Microsoft reveals Xbox One prototypes

Microsoft has taken the wraps off some of the design process and prototype looks for its upcoming Xbox One console.

Xbox creative director Carl Ledbetter discussed the journey to the final look and feel of the console as part of Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference 2013, as reported by Polygon.

"We wanted to make it simple and elegant, and we wanted it to be crafted and tailored, so it's all about quality," Ledbetter said. "Using those principles, we started to design."

The process involved a team of 30 staff creating initial sketches, which were then turned into physical prototypes. Those models were then put in situ, placed in lounge rooms to give the team an indication of how the devices would look alongside other consumer electronics.

"The design you see here," Ledbetter said, showing the final Xbox One unit, "this is where we start to apply things like gloss and matte finishes. How does the vent pattern look? How does the brand come through the front? How do we make the font look high quality, just like the high-definition televisions in people's living rooms?"

The creative director also revealed that Microsoft created more than 200 prototypes for its new Xbox One controller, with users able to discern minute differences between different configurations. "We found that, when people put these in their hands, [they] could tell the difference between a 10th of a millimetre in size," Ledbetter said.

The Xbox One is scheduled to go on sale this November.