The console is also soon getting backwards compatibility

Oct 6, 2015 21:37 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft has been focused on the launch of its new Windows 10 operating system this year, with a range of other devices associated with the software also set to arrive soon, and the company says that the Xbox One will also benefit greatly from the coming update that will integrate it with the wider OS ecosystem.

At an event in New York, City Terry Myerson, an executive vice president of the Windows and Devices Group, explains that the coming firmware update for the platform is designed to make it faster and more social than ever before.

Microsoft is also delivering a new television commercial for the Xbox One, which is focused on the solid game lineup offered for the device during the fall season.

The emphasis is on exclusive titles, including Forza Motorsport 6, which is already out, and the coming Rise of the Tomb Raider and Halo 5: Guardians.

At the moment, the team at Microsoft has not offered a clear launch date for the firmware update that will bring Windows 10 on the Xbox One, although it is supposed to arrive at some point in November.

The company is also planning to deliver backwards compatibility for titles launched on the Xbox 360, although publishers will ultimately decide whether they are offered on the newer hardware.

The Xbox One needs a boost in terms of sales

The firmware update, the backwards compatibility, the new exclusive games and the bundles associated with them are a way for Microsoft to improve the overall sales numbers of the home console in the run-up to the very important Christmas shopping season.

At the moment, the Xbox One is lagging behind the rival PlayStation 4 from Sony both in the United States and on a worldwide level.

It will be interesting to see whether the move to integrate the home console with the wider Windows 10 environment will manage to increase sales in the short term or if the impact will be limited.

Rumors are at the moment also suggesting that the PlayStation 4 will get a price cut to 349 dollars or Euro in the coming weeks.

Sony has also been focused on a strategy of getting exclusive or timed content linked to major releases like Call of Duty: Black Ops 3.