The release of Microsoft’s Xbox One gaming console may have revealed a bigger focus on living room entertainment than many expected, but what is its potential within the connected home? Callum Fitzpatrick reports.

When Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One at a press conference in May 2013, it was touted as being more than just a games console. It was to be an “all in one system” for games, entertainment and television, with some pretty impressive architecture on board – eight times the graphical power of the Xbox 360, connectivity to more than 10 times the number of global servers and the potential to deliver a rapid, internet enhanced television experience.

There has also been speculation that Microsoft would use the console as a pathway into the home automation sector, with the company increasingly setting its sights on developing and acquiring smart technologies.

Take the company’s headquarters as an example. A recent overhaul of its 500 acre campus saw the company inventing a data-driven software solution that monitors energy consumption across 125 buildings, using a network of smart sensors to save millions of dollars in maintenance and utility costs.

The project was so successful that Microsoft and its partners are now helping building managers across the world deploy the same solution. And with commercial buildings consuming an estimated 40% of the world’s total energy, the potential is huge.

Couple that with Microsoft’s acquisition of home automation start-up id8 Group R2 Studios earlier this year and you’d expect that we’re going to see a lot more of the tech giant in this space.

Using the Xbox One as an entry point into the smart home sector makes perfect sense. After all, a console is always in a focal point of the living room and it’s usually connected to the biggest screen in your home. Further, with Microsoft’s improved Kinect motion sensor and voice recognition technology, and seamless cloud interfacing, the hardware is in place for all the smarts you’d want from a modern automation platform. Then when you add in SmartGlass, which links the Xbox One with your phone or tablet, there’s even the potential to control your home from pretty much any handheld device you own.

But, while it’s plain to see that the foundations are in place for developers to integrate the Xbox with the smart home in the very near future, for now the console is still just a gaming and entertainment system. (Albeit a very intelligent one with some pretty neat features.)

The Xbox gaming OS has been fused with a Windows OS which has greatly improved performance over its predecessor, allowing users to run apps, such as Foxtel, Quickflix, Twitch, Crackle, Machinima, alongside game play. This means you can quickly jump from TV to a movie to a game and snap them side by side to do two things simultaneously. The console’s speed has also been enhanced through the combination of its CPU, GPU and ESRAM, making for a more efficient use of power.

Xbox director of program management David Dennis says that the console has been developed with the future firmly in mind.

“Xbox One is designed to start ahead and stay ahead. We’ve invested deeply in cloud infrastructure, controller design, Kinect and Xbox SmartGlass so creators can deliver breathtaking new experiences,” he says.

“Xbox One uses a range of advanced technologies that make it a system that will continue to evolve and improve over the next decade. It’s equipped with a gigabit Ethernet port and 802.11n wireless to eliminate interference from other devices in the home and provide a faster connection. It can also connect with other smart devices seamlessly through the cloud – as shown through the Xbox SmartGlass devices.”

SmartGlass turns your mobile phone or tablet into a second screen that intelligently interacts with your Xbox to elevate your entertainment experience. It allows for your devices and TV to talk to each other to enhance TV shows, movies, music, sports and games.

“Xbox One is built for gamers and since the beginning we’ve been focused on delivering great games and entertainment experiences to our fans. We’re only just beginning to tap into the power of the cloud and technologies like SmartGlass that change the way you interact with your entertainment. Our vision is to continue to innovate on these experiences, and we’re always working on what’s next for Xbox.”

In addition, Microsoft has created a global network of Xbox Live servers, to help creators realise their visions of what is possible with a connected system.

“We’ve already seen some amazing things from our partners and studios that take advantage of the full power of the cloud in ways that hadn’t been done before and we’re continuing to work with developers and partners to understand needs and deliver incredible experiences to our fans,” David adds.

What’s more, Microsoft’s Kinect technology has some impressive voice and motion detection technology on board and the new incarnation is supposedly “more precise, more responsive and more intuitive”. The Xbox One can be switched on with a simple “Xbox on” command and volume can be controlled with “Xbox volume up” or “Xbox volume down” phrases. You can also jump between activities by saying “Xbox watch TV” or “Xbox go to Skype” for 1080p Skype video calls on the TV.

You can even choose to be automatically signed in when you enter the room.

The Kinect’s Real Vision technology has dramatically expanded its field of view for greater line of sight and a new active IR camera enables it to see in the dark. Using advanced 3D geometry, it can even tell if you’re standing off balance.

Real Motion technology tracks even the slightest gestures, so a simple squeeze of your hand results in precise control over a game or app, whether you’re standing up or sitting down. Real Voice technology is more focused because of the new multi-microphone array. Advanced noise isolation lets Kinect know who to listen to, even in a crowded room.

“The voice and gesture recognition features are built using IR blasting technology, which enables the Kinect sensor to identify your body movement, recognise you and respond to your voice in a more accurate way than before. Controller-free technology is one of many ways to interact with both games and entertainment,” David says.

“We don’t envision a world in which we have gesture-based and controller based games, but rather a world in which the gamer is at the centre of an immersive, cinematic experience, where users are interacting with their content through whatever combination of inputs that makes the most sense.”

David says that Xbox One was designed to be the most advanced entertainment device in the living room, and developers are still experimenting with the technology, so the best is yet to come.

“What really matters to us are the amazing experiences that Xbox One enables. For a long time, consumers have been asking for something that makes watching live and on-demand TV seamless – a device that makes it easier to go from one experience to the other without switching devices or inputs. Xbox One solves this common consumer issue. Xbox One passes the signal from your set-top box through to your television, combining all your favourite TV channels with your favourite on-demand content, as well as entertainment apps into one experience, providing the ability to jump between each instantly.

“The Snap feature means you don’t have to choose between watching your favourite TV show and playing your favourite game – you can do both at the same time or choose from a wide selection of other experiences. And with more than 45 new apps and experiences coming to Xbox there are going to be tons more entertainment options to choose from.”