Xbox One owners in Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and India will be able to get more out of their machines from this week, provided they’re signed up to Amazon Prime, that is. Xbox-owning Prime members in most countries around the world can already use their console to watch movies and TV shows from Amazon’s streaming service, but the addition of these final markets makes the offering a truly global one.
And those waiting for their brand-new Xbox One X won’t be disappointed, either, as come November 7, when the machine starts to ship, owners will be able to use it to stream content in 4K from Prime’s hefty catalog of movies and TV shows.
Starting October 31, the Amazon Prime Video app will be available for download globally via the Microsoft Store — for free to current Prime subscribers. New customers can sign up for Prime or Prime Video to stream content on the Xbox One, as well as other connected devices. Besides streaming, members can also download all movies and TV shows for offline viewing on mobile devices, making it easier to watch content when you’re out and about, or on the road.
Amazon has been steadily ramping up the pressure on rival streaming service Netflix, pulling in more users by taking its service to more countries around the world. The expansion to additional markets and new users via the Xbox One is all part of the company’s ongoing drive to widen its reach and build its customer base.
Seattle-based Amazon took a major step with its growth strategy at the end of 2016 when it rolled out Amazon Prime Video to 200 countries around the world. The move came about a year after Netflix made a similar global push in a bid to win more subscribers.
Both companies have been investing heavily in original programming to secure their customer base and attract new members. Check out what’s new for November on Amazon Prime Video, and also on Netflix.
Netflix currently has 109 million members in more than 190 countries watching around 125 million hours of TV shows and movies each day. Amazon doesn’t release figures for its Prime Video membership, which people can join for slightly less than the regular Prime offering.
