The Xbox One's user interface is a cleaned-up version of its predecessor's, but don't let its simplicity be misleading. There's a lot to dig into here, menus and submenus of options and Kinect voice-commands that will allow players to get to anywhere from anywhere within the UI. It's sort of like an open-world map that gives players freedom of navigation, even if it sometimes isn't the best listener.
The dashboard this time around has been divided into just three screens, as opposed to the previous string of several screens dedicated to movies, music, Xbox Live, games and apps. There's one main screen displaying users' profile information, a screen to the left for pinned apps and a screen to the right for the Xbox Store. The Store itself has been divvied up for ease of use, with games, movies and TV, music and apps all getting their own section. There's even an area of the games section for DLC and other add-ons, which eliminates time wasted typing away in the search bar.
Moving between games, TV and different apps requires some digging using the controller, but with Kinect voice commands the experience becomes a lot more fluid. Some things are easier with the Kinect, like using the Snap feature, while others require it, like recording gameplay. However, when Kinect 2.0 goes off the rails, it really goes off the rails — losing vocal command of in-app menus almost always requires some extra navigation and possibly reverting back to manual control.
Check out the video above for a run-down of how to navigate your shiny new Xbox One, from where to find your friends list to how to tell Xbox to browse the internet.
