14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has just revealed the new features that will land on Xbox One and the Xbox app with the Anniversary Update planned for the summer, explaining that the rollout will include “the first of two updates that will help stay connected with friends and enjoy even more games across favorite devices.”
Specifically, Cortana will finally arrive on the Xbox One and this is not at all surprising. Microsoft has invested a lot in Cortana development and the personal assistant is now available across a wide array of devices, including PCs, so it kind of makes sense to see it debuting on the Xbox One too.
Only users in the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and the United States will get it at first in preview stage, and Cortana will work with both headsets and Kinect.
“You’ll be able to use Cortana to find great new games, see what your friends are up to, start a party, accomplish common tasks, turn on your Xbox One if you’re using Kinect, and more. We’ll continue to build Cortana features over time and our vision is to use Cortana to help elevate your experience as your personal digital assistant for gaming,” Redmond explained.
At the same time, Microsoft is also planning updates to the Game Collection interface that will make it easier to launch games, while also bringing the Facebook Friend Finder on the gaming console. Microsoft says this is quite a logical improvement to implement since more gamers link their Facebook and Xbox Live accounts, so starting with the Anniversary Update, users should start seeing suggestions for Facebook friends.
Better store convergence
The company is improving the sharing features as well, promising “fewer steps” to share content, but no other details have been provided.
The Xbox app on Windows 10 will include options to edit and share GameDVR clips on any video editor, while also offering 60 fps game clip recording with the Game bar. Share to Twitter options will be added as well, while the Windows Game bar will come with improved full-screen support, a feature that’s already available in preview builds.
Starting with the Anniversary Update, Microsoft will also combine the Windows Store and the Xbox Store in search for consistency across its devices.
The Activity Feed will become more personal and you’ll be allowed to choose what’s posted, while the top PC games will show up on Xbox Live, so favorite PC games will appear in a new Game Hub on Xbox Live.
The Anniversary Update is planned for this summer and there are signs that the debut will take place in July, the same month when Windows 10 turns 1.
