With rumblings for months that Microsoft is looking to include support for the Amazon Alexa-enabled Echo family of devices on the Xbox One, there seems to be some quite compelling evidence indicating that the Google Assistant will make its way as well.
Jez Corden of Windows Central reported that a source familiar to both Microsoft and Amazon’s effort to link Alexa and Cortana together has supplied WC with hard evidence that an upcoming Xbox build will support the enabling of digital assistants for the purpose of supplying voice commands to the console.
According to the image above, once you enable the digital assistant support, you’ll be prompted to download the skills set for your specific assistant, then it’s off to the races.
Microsoft abandoned the Kinect shortly after the release of the Xbox One X, going as far as to end sales for the USB adapter that works both with the One S and X. Since then, Cortana’s been shifted to enterprise support (specifically, productivity) and even though Cortana can be used via headset, it’s not ideal for everyday use, such as watching TV via OneGuide or Hulu Live TV.
It is to note that former Xbox marketing lead Albert Penello recently joined Amazon to figure out Alexa’s place in the gaming ecosystem:
For those wondering about my actual JOB – I’m going to help figure out how to grow Alexa/Echo presence in gaming. It’s a different spin on what I’ve done before but still keeps me close to the industry. Going to be a fun adventure I can tell already. Cool ideas? Hit me up.
— Albert Penello (@albertpenello) May 23, 2018
Hopefully this comes to pass, so I can begin using my Xbox with voice commands like I used to with my original Xbox One. Much like with anything, plans are subject to change. However, with E3 coming at the end of this week, and Microsoft’s conference scheduled for 4PM EST on Sunday, June 10, it could be sunny with a chance of Alexa and Google Assistant support in Los Angeles, California. Only time can tell at this point.
