A new Xbox One update is rolling out today for Xbox One Preview Program members, bringing a ton of big feature changes tot he console. This is the big Summer update that was teased not too long ago, though the details were not shared at that time. Now, we have a full breakdown of what this update will entail for Xbox One gamers, including the addition of Cortana, Microsoft’s digital assistant program based on the Halo character.
Cortana is already available on Windows Phone and Windows 10 PCs, so bringing it to the Xbox One not only makes sense, but is a bit late considering the character the feature is based on. So, how will Cotana work?
“Cortana voice commands on Xbox One 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. Just say “Hey Cortana” or launch the app to get started!” No word on whether the currently available “Xbox” voice commands will remain available.
But Cortana isn’t the only thing in this Xbox One update. There is also an improved Game Collection screen, the addition of the Facebook Friend Finder, and improved sharing capabilities. On Windows 10, the Xbox app is also getting an update that will let you edit game clips, and the addition of PC games to the top played games on Xbox Live.
This update is expected to hit non-preview members this Summer, with an opt-in capability for some of the features. “We’ll begin testing a set of features expected this week with an opt-in audience in Xbox Preview. Like all Preview releases, the features are a work-in-progress as we refine them before they launch to the broader community, and some features can stay in Preview for extended periods of time.”
