At first glance, you might think that if you decide to buy a device, you’ll only pay the given price and be done with it. I remember, the first time I’ve bought a smartphone, that I was thinking it will only cost me $150 which is not that much.
Well, the joke was on me, for it was not that good of an investment and I ended up paying an extra $50 on Xbox one accessories and apps. The gaming market is not different at all. You will pay an initial retail price, but in order to have the best experience possible with your console, then you will have to invest in some cool add-ons.
These are the top 10 gadgets for the Xbox One which was released in 2014.
1. An External Hard Drive
There are 2 versions of the Xbox One available for purchase and both of them, regardless of the visual features, will come with only 500 GB of storage space. This does not include the ” Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Limited Edition Xbox One” that comes with a 1 TB HDD.
Keep in mind, that only GTA V, that is a must have game in my opinion, will occupy more than 80 GB. Over the first few months, especially after installing more than 10 games, you will notice that you are running out of space.
Luckily, Microsoft added 2 “USB 3.0” ports in order to give their clients the option to buy additional storage. Be advised that any hard drive or flash drive that has a capacity of 256 GB or less, can be only used to preserve pictures, videos and music. If you do attach a larger than 256 GB HDD, then you will have the option to format it and then incorporate it into your storage pool.
This is a very wise investment that will definitely improve, if not save, your experience with the system. You might also want to keep an eye open for Amazon sales. For example, right now the “Seagate Expansion STBX2000401 2TB 2.5-Inch USB 3.0” portable external hard drive is available for purchase at Amazon.com for only $84,99, while the “Seagate Expansion STBX1000101 1TB Portable External USB 3.0” hard drive can be yours for $54,00.
2. Xbox One Media Remote
Number 2 on our list of XBox One Accessories is the standard wireless controller. It is truly a masterpiece. Every movement of the joystick feels right, while every button you press seems to click. In spite of these changes, it does not fix the one huge problem that all controllers seem to have.
The Xbox One is not only meant to be a game station, but also a media device that you are going to want to hook up directly to the cable box. Using the button-laden, complicated, beast of a controller for television will feel off, rather complicated and not at all fun to use.
This is why you might want to invest in a Xbox One Media Remote. It is very easy to use, with a directional pad and lots of buttons that will make dipping in and out of applications a lot more simple. The remote, also has a “glow in the dark” feature, that will activate the moment you touch it and it is very useful for finding the exact button you need. If you are wondering if it has in-built keys for pause and play, then the answer is yes.
This device is available at Amazon.com for $24,99, but if you get it until the 31 of March, then you will only pay $16,92.
3. Turtle Beach Ear Force Stealth 500X Wireless Headset
This is not a product for everyone considering most people out there are just fine with the sound quality that comes out of their TVs. This device is more for those gamers that want to experience the highest sound quality possible while playing. For that I recommend that you get the “Turtle Beach Ear Force Stealth 500X Wireless Headset”.
It is a high-end gaming headset, with a microphone attached to the left side, so the user can very clearly communicate with other players. The speakers offer a 7.1 surround sound, so you will not miss any single in-game footstep, regardless of how discreet it is. The left speaker comes equipped with different remote options as well as power buttons so you will fell more comfortable while using the headset. They use a small base station that sends a signal from your console directly to the headphones.
The “Turtle Beach Ear Force Stealth 500X Premium Fully Wireless with DTS Headphone: X 7.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset” for Xbox One is also available at Amazon.com for $229,95.
4. Xbox One Kinect 2
It comes with a 1080p camera that will precisely follow your every move, even in the dark. It is also equipped with a monitor that is able to detect your heart rate and advise you accordingly while playing those addictive dancing games.
I was very impressed by the face recognition feature. It works very well and it is surprisingly fast, adding a bit of ownership sense to your experience. It is very satisfying to walk into the room and the console to recognize and welcome you by saying “Hello Paul!”. It feels more like something out of a SciFi movie and not present-day technology.
The body tracking is also significantly improved. The fact that your character in “Kinect Sports Rivals” will, very life-like, reproduce your every motion, arm twist or dance move is actually mind-blowing. And you can do all of that while riding a jet sky. With the new, larger FOV (Field of View),the Xbox One Kinect will dramatically decrease the space requirement for you to play your games.
The “Xbox One Kinect Sensor with Dance Central Spotlight” is available for purchase at Amazon.com for $169,00.
5. Kinect TV Mount for Xbox One
We’ve talked about the new Kinect that you can mount on top of your Xbox One, now it is time to discuss what you can mount on top of the Kinect mounted on top of the Xbox One. Confusing right? Trust me when I say that it will become the second most useful accessory after the Kinect 2 itself.
This device will attach itself on the bottom of the sensor, allowing you to place the sensor on top of your TV, where it does belong, and not in front of it. By doing that, it will enable it to see your movements and hear your voice commands, with as minimal effort as possible, throughout the room.
The package comes with a plastic privacy shade, that will give those of you that need it, all the privacy that you require.
You can also buy this device at Amazon.com and depending on its manufacturer it will cost you about $20 max. I recommend the “PDP Kinect TV Mount” priced at $19,99.
6. Xbox SmartGlass
The strange thing is that this accessory does not cost any money and it isn’t sold by any retailer. This is in fact a companion application, build exclusively to enhance the Xbox One.
You can log into this app in order to find your achievements, video clips, friends list and Xbox Live profile. Thanks to the in-build digital controller, you can use your tablet, or smartphone as a virtual media remote.
7. Play and Charge Kit and the Nyko Charge Base
The standard controller will manage to give you plenty of gaming hours by simply using a set of standard AA batteries, but you can enhance that time by buying a “Play and Charge” kit. This device, comes with a micro USB charging cable, long enough for most living rooms.
If you are not comfortable with using cables or you might consider that it will ruin your room’s aesthetics, then you might consider the “Nyko Charge Base”. It will allow you to use the closest outlet in order to charge your controller and it is capable to recharge two controllers at once.
The Xbox Play and Charge Kit is available at Amazon.com for $21,99 while the Nyko Charge Base can also be purchased there, for $29,99.
8. Nyko Smart Clip
Some people like to have additional in-game information and prefer to use the “Smartglass” for navigation. This neat, little device will make sure that all the info you want will be in your sight at all times.
The Nyko Smart Clip can be yours for $9,99 at Amazon.com.
9. Mad Catz Pro Racing Force Feedback Wheel
For the racing enthusiasts out there, I strongly recommend picking up this accessory. There are a lot of amazing racing games available on the Xbox One. From a fantastic simulation experience like in “Forza Motorsport 5” to the sweet arcade action of “NFS”, it has it all. Although, they play just fine with a standard controller, such breathtaking graphics combined with excellent gameplay, deserve a proper racing wheel. The Mad Catz Pro Racing Wheel promises to give you a premium driving experience and, as far as I’m concerned, it is the best available on the market.
You can get it at Amazon.com for $399,99.
10. Mad Catz Arcade FightStick Tournament Edition 2
On top of great racing games, the Xbox One also has a solid library when it comes to fighting games. “Killer Instinct”, is at this moment the community’s favorite, but new games, such as the Taken games, will be heading to the Microsoft console soon. This will only make the need for a fightstick grow even more. The best option available on the market is the Mad Catz high-end fightstick (it is the official stick of Killer Instinct) , but if you are a bit short on cash then you can buy the one made by Hori, which will get the job done just as well.
The “Mad Catz Arcade FightStick Tournament Edition 2” for Xbox One costs $235,32 at Amazon.com.
I wish you good luck with your Xbox one console, and if you do not own one already, then you should know that they are available online at Amazon for the low price of $349,99. The version with the Kinect 2 sensor included costs $449,99.
This concludes our list of must-have XBox One Accessories. What do you think. Did we miss anything?
Image Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Roxanne Briean
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