Xbox One isn't always-on, but it will require a regular connection

Xbox One players will not have to maintain a constant internet connection for single-player games, but they will have to connect once a day to keep playing at all, says Microsoft. Speaking with Kotaku, Microsoft corporate vice president Phil Harrison said that performance should not be interrupted due to a temporarily lost connection, in most cases. However, Xbox One players will still need to check in online if they want to maintain access to their games.

So, while the console will not be "always on," Microsoft assumes its Xbox One players will have readily available and consistent internet access. This may be a tough pill for many Xbox players to swallow, such as those in the military and in more rural areas where internet connectivity remains behind the technological curve. "There are many devices in your life that require the Internet to function," Harrison explains, repeating the rationale shared by Microsoft representatives past. "Xbox One is no different in that it requires, at some point in the beginning and at various times through its on state, to connect to our cloud and to our Internet. That is to deliver Xbox Live functionality, that is to deliver download content to you, that is to deliver some of the innovations around TV and entertainment that we showed today."