Microsoft new Xbox One just came out on the market, and yet the company is already plotting out the blueprints for the next evolution. Design manager Carl Ledbetter discusses the plans for improved design and hardware, in anticipation of Sony's plans to roll out newer versions of its PlayStation 4.

The Xbox One's current design is "boldly understated," a contrast from the flashy, colorful features of previous-generation consoles. This is likely in response to a wider gaming market, which appeals to various demographics. Developers recognize the saturated market and are creating games as interactive, multimedia experiences.

Microsoft new Xbox One design is the product exhaustive tests. More than a hundred prototypes have been tested, as well as two hundred potential controller configurations. The unit was housed in seventy-five casing designs. All of these tests were performed in controlled environments, though.

Ledbetter asserts that field tests are also in place. "We have two teams right now that, from the day we launched Xbox, we actually started following people around... We've also identified some customers where we're just constantly going and checking how they're using it, and we're starting to learn things all the time."

Researchers visit retail outlets and ask actual buyers, observe their setups at home and their gameplay experience. The Kinect's enhanced sensor is the product of hands-on research.

The tweaks are subtle but crucial. "A lot of people don't even notice this, but we have a light sensor in the Kinect, that allows the levels of the logo to dim down when your lighting is down, so it's not too bright. And so we're watching how that's working, what people think of that."

Aside from prototypes and field tests, Microsoft is also keen on changes in the gaming culture, with the developments in technology considered. It recently acquired Nokia, and is rethinking how the brand can improve Microsoft new Xbox One design (totalxbox.com).