The Xbox One is essentially useless without day one update

sincity · November 8, 2013

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We knew it was coming, but now we have an idea of the utter importance of the day one update heading the Xbox One's way.

When the Xbox One drops on November 22, expect to unwrap the brand new console and just stare at it for a while as it downloads a day one patch before you can do practically anything. We're serious.

Microsoft Senior Director of Product Management Albert Penello told Engadget that the system basically can't do anything without the day one update. The Xbox One won't even play disc games without it, meaning your stuck with a big blocky paperweight until the update is sent through the airwaves.

Penello didn't say exactly what would be in the update, except that it would be mandatory for updating the relatively old version of the operating system shipping with the Xbox One. He also mentioned that the patch contains many of the apps for the Xbox One, which won't be on the system's hard drive fresh out of the box.

Surprise, not surprise

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This doesn't really come as a surprise as manufacturers often start production on the system hardware well before the software is close to its final build. And we knew the Xbox One would be receiving this update, we just didn't know how useless the console would be out-of-the-box without it.

Other systems like the Wii U saw a significantly strained day one patch process that took hours. Without the update users were left with a console unable to access the eShop, Miiverse and Nintendo Chat.

Future PS4 owners will also have to jump over day one patch hurdles. When Sony's new system arrives it won't even have Blu-ray or DVD playback built-in as a basic function of the system.

With the Xbox One and PS4 launching in a few short days, gamers should start praying for a steady internet connection and kind server gods. Otherwise, they may be stuck with some very expensive paperweights for longer than they like.