Microsoft's next-gen console was devised with the intention to be turned on for the entirety of its 10-year lifespan.

Microsoft's next-generation Xbox One console was designed for a 10-year lifespan that would see it switched on for the entire period, Eurogamer has reported.

Citing "inside sources at Microsoft", the article states that the design of the Xbox One was based on a brief that bore the 10-year lifecycle in mind, in which the console would remain switched on.

As a result of the desire for the console to operate continuously for ten years, it would be required to function with adequate heat dissipation. The machine's cooling needs has produced a unit that measures 34x26x8cm and functions "almost silently".

Fan noise would only be noticeable during gaming, when the AMD processor is under duress.

Reducing game load times in the Xbox One are also listed as a key feature which Microsoft is addressing. By retaining "game states in RAM while the unit is inactive", users would allegedly be able to resume playing a game with minimal waiting time upon waking up the console.

Microsoft confirmed earlier this year that the Xbox One will support 3D and 4K, the latter being touted as the next version of high definition. 4K is officially named Ultra HD and aims to replace 1080i/p as the highest-resolution signal available for video content.

For more on Microsoft's next-generation platform, check out GameSpot's interview with Xbox executive Phil Spencer on used games, always-on, and Kinect 2.0.

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GTA V receives maximum R18+ rating in Australia; local version to be identical to the rest of the world.

Australian gamers who were concerned that upcoming open-world title Grand Theft Auto V would befall the same fate as the recently twice refused classification Saints Row IV can rest easy, with Rockstar Games’ next major release today receiving the country’s maximum R18+ rating.

The ruling, which can be viewed on the Classification Board’s website, reveals that the game includes strong impact themes, violence, language, nudity, and sex, as well as high-impact drug use. The report lists the submission as ’original’, with a Rockstar Games spokesperson confirming to GameSpot that the local release will be identical to versions sold in other territories.

GTA V takes place in Los Santos, a fictional re-creation of Los Angeles, and will star three main characters: Franklin, a former street gangster; Michael, a bank robber eager to get back into the game; and Trevor, a drug-addicted psychopath. The game will launch on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on September 17 this year.

An online petition for a PC version of the game has attracted almost 300,000 signatures to date. Co-founder Dan Houser previously said that while no PC version has been announced, it is "up for consideration".

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