????軟件。近年來(lái)，微軟一直在推廣依托于扁平化的二維圖塊的視覺(jué)體驗(yàn)。Windows Phone是開(kāi)路先鋒，Windows 8緊隨其后，Xbox One也亦步亦趨。它簡(jiǎn)潔干凈、易于識(shí)別。如果說(shuō)瀏覽PlayStation 4的菜單用不了五分鐘，那掌握Xbox One的就更快了——它的菜單更加直觀靈敏。

????設(shè)置是個(gè)非常簡(jiǎn)單、但比較費(fèi)時(shí)間的過(guò)程，運(yùn)行前需要安裝一系列軟件更新（公司發(fā)言人稱，消費(fèi)者將不需要下載這些更新或等這么長(zhǎng)時(shí)間）。對(duì)Xbox 360來(lái)說(shuō)，只有一些小游戲才要用到Kinect。對(duì)Xbox One來(lái)說(shuō)，Kinect在技術(shù)上也不是必備的——從公司今年春季的一個(gè)聲明看，這是政策上的一個(gè)改變。但考慮到每臺(tái)游戲機(jī)包裝里都帶有一個(gè)Kinect，更不用說(shuō)Xbox One和幾款首發(fā)游戲都要用語(yǔ)音識(shí)別，要想從這款設(shè)備中獲得最大樂(lè)趣，Kinect感覺(jué)就是必不可少的了。用戶并不是非要用語(yǔ)音命令才能瀏覽各種功能，但在某些情況下，這確實(shí)更容易些。比如，說(shuō)一句“Xbox啟動(dòng)吧”就能讓它開(kāi)啟——它需要約十秒鐘執(zhí)行這一命令——這確實(shí)能讓我免去為了開(kāi)啟它而必須在房間里前后走動(dòng)的小麻煩。對(duì)其他任務(wù)，如回放電影，也可以使用這個(gè)功能。通過(guò)說(shuō)話讓Xbox快進(jìn)，同時(shí)開(kāi)啟隱藏字幕要比用手柄操縱更容易，而且這時(shí)候會(huì)讓人感覺(jué)這項(xiàng)功能不是那么徒有虛名。

????而在其他方面，語(yǔ)音識(shí)別還是不怎么管用。Kinect現(xiàn)在似乎只對(duì)一些基本命令有反應(yīng)——到游戲機(jī)主屏，在應(yīng)用間切換以及視頻回放——但在網(wǎng)飛（Netflix）或Hulu的視頻上要通過(guò)語(yǔ)音下令從A點(diǎn)到B點(diǎn)，有時(shí)候感覺(jué)比我用手柄操作要慢上兩倍。甚至就在微軟建議我重新調(diào)校Kinect、讓它能更好地識(shí)別我的聲音之后，它也還是老樣子。顯然它還需要進(jìn)一步解決這類(lèi)問(wèn)題，就現(xiàn)在而言，最好的操作方式可能還是得把按鍵和語(yǔ)音結(jié)合起來(lái)用。

????微軟并不只是把Xbox One當(dāng)成下一代游戲機(jī)來(lái)推廣的，它是真正的家庭娛樂(lè)中心。通過(guò)將有線電視或衛(wèi)星機(jī)頂盒和游戲機(jī)相連，用戶可瀏覽節(jié)目、換頻道，也能用“Xbox，調(diào)大聲音”這類(lèi)基本的語(yǔ)音命令調(diào)高或調(diào)低聲音。一項(xiàng)名為“快照”（Snap）的軟件新功能充當(dāng)了微軟類(lèi)似電視“畫(huà)中畫(huà)”功能的互動(dòng)模塊。它是一個(gè)位于電視屏幕右側(cè)的垂直面板，可通過(guò)語(yǔ)音命令或手柄來(lái)使用。用戶可用它來(lái)同時(shí)運(yùn)行幾種內(nèi)容：電視、音樂(lè)和視頻等等。它基本上如廣告所宣稱的那么管用，但在有幾次測(cè)試中卻不盡如人意。比如，有一次我在主屏幕上玩游戲，快照面板中正在播放的電影《鋼鐵俠》（Man of Steel ）出現(xiàn)了嚴(yán)重的拖影現(xiàn)象。在其他情況下，電影的播放十分流暢（微軟表示，等到這款設(shè)備正式推出的時(shí)候，這種性能問(wèn)題將會(huì)得到解決）。

????任何一款新游戲機(jī)，如果沒(méi)有一批靠譜的游戲，它都沒(méi)法讓人趨之若鶩。正如我上周在PS4的測(cè)評(píng)中所提到的，這款游戲機(jī)上首推的許多游戲，包括《刺客信條4：黑旗與戰(zhàn)場(chǎng)4》（Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and Battlefield 4），Xbox One發(fā)布首日也會(huì)有。而實(shí)際上，這款游戲也推出了針對(duì)老款機(jī)型的版本。

????The software. In recent years, Microsoft has pushed a visual experience based on flat, two-dimensional tiles. Windows Phone pioneered it, Windows 8 followed, and so does Xbox One. It's clean, minimal and easy-on-the eyes. And while learning how to navigate around the PlayStation 4's menus took less than five minutes, getting around the Xbox One was even quicker -- it's just more intuitive.

????Getting set up was a thoroughly simple, though lengthy process, with a series of software updates that required installation before I could get going. (A spokesperson for the company indicated consumers won't have to download the same updates or wait nearly as long.) With the Xbox 360, the Kinect was only required for a subset of games. Here, the Kinect is technically not mandatory either -- a change in policy from a company statement this spring. But given how each unit comes packaged with one, not to mention that the Xbox One and several launch games use voice recognition, and the Kinect feels all-but-essential to get the most from Microsoft's new device. It's not mandatory that users issue voice commands to navigate around, but in some cases, it's actually easier. For one, commanding the device to power up by saying "Xbox On" -- which it does in around 10 seconds -- sure saves me the small hassle of walking back-and-forth across the room. The same goes for the other tasks like movie playback. Telling the Xbox to fast-forward and turn on closed-captioning is easier to do via voice than fiddling with the controller and for once, feels less like a gimmick.

????In other cases, voice recognition still doesn't quite cut it. For now, the Kinect seems fine with basic commands -- going to the console's main screen, switching between apps, and actual video playback -- but getting from Point A to Point B in Netflix (NFLX) and Hulu entirely by voice sometimes felt like it took twice the time it normally would if I had stuck with using the controller, even after Microsoft recommended I re-calibrate Kinect to better pick up my voice. There are clearly kinks to be worked out, so for now, the best way to get around may yet be a combination of button presses and voice.

????Microsoft is pushing the Xbox One not just as next-generation gaming device but as serious home entertainment hub. By hooking up a cable or satellite box to the console, users can browse programming, change channels, as well as raise and lower volume by issuing basic voice commands such as "Xbox, volume up." A new software feature called "Snap" serves as Microsoft's interactive take on TV's "picture-in-picture" feature. It's a vertical pane summoned by voice or controller to the right side of the television screen where users can have something else running at the same time: TV, music, video and so on. It worked mostly as advertised, although in a few tests, the movie Man of Steel seriously stuttered in the Snap pane, while I played a game on the main screen. In other cases, the film played smoothly. (Microsoft says the performance issue will be fixed by launch.)

????No new console would be compelling without a solid stable of games. As I mentioned last week in my PS4 review, many of that console's initial titles, including Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and Battlefield 4 will also be available for Xbox One on the first day, and indeed, the former is already available for older consoles, too.