Your Xbox One will be pretty useless when you first pick it up, as you’ll need the system’s day one update to get any functionality out of it. Without that, you can’t even play a game via a physical disc.
Speaking to Engadget, Microsoft senior director of product management Albert Penello confirmed the necessity of the update, stating that, “Functionally, you will be able to do very little without taking the day one update.” Continuing to add that there’s nothing a person can do with their Xbox One without it, as the system is shipping with an older OS.
“A lot of the apps come with the day one update because they wouldn’t have even been done,” said Penello. “You’re gonna need to take this update. It’s not gonna be really an optional thing.”