Microsoft Built 75 Xbox One Prototypes before Final Design

Gadget design is rarely a simple process, and we now know that the Xbox One is no exception to the rule. Microsoft designer Carl Ledbetter has revealed that the game console went through many 3D-printed incarnations before the company settled on a final product; there were 75 system prototypes, 100 for the Kinect and 200 for the gamepad. The development team spent a long time finding a balance between familiar Xbox design cues and the desire for an always-on media hub, Ledbetter says. Whether or not you think Microsoft achieved its goal, it's clear that the Xbox One's current look was never guaranteed.

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