Xbox One day one update, installs and Kinect requirement confirmed

You'll still need to install your games, have a Kinect plugged in, and download a day one update, Xbox corporate vice-president Marc Whitten has said, despite today's Xbox One policy changes.

As part of Microsoft's abrupt policy shift earlier today, the platform holder noted that there will be a one-time online setup before gamers can play with their new console.

Speaking to IGN, Whitten said that would have happened regardless of today's reversal.

"There was always going to be a day one update on the console, and that’s frankly just a difference in manufacturing schedules versus software schedules," he said.

"We just wanted to be clear that that hasn’t changed, that you have to go online to get the software update for day one, then you wouldn’t have to be connected after that."

The update should be accessible via a tethered smartphone, Whitten said when prompted.

"Any way that you can get connectivity to the Live service would work to enable that to come down to the console," he said.

Despite the change back to a disc-based system installs will still be mandatory, and you'll still need to have a Kinect plugged in.

"We still believe Kinect is a really critical part of the architecture,” Whitten said.

"We want game and interactive entertainment creators to be able to know they can take advantage of it, and we want it to be completely consistent for our users. So we still are very committed to how Kinect transforms that experience."

Whitten reiterated that although the change has resulted in some licensing-based features being scrapped, many of Xbox One's functions are still in place, like reportedly seamless swapping between apps and games - although you'll have to change discs to switch between games you've purchased at retail.