Xbox One Useless Without Day One Update

Let’s say that you get an Xbox One Christmas morning, but for whatever reason don’t have an internet connection. You’d expect to be able to do something with it, right? An interview with Albert Penello has revealed that the day one update will be entirely necessary for your Xbox One to function, and that not updating will leave you with little more than a brick.

From Engadget:

Functionally, you will be able to do very little without taking the day one update

When pushed, he clarified that there would be “nothing” the Xbox One could do straight of the box. He explained the issue:

A lot of the apps come with the day one update because they wouldn’t have even been done. You’re gonna need to take this update. It’s not gonna be really an optional thing

It’s a surprising problem and one that will no doubt further feed the flames of anti-Xbox rage, but it’s also a problem that exists or has existed in all next-gen consoles. The Wii U’s first update was massive, but cut down load times and such and enabled various internet services. The PlayStation 4 needs an update to play DVDs and Blu-rays, alongside almost every other advertised feature. Perhaps it’s Penello’s wording that makes this one stand out so much more – that there will be nothing the Xbox One can do without the update – but it’s not a Microsoft exclusive problem.