Xbox One reportedly getting Alexa and Google Assistant support
Forget Cortana, a new leaked screenshot suggests that the Xbox One will soon be getting support for rival Alexa and Google Assistant voice technologies.
The screenshot comes courtesy of Windows Central and shows a page in the settings menu which will presumably be used to enable the functionality.
However, the leak stops short of showing us exactly what the voice assistants will let us do with the console. When the Xbox One launched it had a heavy focus on the use of Microsoft’s own Cortana assistant which can be used to do everything from launch games to take screenshots.
Related: Best Xbox One Games
Image Credit: Windows Central
Exact functionality remains unclear
To our mind, the console’s voice assistant support could take two forms. Either Alexa or Google Assistant could be packed directly into the console, allowing you to access their functionality without the need for external hardware, or else the idea could be that you use your existing smart speaker hardware to control the console.
Of the two we think the latter is most likely, and we think it could be a very good thing for the console. Our favourite aspect of the console’s Cortana support was being able to launch a game with our voice without having to pick up a controller, so being able to do this same thing with our Amazon or Google hardware would be a great piece of functionality.
We’ll have to wait for an official confirmation from Microsoft before we know exactly what the functionality will entail, but with E3 2018 just around the corner, an announcement could be on the way very shortly.
Would you use Alexa to control your Xbox console? Let us know @TrustedReviews
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.