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Microsoft revives Xbone Voice Control using Alexa & Cortana powered devices

Master Disaster

At launch MS made a big song and dance over Kinnects ability to control the Xbox One using your voice, unfortunately for MS Kinnect was a huge flop and within a year of its launch MS discontinued Kinnect and pulled the device from sale.

 

It seems as though Microsofts voice control dreams are still very much alive however as today they've announced Xbox Skill. It's still very much in development and is currently only available to certain Xbox Insiders but it appears to be an app you install onto your Xbone that allows any Alexa or Cortana powered device to control it using voice commands.

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Here at Team Xbox, we’ve had a long history in offering voice controls as a way to interact with your Xbox console through Kinect and headsets. Today, starting with select Xbox U.S. Insiders, we’re expanding voice support by introducing the Xbox Skill, which enables you to navigate and interact with Xbox One using voice commands through your Cortana and Alexa-enabled devices.

 

With the Xbox Skill, you can use voice commands to power your Xbox One console, adjust volume, launch games and apps, start and stop broadcasts on Mixer, capture screenshots, and more. It’s the fastest way to get into your games and one of the easiest ways to interact with your console for everyday tasks. For example, if you have the skill enabled on your Echo and you’re a part of the Insider preview, just say “Alexa, start Rocket League.” and this command will automatically turn on your console, sign you in, and launch your game.

Supported devices are listed as Windows 10 PC, Amazon Echo, Harman Kardon Invoke, Sonos One, or Cortana and Alexa apps on iOS and Android.

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The Xbox Skill integrates with your Cortana and Alexa-enabled device such as a Windows 10 PC, Amazon Echo, Harman Kardon Invoke, Sonos One, or Cortana and Alexa apps on iOS and Android, enabling voice commands to control your Xbox One console.

If you're an Xbox Insider living in the US you can try it out for yourself.

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For Xbox Insiders* in the U.S. who want to try the Xbox Skill with Cortana or Alexa, here’s how to get started:

 

If you use Cortana:

 

    Sign into the Xbox you want to control.
    On your Windows 10 PC, click here and sign in with your Microsoft account to link the skill.
    Try your first command! “Hey Cortana, tell Xbox to open Netflix.”

 

If you use Alexa:

 

    Sign into the Xbox you want to control.
    Click here, sign in with your Amazon Account, and click Enable.
    Sign in with your Microsoft account to link the skill.
    Let Alexa discover your console, then follow the instructions to pair your console with Alexa.
    Try your first command! “Alexa, start Rocket League.”

Additional help can be obtained by using the command "Ask Xbox what can I say?”.

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Wondering what else the Xbox Skill can do? Just say “Ask Xbox what can I say?” to discover more commands for your console. For a full list of commands, troubleshooting assistance, and to give the team feedback and ideas, you can visit the Xbox Insider Subreddit.

https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2018/09/06/xbox-now-connects-with-cortana-and-alexa-enabled-devices/

 

Whilst a little bit gimmicky I have to admit this is pretty cool for those people who have invested in Smart Home tech already. More choices is never a bad thing imo.

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Plenty of people are skeptical of smart home devices being the norm but I've been using my Alexa and supported devices and it does make like easier. It's gonna be forced down out throats anyways, we may as well make use of it.

Although I don't use consoles, I like the idea.

Irish in Vancouver, what's new?

 

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Just now, huilun02 said:

Ew

Alexa and Cortana, go **** yourself

The alternative being Siri? I'm confused, you saying Siri is better or all personal assistants are bad?

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3 hours ago, Master Disaster said:

Supported devices are listed as Windows 10 PC, Amazon Echo, Harman Kardon Invoke, Sonos One, or Cortana and Alexa apps on iOS and Android.

I think the only reason this might be successful is the integration of Alexa. I dont know anyone who actually uses Cortana

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console voice control has always been a gimmick, I've yet to see a game utilize it in a meaningful way that added to gameplay, even navigating and opening apps doesn't seem worth it to let it listen to everything at all times.

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2 minutes ago, Arika S said:

I've yet to see a game utilize it in a meaningful way that added to gameplay,

The PS2 SOCOM games used it for issuing commands to your squad. There was also a PS3 Tom Clancy game that used it.

Come Bloody Angel

Break off your chains

And look what I've found in the dirt.

 

Pale battered body

Seems she was struggling

Something is wrong with this world.

 

Fierce Bloody Angel

The blood is on your hands

Why did you come to this world?

 

Everybody turns to dust.

 

Everybody turns to dust.

 

The blood is on your hands.

 

The blood is on your hands!

 

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1 minute ago, Drak3 said:

There was also a PS3 Tom Clancy game that used it.

End war? voice in that game was cumbersome as hell

 

Unit............................2.......................attack........................Hostile.......................4

 

the trailer made it look much better than it actually behaved

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Just now, Arika S said:

End war? voice in that game was cumbersome as hell

 

Unit............................2.......................attack........................Hostile.......................4

 

the trailer made it look much better than it actually behaved

It was pretty smooth for me.

Come Bloody Angel

Break off your chains

And look what I've found in the dirt.

 

Pale battered body

Seems she was struggling

Something is wrong with this world.

 

Fierce Bloody Angel

The blood is on your hands

Why did you come to this world?

 

Everybody turns to dust.

 

Everybody turns to dust.

 

The blood is on your hands.

 

The blood is on your hands!

 

Pyo.

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1 minute ago, Drak3 said:

It was pretty smooth for me.

must have been the australian accent

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10 minutes ago, Arika S said:

console voice control has always been a gimmick, I've yet to see a game utilize it in a meaningful way that added to gameplay, even navigating and opening apps doesn't seem worth it to let it listen to everything at all times.

How about a voice assistance that always listens, with all your games digitally stored, and loads your games that you want to play.

So say you are with friends, and you there is a conversation like "Hey, do you want to play overcoocked?", and the answer is yes, and the console has already loaded the game for you. :)

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5 minutes ago, Arika S said:

HAHAHAHHA who do you think i am?

More reason to have a Voice AI... at least you'll have someone to play with you. :)

Maybe, you can call it, K-VN!

 

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1 minute ago, GoodBytes said:

More reason to have a Voice AI... at least you'll have someone to play with you. :)

Maybe, you can call it, KVN!

 

then my neighbors will refer to me as "the crazy girl who talks to and says goodnight to her xbox"

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16 minutes ago, Arika S said:

then my neighbors will refer to me as "the crazy girl who talks to and says goodnight to her xbox"

That's ok, you are already marked as crazy, so might as well go all in. :P

 

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"Hey Cortana, message xX_-Elite-Gamer69420lol-_Xx that i fornicated with his mother and that he's a bundle of sticks"

 

The future is now.

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12 minutes ago, DildorTheDecent said:

"Hey Cortana, message xX_-Elite-Gamer69420lol-_Xx that i fornicated with his mother and that he's a bundle of sticks"

 

The future is now.

Cortana: "Sure thing!"

Reality (but not visible to you): "That was a good game. Despite losing this match, I have found this match to be particular entertaining and challenging. Look forwards for a rematch in the future! Thank you very much, take care, and say my best wishes to you and your family!"

 

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I've just had a thought, this will lead to serious trolling.

 

You know how Alexa has issues because it responds to anything saying it's name?

 

How many games are going to be cut short by friends shouting "Alexa turn the Xbox off" lol.

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56 minutes ago, Master Disaster said:

I've just had a thought, this will lead to serious trolling.

 

You know how Alexa has issues because it responds to anything saying it's name?

 

How many games are going to be cut short by friends shouting "Alexa turn the Xbox off" lol.

you mean like the people who had the nick "XBOXOFF" back in the early days of this console generation?

 

 

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"XBOX turn off!" makes for a quick way to turn off the the entire entertainment system before the next youtube video loads and my son demands to finish watching it. The kinect voice recognition is kinda bad when the volume is turned up. The google home mini has better recognition than the kinect when the volume is up. I wish there were some google devices on the support list. I hate this mixed ecosystem where I need to have one of every device...

 

I wish they hadn't removed the ability to raise my hand and get a cursor and motion to control navigation when not in an app.

 

 

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On 9/7/2018 at 2:42 PM, GoodBytes said:

How about a voice assistance that always listens, with all your games digitally stored, and loads your games that you want to play.

So say you are with friends, and you there is a conversation like "Hey, do you want to play overcoocked?", and the answer is yes, and the console has already loaded the game for you. :)

You think that sounds neat and useful.

I think it sounds like a dystopian nightmare where we all have microphones inside out houses recording all our private conversations. I'm sure Russia, China and North Korea all love that idea.

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38 minutes ago, LAwLz said:

You think that sounds neat and useful.

I think it sounds like a dystopian nightmare where we all have microphones inside out houses recording all our private conversations. I'm sure Russia, China and North Korea all love that idea.

Isn't already like that? Might as well take advantage of that. Maybe now that pizza van will go away. They are so annoying with this never ending pizza delivery, I can't park my car on the street! I HATE YOU generic pizza delivery van!!!

 

But seriously, I think such sci-fi may come a reality, once we can make a really good system that can run on a processor that is inexpensive, and have no need for external servers.

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1 hour ago, LAwLz said:

You think that sounds neat and useful.

I think it sounds like a dystopian nightmare where we all have microphones inside out houses recording all our private conversations. I'm sure Russia, China and North Korea all love that idea.

All you gotta do is spin the microphones as being beneficial and give them a largely redundant task that plays to people's laziness and bam, you're selling hundreds of thousands of microphones that sit in people's homes and record private conversations all while the people think they're actually buying a useful product.

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41 minutes ago, GoodBytes said:

Isn't already like that? Might as well take advantage of that. Maybe now that pizza van will go away. They are so annoying with this never ending pizza delivery, I can't park my car on the street! I HATE YOU generic pizza delivery van!!!

 

But seriously, I think such sci-fi may come a reality, once we can make a really good system that can run on a processor that is inexpensive, and have no need for external servers.

Not strictly speaking.  So many people think smart speakers are actively recording everything you say, but they're not. They're waiting to hear a specific speech pattern and then wake up to listen.  Now, what was just proposed (where they'd do things based on what you say in casual conversation) would require constant listening, and that's a problem.

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