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Microsoft unboxes Xbox One, reveals final design and a bundled headset

Microsoft unboxes Xbox One, reveals final design and a bundled headset

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Xbox One unbox
Xbox One unbox

Microsoft's next Xbox console won't go on sale until November, but that isn't stopping the company from unboxing it a little early. In a new video featuring one of the first Xbox One production units — complete with the recent graphical speed increase — Microsoft is detailing exactly what's in the box of the Xbox One Day One edition that will be made available in a few months time. The console, Kinect, and a branded day one controller are all present as you'd expect, but there's a surprise: a bundled Xbox One Chat Headset. Microsoft says both the Day One and standard editions will include the mono headset.

The headset has been designed to take advantage of the Xbox One's improved audio quality with the ability to control the volume from a separate block that plugs into the bottom of the controller. The final Xbox One design includes a separate power supply, HDMI cable, and console that all have what Microsoft describes as a "liquid black" finish and are designed with a consistent 16:9 ratio in mind. Microsoft is also proud it's shipping an HDMI cable that supports 4K, 1080P, and 3D, despite the same cables being available for as little as $5 at retailers.

Xbox One's controller includes an integrated battery compartment that supports standard or rechargeable AA batteries, or charging from a standard micro-USB port. When you connect a USB cable into the controller and console the wireless radio shuts down inside the controller and gameplay can continue via the wired connection. This will let Xbox One owners use the controller without batteries. Microsoft also confirms that the Xbox One Wi-Fi radio is A, B, G, and N compatible, and also supports dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies. Microsoft has yet to confirm exactly when the Xbox One will be made available, but it's due in the month of November in the US for $499, as well as Canada, Australia, and a number of European countries.