We’re just two weeks away from the official Xbox One launch, but Microsoft has confirmed that its next generation console won’t be able to play games out of the box.
In order to use your new games console for playing games, you’ll need to install a day one software update. Otherwise it will effectively remain a £429 door stop.
Whilst speaking with Engadget, Microsoft senior director of product management Albert Penello revealed that "functionally, you will be able to do very little without taking the day one update."
It’s not just gaming that will be off the cards without this sizeable update. "A lot of the apps come with the day one update because they wouldn't have even been done," explained Penello.
So why is the Xbox One effectively bricked on day one? It’s because all of the Xbox One consoles currently sat in warehouses and factories around the world are essentially operating on an old version of the console’s operating system.
That operating system, and the host of apps that will ship with it, are constantly being updated, and will continue to be updated right up until the Xbox One’s launch. There’s an inevitable disconnect here.
Indeed, the Xbox One’s main rival, the PS4, will also have a day one software update when it launches a week later on November 29 in order to be able to play BluRay discs and DVDs on it. However, the main point to note is that it will be functional as a games console without this update.
When it comes to the Xbox One, you’ll just have to hope that your broadband provider of choice hasn’t planned any maintenance work on the day of November 22.
Read More: Xbox One vs PS4
