Sponsored By

This allows Xbox owners to turn their system on or off, launch games and apps, control media, grab screen-captures, start and stop Mixer broadcasts, and more using compatible smart assistant devices.

Alissa McAloon, Publisher

September 6, 2018

1 Min Read

Xbox has rolled out Amazon Echo and Cortana-powered Xbox One voice commands on its Xbox Insiders testing platform, allowing enrollees to use either smart assistant to control a variety of features on a connected Xbox One system.

Voice commands are nothing new to Xbox, of course. The console previously allowed players to do many of the same things through the Kinect for both the Xbox 360 and Xbox One before Microsoft made moves to leave the motion tracking tech in the dust.

Previously, games like Destiny 2 have turned to Alexa-enabled devices to implement voice commands as a way to control certain in-game features. The Alexa and Cortana integration being tested by Xbox through the Insider Program takes that one step further and allows Xbox owners to turn their system on or off, launch games and apps, control media, grab screen-captures, start and stop Mixer broadcasts, and more.

For example, a player can tell their Amazon Echo or Cortana-enabled device to start a specific game and their Xbox One will power on, log them in, and open the named application. 

Xbox has more details on what exactly Alexa and Cortana integration can control on the Xbox One over on its blog.

About the Author(s)

Alissa McAloon

Publisher, GameDeveloper.com

As the Publisher of Game Developer, Alissa McAloon brings a decade of experience in the video game industry and media. When not working in the world of B2B game journalism, Alissa enjoys spending her time in the worlds of immersive sandbox games or dabbling in the occasional TTRPG.

Daily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inbox

You May Also Like