The Xbox One, the successor to the Xbox 360, is a next-generation console that is innovative, high-powered and designed to be the all-in-one device that is a culmination of all the living room needs one would want.

But there are hiccups that undermine this utopian all-in-one device.

At face value, the Xbox One is significantly bigger than not only the PlayStation 4, but the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as well. The design isn’t the most beautiful piece of technology, but the variations in the tones of black used on the console’s chassis do make it easy on the eyes.

Bundled into the $499 console is the Kinect 2.0, an interactive camera that mirrors the design of the Xbox One and is one of the centerpieces of the consoles innovativeness. Making use of a microphone built into the Kinect, a player can now use voice commands to navigate the console’s many interfaces.

For example, a player can simply say “Xbox Snap” and a sidebar is “snapped” right next to a movie or game. This allows the user to seamlessly jump from game to application with the use of simple voice commands.

The downside to the voice command system is that a user has to say an exact command to jump from one task to the next, which means commands have to be memorized to use the function to its highest potential. It’s something that takes getting used to.

The Kinect recognizes voices well, but it can take a couple of tries to make a command work. When jumping from task to task, there can be lag when playing a game which is an issue that needs to be fixed. It’s worth noting that it’s not a constant problem.

While seamlessness is the principle Microsoft is going for, there have been several times that I’ve been unwillingly thrown back to the Xbox Home Screen for some unknown reason – it can be annoying but it is rare.

Games look gorgeous on the new console, but are less crisp than the PlayStation 4 due to the technology, which is used in both consoles’ hardware that makes the Xbox One come up short in that regard.

Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed and other non-console exclusive games will be graphically less powerful on the Xbox One.

Overall, the console is an appealing piece of hardware and future versions of it will certainly fix the discrepancies that it suffers with at times – hopefully.