Xbox One Will Need 15-20 Minutes to Download Launch Patch

[BlameTheWizards]

Xbox One Will Need 15-20 Minutes to Download Launch Patch

Want to boot up your new console right after coming back from the midnight launch? Maybe spend some time fixing yourself a late night snack while waiting for the mandatory download.

In an updated interview with Marc Whitten, the chief platform architect of the Xbox One, IGN learned that a first day patch will take about 15 to 20 minutes to install once the system is turned on for the first time.

"We are optimizing Xbox One so that the day one update is as fast as possible," said Whitten. "While we're still finalizing the details, we expect that the download will take between 15 and 20 minutes for most users."

Given that gamers have had ample time to become accustomed to, if not necessarily accepting of, day one patches, it's probably not a deal breaker for most fans. However, <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/128266-Reuters-US-Consumers-Prefer-PS4>given a recent consumer poll by Reuters , where consumers stated they were more likely to buy a PS4 than an Xbox One, this likely isn't going to help bring people over to Microsoft's camp. On the other hand, considering the <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/125289-PS4-and-Xbox-One-Drive-Amazon-Pre-Orders-Through-the-Roof>ridiculous number of pre-orders for both consoles, maybe they don't need it.

Source: <a href=http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/08/05/ask-microsoft-anything-about-xbox-one>IGN via <a href=http://www.polygon.com/2013/10/1/4791340/xbox-one-day-one-patch-download-time>Polygon

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[Gizen]

Isn't this one of the things the Wii U got slammed for when it came out?

 

[WickedFire]

More importantly, what internet speed are they assuming with this? Because a 15 to 20 minute download at my house when I was at university (30Mb/s), could take close to a day at home, where if the speed breaches 1mb/s its a huge surprise.

 

[fix-the-spade]

So, how many (if any at all) will get returned because it refuses to operate without being connected to the internet, which is beyond the abilities (or infrastructure) of it's wide eyed and disappointed new owner?

It didn't do the Wii U any favours on launch week, wonder how Microsoft will fare a year later.

 

[TimeLord]

Isn't this one of the things the Wii U got slammed for when it came out?

Didn't the Wii U more get slammed for the initial software download taking up a fair chunk of the 4GB drive it started with?

OT: Microsoft backs down on always online. Forces you to be online when you buy the console anyway.

£10 says this is out of spite.

 

[Covarr]

More importantly, what internet speed are they assuming with this? Because a 15 to 20 minute download at my house when I was at university (30Mb/s), could take close to a day at home, where if the speed breaches 1mb/s its a huge surprise.

This is Microsoft. They've invested a lot of money in making sure their facilities have some of the fastest connections in the country. I'm sure that's what they used to test it, so it'll probably even take longer than that on a 30Mb/s connection (longer still if enough people try to update all at once).

P.S. Thanks

P.P.S. Edit:

Didn't the Wii U more get slammed for the initial software download taking up a fair chunk of the 4GB drive it started with?

No, it was more for the time. The initial download wasn't 4GB as someone initially estimated, that figure was based on download time and connection speed, which weren't really a fair basis since Nintendo's own servers are pretty slow.

P.S. Thanks

 

[Rad Party God]

Next generation ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the future.

Isn't the purpouse of a console to be "plug and play"?, I mean, I can understand that a console needs a patch after certain time (see PSP and PS3) and even those patches are included on the game itself, but blatantly requiring someone to be connected to the internet for a patch with a recently purchased console?.

 

[Callate]

Oh, good. Because having a few million people all hit a server for the same files at the same time has never gone wrong before.

Maybe I'm being petty, maybe it will go just fine, Microsoft is certainly a company that ought to be able to pull that kind of network infrastructure together, but seriously- and especially given the kerfuffle about requiring Internet access in the first place- is a machine that actually does what it's supposed to do out of the box too much to ask?

 

[Yagami_Kira]

Napkin math using average internet speed in USA says its around a 2GB patch.

 

[tippy2k2]

Now...when they say "Mandatory", how mandatory is mandatory?

As in, if I choose to stay offline with my system, will I have to download this patch in order for my system to do the most basic functions of playing video games? Could I pop in Dead Rising 3 and start playing it without this patch if I am never ever planning on going online with my hypothetical Xbox One?

I did a quick sift through the IGN article and I see no mention of this...which seems pretty damn important so I'm not sure why no one brought it up while asking these other questions.

EDIT: Alright, from what people have said, the mandatory is mandatory mandatory and you'll have an expensive paper weight if you do not update the system.

My second question is thus!: Will this be pre-loaded on future consoles or will Microsoft always make you do this? I have to assume they will pre-load is eventually but the internet reversal thingy was done in June and the launched systems still need this done...

 

[LordLundar]

But...

...why?

Remember all that stuff that Microsoft did a 180 on? It's all software modifications and it all happened after the release version of the OS for the system was finalized.

Now...when they say "Mandatory", how mandatory is mandatory?

If you don't download the patch, you're system is a paperweight because without the patch the system still has it's always on requirement.

 

[Quantum Glass]

The sad part is that they're probably going to get a lot of hate for this, simply because it's the Xbox One.

 

[Ninonybox_v1legacy]

The sad part is that they're probably going to get a lot of hate for this, simply because it's the Xbox One.

Very true, honestly this is really no big deal. I'm not so picky that I can't wait around 20 minutes.

 

[frizzlebyte]

This is Microsoft. They've invested a lot of money in making sure their facilities have some of the fastest connections in the country. I'm sure that's what they used to test it, so it'll probably even take longer than that on a 30Mb/s connection (longer still if enough people try to update all at once).

I seriously doubt they're basing this on a super-fast connection; even for MS this would make no sense, as they explicitly state their estimate is "for most users." Even if the top management are clueless (on this, I doubt they are), some of the software guys involved in making the patch probably have slower connections at home.

More likely they're using an estimated home user speed, which is somewhere around 6-8 Mb/s, based on the most recent estimates.

 

[RJ 17]

But...

...why?

I'd imagine it's because of all the policy roll-backs that they implemented. So to be fair, this is actually kinda understandable seeing as how they need to make it so that the Kinect doesn't need to be plugged in, you don't need an online connection, and all the other stuff that they back-tracked on just to make the console even remotely appealing.

 

[Vivi22]

Seems to me distributing the update via game discs would be a better choice. I'd hate to be someone who doesn't have internet for any reason that day who can't used their shiny new system. And when we consider pretty much every XBone user will be accessing the servers at about the same time for that update it's very likely that a lot of them won't get the update on day one at all.

 

[Icehearted]

Spoiler: Remember when consoles were just consoles? Remember when they did not need patching because hardware was meant to be simply connected to your TV and played? Remember when Microsoft did not want their Xbox to be treated like a PC so it would not put people off from buying it instead of Gamecubes and PlayStation 2 systems?

Pepperidge Farm Remembers.

 

[Quantum Glass]

Seems to me distributing the update via game discs would be a better choice. I'd hate to be someone who doesn't have internet for any reason that day who can't used their shiny new system. And when we consider pretty much every XBone user will be accessing the servers at about the same time for that update it's very likely that a lot of them won't get the update on day one at all.

Likely? How so?

Presumably, most of the data they'd receive would be metadata--the number of gamers with internet access and so forth. The other stuff would get collected when you access Xbox Live, and while there's certainly a risk of it crashing then, the same applies for any gaming platform.

Assuming the multi-billion dollar software company has good experience with computers, they should presumably be able to deal with this. If they didn't know about it in advance, then sure, there'd be problems, but Microsoft literally /chose/ the date of release. It's not going to catch them off guard.

 

[Eldritch Warlord]

This actually won't effect me at all, I'm planning on getting all my Xbox One games digitally so I'd have to wait on a download anyway.

 

[omega 616]

Funny how the news story above this is basically "gtao servers are being royally fucked". I bet this 15 to 20 minutes download time will be 24 hour download time.

Them servers are going to get fucking hammered by how many million people? I don't think your Internet will matter much to be honest

Quick question, why can't they just put the patch on the console before launch? Is that not possible?