Speaking at the Tokyo Game Show, Xbox Senior Director Of Product Management and Planning, Albert Panello, has today revealed that Microsoft’s next-gen console won’t support vertical orientation due to its disc drive.
In an interview with GameSpot Panello said “We don’t support vertical orientation; do it at your own risk”, before going on to clarify that this isn’t – as you may expect – due to the system requiring ventilation or such, but rather an issue Microsoft seem to have with the Xbox One’s Blu-ray drive.
“It wouldn’t be a cooling problem, we just didn’t design the drive for vertical. Because it’s a slot loading drive, we just didn’t design it for both” Panello explained.
Of course, The Xbox One isn’t the first system to feature a drive like this; both Sony’s PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 machines feature similar slot-loading drives, and allow users to lay the console flat, or stand it upright, as they so please and without problem.
Panello also quoted the unsurprising Microsoft statistic that “80 percent of people, believe it or not, have their Xbox [360] horizontally” – there are known issues with the earlier 360 models damaging discs when they’re vertical, however, so maybe that’s a deciding factor, rather than user choice alone?
The Xbox One is scheduled for release in the UK on November 22nd, for £429.
Source: GameSpot.
Wardy-77-
Coming soon to Blue Peter,Turn it Vertical paint some windows on it,Walla your very own tower block/flats.
double-o-dave
This is surprising… I never tried it personally but I’m pretty sure that all the VHS players I’ve had in the past would have worked fine tipped on their side & they were made in the 80s & 90s unless Microsoft’s reincarnation!
double-o-dave
‘unless?!’ – unlike
JR.
I think they’re taking this ONE business a bit far now…
Position: ONE – Horizontal
Size: ONE cubic meter
Weight: ONE hundred pounds
Cost: ONE billion dollars!
:D
double-o-dave
The more I think about that comment, the worse it seems. What a peckerhead.
Thats like Shell saying…
“We don’t recommend dowsing yourself in petrol and setting yourself alight; do it at your own risk”.
TSBonyman
I remember reading something about the 360 where they had left out one tiny 50 cent piece of metal or plastic to save costs which would have prevented all the disc-scratching. It sounds like they’ve taken the cheaper route again this time.
Andrewww
I always thought they got away with it back then far too easily. They sold unstable hardware and people started buying more than one of the machines, as their first one broke, due to RROD. I never understood that. But if it worked out then, why should they change strategy?
Foxhound_Solid
Playstation will forever be my choice console. So this is no bother for me :-)