Microsoft says if your internet can't support Xbox One, use 360

If your internet connection can't meet Xbox One's requirements, Microsoft advises you stick with Xbox 360. Both Microsoft Interactive Entertainment President Don Mattrick and Microsoft Game Studios VP Phil Spencer stressed the benefits of Xbox One's approach versus its potential drawbacks in separate interviews.

"It's something that when people experience it, it's easier than having people like me describe it," Mattrick said in a GameTrailers interview before the company's E3 press conference. "It really is powerful, and we did a lot of testing, and a lot of consumer research, and we think we made a really good choice."

"Fortunately, we have a product for people who can't get some form of connectivity, and it's called Xbox 360," Mattrick added. "If you have zero access to the internet, that is an offline device."

Phil Spencer used a cell phone analogy in an interview with Destructoid: if you live somewhere without good reception, you won't buy a cell phone. He also recommended Xbox 360 for players whose online connections aren't up to the task.

"The 360 ecosystem is a great ecosystem for somebody that's in a purely disconnected state for long periods of time," Spencer said. "We have built a natively connected device with Xbox One and we think the experiences are moving in that direction."

Whether consumers move on to Microsoft's vision of a connected future or prefer Sony's more flexible online approach remains to be seen.