the Kinect system on the Xbox 360 had to stand at least six feet from the screen, but this has been reduced to just four feet.

The Kinect’s camera system has also been upgraded to track users’ movements in dim light.


Another new feature, Project Spark, will allow users to create their own computer games – building landscapes and creating characters, stories and quests.

The competition: The Microsoft XBox One with advanced Kinect and controller
Users will be able to create and share their games with others around the world via a web link to the console.

UK marketing director, Harvey Eagle, said the ability to stand closer to the screen when playing physical games was a major advantage.

“That is one of the big improvements we have made. The feedback we got back from our community was that the play space required was not right for every home,” he said.

“The team worked on that tirelessly and you can now stand a lot closer and do not need to move the furniture around. We are saying it works from a distance of about four feet.’

The box also works as a home entertainment hub linked to the television and internet, allowing access to TV programmes and premium film services such as Netflix.

The Kinect includes cameras and microphones which combine with a web connection so the system can also be used to hold face-to-face conversations on a large high-definition screen with people across the globe.

Vice president of Marketing, Strategy and Business for Xbox, Yusuf Mehdi, said production of the new consoles has now started, and should meet the launch date of November 22.

Consoles will be available from then in the UK, USA, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, and Spain.

Mr Mehdi said: ‘We sold out of our pre-order supply faster than at any other time in our history and we are on path to have the biggest launch of an Xbox ever.’

He also announced that the processing power of the new console will be upgraded from 1.6GHZ to 1.75GHZ, which will improve the speed and performance of games.