Xbox One S Lan

The Xbox One is a powerful piece of hardware with 8GB RAM DDR3, 64-bit processors and plenty more muscle. But as time passes this hardware will age. The back of the Xbox One and Xbox One S has an HDMI out to connect direct to your TV or other display, but there's also an HDMI IN port. That's for connecting almost any other device you'd usually. Buy or find an Ethernet patch cable for each Xbox or other computer device that you want to hook up to your LAN. Each Xbox comes with a LAN port already built into the box. It is the place where you will connect 1 end of the Ethernet cable. You can find Ethernet patch cables at computer, video game and hardware stores, as well as on the Internet.

After eight long years, we have finally met the Xbox 360's successor: The Xbox One. While console makers never give away all of their secrets, we have cobbled together enough data from the official unveil, Q&A panels with various Microsoft execs, and statements issued by Microsoft that we now have a good idea of the software and hardware inside the Xbox One. Read on for details of the Xbox One's hardware, software, and some analysis of the Xbox One's pre-owned games controversy.

The Xbox One's hardware specs

The Xbox One is powered by an 8-core x86 AMD CPU (almost certainly based on AMD's Kabini), and a GPU that's very similar to the Radeon 7790. There's 8GB of DDR3 RAM (shared between the CPU and GPU), 32MB of very fast SRAM on the graphics die, and a total of 200GB of memory bandwidth (more on that later). There's also some new silicon in Kinect 2.0, which will come with the Xbox One as standard, which we've covered in a separate story. Rounding out the hardware, there's a Blu-ray drive, 500GB hard drive, 802.11n WiFi (with WiFi Direct), HDMI in and out, Gigabit Ethernet (yay!), and USB 3.0. There'll be three 802.11n radios, so that the console can connect to your gamepads (WiFi Direct), mobile devices, and home network without added latency.

Xbox One hardware diagram. Note the ports on the back.

So far, so good — but, when you take a closer look, it's clear that there's still a lot of unanswered questions. Before the unveil yesterday, it was widely believed that the Xbox One's SoC would feature eight AMD Jaguar cores — just like the PS4. The problem is, Jaguar (and its accompanying GCN GPUs) are 28nm parts — and yet, according to some journalists who got an exclusive peek at the Xbox One, Microsoft says the SoC is based on a 40nm process. It's entirely possible that AMD somehow backported its 28nm parts to 40nm, but owing to the significant differences between the processes this would've been a very costly and time consuming task. It's worth noting that we don't have confirmation that the PS4 uses a 28nm chip, either. (Updated: The latest information seems to be that Microsoft got it wrong, and that it is in fact a 28nm SoC, just like Kabini.)

When it comes to the memory bandwidth, the Xbox One has 68GB/sec of main memory (8GB DDR3) bandwidth, 102GB/sec of bandwidth to the embedded SRAM (32MB), with the last 30GB/sec probably between the CPU and GPU, or perhaps between the CPU and peripherals (gamepads, Kinect, cable TV). This is a much more complicated setup than the PS4, which just has 176GB/sec of unified main memory (8GB GDDR5) bandwidth, usable by both the GPU and CPU. The real-world difference will probably be minor — though I would say that the PS4 probably has the edge, as developers don't need to pay special heed to the Xbox One's fast-but-small SRAM.

For a more detailed breakdown of the Xbox One's hardware, we'll have to wait until the console has been released and reverse engineered by enterprising hackers and crackers — or, if we're lucky, Microsoft might release more information at E3.

The Xbox One's software: Apps, games, and pre-owned games controversy

Perhaps for the first time in console history, the Xbox One unveil, and the Q&A panels that followed, focused more on the software than the hardware. Almost the entirety of the unveil showcased how first-party apps (Skype, NFL, Internet Explorer) will interact with your games, movies, and TV channels.

When it comes to games, the only real features that Microsoft discussed were Smart Match and Game DVR. Game DVR keeps a rolling record of your recent gameplay (so you don't have to remember to press record!), and allows you to share it with your friends via social networks. Smart Match is a new matchmaking system, which presumably developers can tap into, instead of creating their own matchmaking system.

And then there's the pre-owned games controversy. With the Xbox One, all games are fully installed to an internal, unremovable hard drive. The plus side is that you don't need to hunt for the game disc whenever you want to play a game — but, on the negative side, Microsoft says you'll have to pay a fee to install a game a second time, on another console. Unfortunately, Microsoft hasn't been very clear about how big this fee will actually be; some reports suggest that that the fee will be as large as the game's original price.

This, as you have probably guessed, is intended to cripple the pre-owned games market. While there have been a few official Microsoft statements over the last few days, the latest is this: 'While there have been many potential scenarios discussed, today we have only confirmed that we designed Xbox One to enable our customers to trade-in and resell games at retail. Beyond that, we have not confirmed any specific scenarios.'

Three operating systems in one

According to Microsoft, the Xbox One runs three different operating systems. There's a core operating system that's based on Microsoft's Hyper-V hypervisor technology, which boots up when you turn the console on. This hypervisor then boots up two further operating systems: Xbox OS, which runs the games, and an OS that's based on Windows 8, which runs the apps (Skype, TV, etc.)

The Xbox OS and Windows-based OS run side-by-side, on hardware that's virtualized by the hypervisor. Both OSes are permanently switched on and constantly rendering their video output, to enable instant switching/snapping between games and apps/TV. The Xbox OS is rebooted whenever you load a game, but the Windows-based OS is persistent until you turn the console off. It isn't clear how the hardware resources are split between the two virtualized OSes, but hopefully the Xbox OS (games) gets most of the RAM and GPU time.

This is a very interesting and potentially very powerful setup. I actually speculated about the Xbox One running Windows 8 way back in July 2011. At the time, I theorized that Microsoft would develop a single OS (Windows 8) and interface (Metro) that unifies every form factor, from desktop, to tablet, to smartphone, to console. While I was only half right, it's clear from the various demos, photos, and videos that the Xbox One will look and feel like a Windows 8 device. The grid-like Metro design language is there, snapping is there, the fonts are the same. While we'll probably have to wait until the Build developer conference to find out more, it is also very likely that apps developed for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 will run on the Xbox One with minimal modification.

With the switch from a PowerPC CPU in the Xbox 360 to x86 in the Xbox One, it might also simplify the development and porting of games between Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, and Xbox One. We have almost no details on the Xbox One's gaming OS, but it's possible that it's also been rejigged to share more of the Windows 8 kernel.

In short, the unification between all form factors is virtually complete. In theory, this is very exciting for Microsoft, consumers, and developers. In practice, Microsoft now needs to get off its ass and shift a ton of devices so that consumers and developers can actually take advantage of this utopian unified interface and ecosystem.

Now read: Xbox One vs. PS4 vs. PC: How the hardware specs compare

Minecraft now spans millions of devices, unified via cross-platform multiplayer attributed to its shared 'Bedrock' engine. The unification breaks long-established barriers between platforms, including home console rivals, the Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Here's how to get started with cross-play for Minecraft today.

• Living room adventures: Minecraft Master Collection - Xbox One ($43 at Amazon)
• On-the-go wonder: Minecraft - Nintendo Switch ($29 at Amazon)

Setting up Minecraft cross-play for Xbox One

Preparing cross-play on Xbox One is straightforward, thanks to relaxed content restrictions compared to other platforms. And with direct Xbox Live integration on the console, you'll be ready to go after installing the game. Xbox One users should ensure 'Minecraft' is used, rather than the incompatible 'Minecraft: Xbox One Edition.'

1. Open the Microsoft Store on Xbox One.
2. Select the Search title.
3. Type Minecraft.
4. Select Minecraft from the available titles.
5. Download Minecraft for Xbox One. This will be a free download for existing Minecraft: Xbox One Edition owners or priced at $43.
6. Open Minecraft.

After completing the above steps, your Xbox One is primed for Minecraft cross-play with other systems.

Setting up Minecraft cross-play for Nintendo Switch

Cross-play on Nintendo Switch brings a few additional hurdles to overcome, due to limitations of the console. Without native Xbox Live integration, you'll need to sign into a Microsoft account. Furthermore, the lack of an integrated browser means you'll need help from a mobile or PC. Like the Xbox version, Nintendo Switch users should ensure 'Minecraft' is installed, rather than the incompatible 'Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition.'

1. Open the Nintendo eShop.
2. Navigate to the Search tab.
3. Search for Minecraft.
4. Select Minecraft from the available titles.

5. Download Minecraft for Nintendo Switch. This will be a free download for existing Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition owners or priced at $29.

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6. Open Minecraft.
7. Select Sign In For Free when prompted to sign into your Microsoft account.

8. Navigate to https://aka.ms/remoteconnect on your PC or mobile.

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9. Enter the unique code displayed on-screen.
10. Sign into your Microsoft account. A confirmation screen will be displayed. Your Xbox Live profile will appear on your Nintendo Switch shortly after.
11. Select Let's Play to complete the process.

Minecraft is now linked to Xbox Live and ready for cross-play with other systems.

How to create Minecraft cross-play games

Www premieres nz. The process of creating cross-play sessions is the same as any other Minecraft multiplayer game – set up your world, and you're ready to go. For those with an existing Minecraft Realm from other platforms, these steps can be ignored.

1. Select Play from the main menu.
2. Choose Create New under the Worlds tab.
3. Select Create New World to start a fresh game.
4. Navigate to the Multiplayer subsection.
5. Check to see if multiplayer is enabled.
6. Select Create once you're ready to play

Your Minecraft world will now start and be open to other players.

How to join Minecraft cross-play games

Using Minecraft's Friends tab is a quick way to see active games and join sessions. Navigating to this section will breakdown which online games are joinable across compatible platforms.

1. Select Play from the main menu.
2. Press RB to access to Friends tab on Xbox One. Press R to access to Friends tab on Nintendo Switch.
3. Select an active game to join.

On Xbox One, games will be split between joinable friends and joinable Realms. On Nintendo Switch, games are sorted by Nintendo Switch friends, Xbox Live cross-platform friends, and joinable Realms.

Living Room Adventures

Xbox One S Land

Minecraft Master Collection - Xbox One

Xbox One Lan Party Games

A world of wonder to explore.

Dive into Microsoft's blocky world of open-ended adventures primed to unleash your creativity. Explore its trials and secrets alone or pair up with friends via cross-play, still among the best of Xbox One today.

Mobile Worlds

Minecraft - Nintendo Switch

Minecraft goes where you go.

Take the full Minecraft experience on-the-go with the Nintendo Switch variant of the voxel adventure epic.

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Xbox One Lan Party

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Xbox One S Lan

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