Xbox One's snap feature is a game changer for me

I don't really want to mess about when I game. I guess we're becoming a world with attention deficient problems wherein we can't stay with one thing until done. Sad.

and is also completely impractical

I've had two screens set up side by side for a long time, for exactly the reasons you described. Second playthroughs, multiplayer or achievement hunting can be improved by having some stuff to watch alongside. Cool feature for sure.

I was just playing Forza 5 last night during half time of the Bears game. Not to miss anything, i snapped the bears game to continue playing. It was flipping awesome.

You're. Can snap more than just tv. Snap music playlists, internet, Skype, etc. Only people who poo poo the benefits this provides over the ps4 either haven't tried it, are cows, hate ms, or a combination thereof

@xboxdone74: No I am not "jelly" as someone lame would say. I just think is is hilarious seeing all the sad excuses like I have PIP or another TV set up or anything else to have a reason to bash something you know nothing about. X1 makes it very easy to do these snap features effortlessly, and it is convenient to just snap to your tv and snap back.

To the people that wanna claim these are "useless non-gaming" features, that's just sad. If you want a game console that just plays games and does nothing else go back and get a SNES or PS1. It's 2013 my blue ray player doesn't just play blue rays. I don't have a cell phone to just make phone calls. I want my electronic devices to give me more variety. X1 enhances your whole living room experience, and gives you plenty of options whether you want to use them or not is person choice. But to bash something that is trying to go outta the norm is just ignorance.

So go ahead and spew your ignorance

@xxyetixx exactly.. The people who say they want a gaming console ONLY for gaming are doing a bit of damage control in my opinion.. There's nothing wrong with having options.. Like you said, 99% of the people who act like they only want a device for a singular purpose have smartphones in which they probably spend the LEAST amount of time using it as an actual "phone" and those same people who act like they can't wrap their heads around doing more than one thing at a time also probably have 4+ windows open at any given time when they are on their PCs.. But when it comes to the gaming we're supposed to believe your brains all of a sudden cant process simple split screen multitasking?..

Especially when I'm mostly talking about second playthroughs, achievement/trophy hunting, and maybe some multiplayer.. Having the snap feature for those times is extremely convenient and definitely serves to enhance the core gaming experience in my opinion..

now in all fairness, at this current time, having those extra features comes at a $100 premium.. So there's a legitimate argument there if you're coming from that angle.. But to blindly bash extra features and options in general is just plain ignorant.. But I just chalk that up to fanboys doing preemptive damage control for the eventuality that the PS4 and the Xbox One will one day cost roughly the same price thanks to price drops and at that point, those "premium features" will just simply be "added features" that the PS4 doesn't provide for the same price point.. When that happens, the spin factory is going to be in full production..

^^ Exactly, there's nothing wrong with options. All I use are voice controls and snap features now. Once you've used it, there's no going back. These Sony fanboys are basing their arguments with absolutely no personal experience of using the X1. I'm talking sitting down and setting the system up properly and knowing the proper commands. Not from a website or video review or even sitting for 20mins at a friend/relatives house.

To bad no TV supports PNP from two devices using HDMI :-)

TC you should post it in different forum in here you can't have opinions this is the place for 14 year old kids fight for plastic

NIce, two greats from the 80's back in a new $500 console: TV, and the clapper.

I can buy $160 tv now because our conversation remind me of paywall. Selfown kingtits running out of steam hahaha.

I trust neogaf because they are dev, more than I trust random MS propagandist lem on gamespot. You are only bitter because neogaf is site for intelligent conversation of developer and they prefer ps4.

Yeah, it's not a very good draw for me. I really don't like picture in picture, so when I got a new flat screen, I just put it on the wall over my HD CRT, so I can already multitask. If I'm achievement hunting, my computer is a button press away on another input and I have a tablet if need be. All this I already have set up, so it saves me nothing by getting an Xbox One.

That's not to say I'm against an all in one device if it were made. The Xbox One requiring a cable box to watch live tv inherently eliminates it from being an all in one box. Now, if it would take a cable card and take over the duties of tuning tv and recording shows that would be different. Even better would be MS providing live tv through Xbox Live for an extra fee that you can pay ala carte for just the channels you want (I'd be there day one just for that).

Snap, like most of Xbox Ones "features" are pretty useless to me. I dont have cable televison ( my choice, i hate most television ). Im only in for the games.

Having a second screen is completely superior. I've been doing this for many years now with my laptop/TV, and I can pick which screen does what. I like doing two things simultaneously or having a movie or sports event playing in the background.

It's worth the investment and the effort to set it up. The next set up I'm thinking of is replacing the laptop with a second smart TV

Moving the goal post kid. I understand. Make a statement, can't back it up so you do what cows do....move the goal post to suite your needs. Typical loser cow behavior. Go to neogaf and ask them what you should think now. You can come back when they've formed your next opinion kid.

Show me a link to a nice TV for $160.

I've never really been interested in this feature as I have both a laptop and a pc in the same room so no sacrifice to screen size/visual quality (does it effect this?) either way guess it's cool to have but realistically will never be of any use to me plus most people that would own a console would surely have access to a who second portable device like a laptop or tablet that can do it better?

Never been a fan of picture in picture or any of this stuff. Too much going on on screen at the same time. I have my pc monitor and then i have my tv. Turn my head left. TV. Turn right computer. Picture in picture never took off as a feature because of this. It's a gimmick.

I think you xbox guys are trying too hard i'm sorry.

In response to everyone that says they'd rather use two separate devices, that's great.. doesn't change the fact that the Xbox One can do all of that within one unified system, which is exactly what I'd personally prefer.. and personal preference aside, those statements just prove that the Xbox One snap feature does indeed provide a built-in feature that many gamers can appreciate.. I mean, if you're willing to set-up a separate television, computer, and/or juggle a tablet during your gaming, then that shows that snap is far from the "useless non-gaming" feature that cows try to convince themselves it is.. as I said, and apparently many of you agree, having that second screen multitasking is very useful for almost any hardcore gamer

It kind of is though. When i game i focus solely on that. I'm not juggling anything that's the point. You are. You have 3 things on your screen at once. it takes away from the gaming aspect imo. Is juggling a game? No its a gimmick. I have my pc. I have my tv and i have my console. They are completely separate. I'm not juggling both at the same time.

you are using resources on your xbox that could be focused towards gaming. It's no different than picture in picture imo. Watching 2 things at once on the same screen is silly.

I can do that on ps3. My tv has picture in picture display. Most TV's have since like the 90's.

@Antwan3K: Actually, it doesn't really prove snap as a useful feature. It more shows how many people dislike splitting the screen, otherwise they'd all be saying how their tv already does picture in picture. Perhaps if that second hdmi was a second output, then we might have something.

@Celtic_34 by loose definition, handling 3 separate things is indeed "juggling". you can't juggle with one thing..

and imo, its "silly" to have my computer and my television side-by-side... For me, that's just plain tacky.. I have my preference and you have yours.. Fair enough

but what we BOTH agree on is that being able to do more than one thing at a time via a second screen, especially when achievement/trophy hunting, is very useful.. And the Xbox One is the only gaming console that provides exactly that as a built-in and fully integrated feature.. If you prefer to have separate devices sitting in your living room, that's fine.. I have no doubt that there are others that share that preference.. But also realize there are plenty of people who would prefer a centralized and singular solution as well.. The Xbox One provides that.. And I think it's a very nice feature that I'll surely miss if ever fire up my PS3/360 again and/or eventually pick up the PS4..

I can't be the only one thinking that either the game you're playing sucks, the snapped content you're watching sucks, or both. I mean seriously when I play games, I am focused on the game. I'm sorry but all I'm thinking right now is that some of you need to play better games.

@RPGamer nope, concentrated on the full screen gaming experience on the initial playthrough but I don't need to "focus" when I'm grinding achievements like finding collectables in Battlefield 4 and/or killing 100,004 zombies in Dead Rising 3.. I mean, at that point, you've already experienced the story and gameplay mechanics so what exactly are you having to so intently focus on?.. During that time, I have absolutely no problem (and actually PREFER) to make that time more enjoyable and productive by catching up on episodes of Dexter on Netflix or watching football on TV in the snap screen..

its an option and a very welcome one.. And also, snapping the Machinima app really made for an extremely convenient way to watch walkthrough and tip videos while achievement hunting.. There's absolutely no downside to this and I can't see myself going back to the old way of doing things honestly

I'm sorry but all I'm thinking right now is that some of you need to quit pretending it takes 100% brain power to grind XP..

I'll snap the news or, most often, a sporting event. My focus is generally on the game but i can still listen for something exciting to happen and pause the game when it does. I've also used it to snap the internet both while watching tv or gaming. It's a useful feature and one most don't understand until they've experienced it.

Plus it is all voice controlled and instantaneous.

Yes, can you walk over to your pc and search something? Of course. Can you set up a whole different tv in your living room? Yes but i agree with Antwan that it is pretty tacky. Plus, in my case, you'd also have to have your cable split and a completely separate Directv box to get access to TV on that extra tv (so now i'm eather taking that box from another room in the house or paying the extra money each month to have one just for a little side tv).

I don't think anyone's saying it's not a nice feature to have but most people find screen within screen annoying. Whoever said it i "tacky" to have a seperate device nearby is an idiot.

I been watching other things when playing games for over a decade, i have TV and computer in same room...

@rosko123 as a 30+ year old adult, having two televisions set up in my living room or having my computer sitting side-by-side with my television is indeed "tacky".. That's my opinion of course, but its also my living room.. There's no way I'd do that at this point and with the Xbox One's snap feature, I have no need to..

I did stuff like that when I was playing PS1 and still living at my mom's house... I also did it when i had a PS2 and was living with a roommate in college.. Not so much these days though.. With the Xbox One, i can have that same experience and more without the extra clutter in my living room and/or without having to juggle a laptop or tablet alongside my controller..

@Antwan3K:

I'm 28 & also live alone and to have a laptop or tablet in your living room is perfectly normal, this is the future after all. Perhaps you just don't understand what the word tacky means? Do you just mean it is impractical for you? Because my laptop is less space consuming than that behemoth that is the xbox one. I don't get where you got the idea that you need 2 tv's or a pc in there either. The fact is one tiny device can do all of those things the Xbone can do, not only that it can do it better & do way more.

It's neat and pretty cool, but it's not a game changer and not enrough of a factor in decision making to pick one or the other.

HA HA HA!!! You ignorant ninny.

It scales the game screen to 3/4, and the snap takes up 1/4. Don't post when you don't know what you are talking about.

Just another feature for the add gener

Typical cow response.

Buy a PS4, a gaming PC, and two TVs; then you don't need an Xbox One. LOL! LOL!!!!

And that is the real difference, isn't it. You cows bought a hardware upgrade, we bought a next-gen media/entertainment device.

@Mr-Kutaragi: you have been owned so much in this thread. Just pack up your ps4 and go buy the Xbox one already. BTW a TV that cost less than $100 will be a720p TV only with degraded picture quality so your idea of getting two TVs is totally not the same at all. Fail is fail and you failed hard.

@Syn_Valence: right cause why would people love the "smart" features of a TV that should only display images in motion? Why did people live ps3 and 360 for media features when they should only play games? Loser. Stop crying about the Xbox being the superior experience because you'll smear your eye liner.

I used it a couple times to try it out, wont use it again I'm guessing.

@rosko123 you must've missed the numerous posts people made saying that they'd rather have a 2nd TV or Computer next to their gaming console rather than use the Xbox One snap feature.. I responded by saying that was "tacky".. Maybe I misread your post or maybe you misread mine but you said "Whoever said it is 'tacky' to have a seperate device nearby is an idiot.".. A TV or PC is indeed a separate device.. Now if you're talking about a laptop or tablet that's not what I was referring to with the "tacky" comment.. I routinely have my tablet laying around in my living room as well.. But, while not "tacky", trying to navigate a tablet or laptop for second screen media isn't as seamless as using the Xbox One's snap feature and voice controls in my opinion.. I've used my tablet alongside my PS3/360 before and that just doesn't compare to what I'm doing now with the Xbox One in my personal experience..

Why else wouldn't this place be called System Wars? Fanboys always rave their favorite toys and try to show how much better than the others.

@Antwan3K: Fair enough mate, just that you had replied to me and I don't think I mentioned any of those things (certainly not having 2 tv's going at the same time.) It's great you find it useful and good that the option is there just a lot of people don't have too much use for it when they have other devices nearby. I think the idea of the xbox wanting to be all in one is fine it's just with the TV stuff especially cable they might be a bit late off the mark. Funny how the people that ridiculed Sony & the PS3 for trying to be a media centre are now loving it when Microsoft does it though!

Xbox does it right, that's why.

@rosko123 lol, true. I was one of the people who defended the PS3's included Blu-ray playback because I wanted (and still want) my gaming console to be the center of my living room media entertainment..

back then Microsoft fanboys screamed that "all I want to do is play games and nothing else!!" and Sony fanboys were the ones saying that "multimedia functions add value and are equally as important!!".. Its so funny to see how those views have become so opposite.. All of sudden, cows only care about gaming and don't care about multimedia.. They hate the idea of paying extra for non-gaming functionality..

in 2006, according to cows, paying $200 more for Blu-ray movie playback was totally justifiable.. Now in 2013, paying $100 more for universal voice navigation, full-body motion control, live TV integration, snap screen multitasking, and more (thanks to Kinect 2.0, HDMI input, and the Windows 8 kernel) is totally unjustifiable.. Now its "all about the games" and nothing else matters lol..

Lemmings are doing the same too.. In 2005, lower price points and and bare-bones "pure gaming" was all that mattered.. Oh, the irony...

Increasing productivity isn't sad at all. On a computer do you still only have one web page and don't play any music in the background, additional tabs or have anything else running because it is sad?

Not sure why people are downplaying the idea of multitasking, there are clear advantages. Like the earlier example of the machinima loading the guide for the game you are playing, great idea. In the past you had to buy a book, grab your phone or load up your computer to look up a website for help, all of which required pausing the game. Also checking something like football scores just bring up ESPN and have a look what your team is doing and close it all without stopping the game.

Not sure why people think switching between inputs is the same at all, this will be copied by Sony at some point if possible, because it is a great idea. People are still down on Kinect, but once it gets to the point of following commands with a 95-100% success rate, which for a lot of people it isn't too far off, then Kinect will be more than warranted. The Xbox isn't even close to being complete yet, once the features start maturing and improving, this could be great.

Am I understanding the feature as basically having another window? I switch between browsing the internet and playing a game all the time with my PC and that sounds pretty cool for a console.

@StormyJoe: Uh dude I know the snap feature scales your screen and puts the TV up...That response was to some "ninny" that said they just use their PIP, and PIP doesn't scale it just covers up a corner of your screen

@Antwan3K: I don't like games that grind all that much any longer, I don't have time for that. I'm rarely hunting for achievements, especially ones that have some arbitrary number that requires nothing but spending more time in a game than you probably want to. This just sounds like you're done with the game, and could in theory be playing something better.

I like this new feature but what has really impressed me is not the actual snapping, because as many other gamers said I usually prefer to have 100% of my screen real estate when I am playing...what I really like is how there's no quitting games anymore really, barely any pause between switching games and apps.....and I'm glad I got all my games digital, because of this basically I can instantly switch to anything.....and the previous app or game keeps running...you just switch back to it.

Snapping is great for me when I am doing something a little boring in a game, for example waiting for someone to join my lobby, or for example in Forza 5 if I join a game in progress and I have to wait a few min for the match to start, I snap something in the meantime. Great stuff overall.

RPGamer at $60 a pop, I like to get as much out of each game as I can.. Completing achievement challenges are a way of doing that..