Xbox One Getting Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant Support Soon

It looks like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant are coming to the Xbox One console very soon, based on a recent discovery that shows a new section within the device’s software.

Over the weekend, Windows Central reported that it has found hard evidence to prove that Xbox One is getting support for the two voice assistants. The news, reviews and community forums site discovered that a new “Digital Assistants” tab is coming soon to the Xbox One via a software update.

The tab basically presents users with the option to enable digital assistants. The tab also comes with a note that says, “Use a digital assistant like Cortana, Alexa, or Google Assistant with your Xbox. To get started, enable digital assistants below, then search for Xbox in the assistant app’s skills on your phone.”

Once the option is enabled, users can access and control the console and other devices using Alexa and Google Assistant, as well as Cortana, via the Xbox skills app. The full range of features for the two new assistants are still a mystery for now, but the new option is expected to bring back many of the voice-assisted features that disappeared when Microsoft abandoned Kinect.

Some of the voice-assisted features came back when Windows virtual assistant Cortana arrived. Without Kinect attached to the console however, users still need to rely on headsets and microphones to make use of the features. But these limitations would change once Alexa and Google Assistant arrive, according to Eurogamer.

It is important to point out that Alexa and Google Assistant are still rivals of Cortana, so their implementations in Xbox One could be different from when they are in their first-party devices. It’s either that or Microsoft could have a bigger reason on why the two digital assistants are being added to Xbox One.

Former Xbox console marketing leader Albert Panello is now part of Amazon and he aims to expand the presence of Echo in the gaming scene. Perhaps this could be the reason why Xbox One is getting Amazon Alexa support. As for Google Assistant, there’s still no clear reason why Microsoft is bringing Google’s AI assistant to its gaming machine.