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Xbox One review roundup: Don't buy it just yet

The first reviews of Microsoft's new console are out -- but critics advise waiting a while before buying.

Luke Westaway Senior editor
Luke Westaway is a senior editor at CNET and writer/ presenter of Adventures in Tech, a thrilling gadget show produced in our London office. Luke's focus is on keeping you in the loop with a mix of video, features, expert opinion and analysis.
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Luke Westaway
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The first reviews of Microsoft's brand new Xbox One console have been published -- but critics are warning that you might want to wait a while before throwing down your cash.

CNET awards the Xbox One three and a half stars, saying, "The Xbox One goes beyond gaming with its ambitious live TV integration, but at launch it can't deliver a knockout blow to the PS4 due to a higher price and uneven voice control."

CNET's conclusion goes on to note, "We suggest you wait for improvements, but for now, the Xbox One is better suited to forgiving early adopters."

The Verge praises the £429 console's strong line-up of launch games and awards the system a score of 7.8 out of 10, but cautions, "Nearly everything that could be great someday isn't great right now."

Arstechnica was impressed by the Xbox One's silent running and instant-on mode, though writes that the voice control and multitasking powers of the Xbox One are "just shy of being enough to really push the system over the top."

"Even if those are smoothed out with future updates," the site writes, "it's unclear that these features are worth $100" (the price difference between the Xbox One and the PS4 in the US).

Gizmodo says you shouldn't buy the Xbox One yet, noting that "It's generally dumb to buy any new console right at launch," while pointing out that the new console's most exciting upcoming games (like Titanfall and Destiny) aren't out yet. The review does comment however that, "If the Xbox One can straighten the few little quirks it has with some software tweaks, this thing is going to be unstoppable in a way the PS4 could never touch."

Kotaku decrees that you don't need to buy the Xbox One yet, writing, "The Xbox One is trying some very cool new things, and it's launching alongside some very fun games. But there are so many rough edges, and the software feels incomplete."

Do you agree that it's wise to wait before buying the Xbox One? Or will you be queuing up to acquire one when it hits the UK on 22 November? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook wall.