Well, the wait is finally over. Microsoft has finally launched the Xbox One as promised, a mere week after Sony launched its coveted next-gen PlayStation 4 and directly on the cusp of the holiday shopping season. The console is powerful and flexible as DT’s own Adam Rosenberg outlined in our Xbox One review, and comes equipped with an intuitive set of voice commands engineered to work hand-in-hand with the console’s bundled Kinect. The peripheral also touts a few motion controls, but most users would probably rather speak their mind than perform a bunch of cumbersome, yogi-like maneuvers to navigate the dashboard.
While you could sock away your Kinect after the device’s initial setup, you’ll be doing yourself a huge disfavor. Voice commands allow users to do everything from turning on the console and recording gameplay footage, to sending messages and launching apps in Snap mode, all which can be done by simple saying “Xbox” followed by the appropriate voice command. It’s incredibly useful and quick, even if it is somewhat limited at launch and requires you to say the exact phrase.
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Here’s a quick-hit list of the Xbox One voice commands as outlined by the good folks at Microsoft. Also, check out our Xbox One tip guide for some additional tips to make the most of Microsoft’s new offering.
System commands
Command
Function
Xbox on
Wakes up Xbox One, turns on television and cable/satellite set-top box
Xbox turn off
Puts Xbox One to sleep/off, can turn off television cable/satellite set-top box
Xbox
Shows menu of global voice command options and begins listening for the next command
Xbox select
Shows voice command options for everything on the screen that are supported. Shows channel shortcuts during full screen TV viewing.
Stop listening
Stop Kinect from listening or cancels voice commands if Kinect is triggered during casual conversation
Xbox help
Shows help menu with available options
Xbox use a code
Triggers Kinect code scanning for QR codes
Xbox show notification
Shows on-screen notification(s)
Identity
Command
Function
Xbox sign in/out
Signs in/out an Xbox Live member
Xbox sign in as [person]
Signs in/out an Xbox Live member
Gaming
Command
Function
Xbox record that
Records the previous 30 seconds of gameplay
Xbox start a party
Launches the Party app in Snap mode
Volume
Command
Function
Xbox volume up/down
Controls volume of TV set
Xbox mute/unmute
Controls mute function of TV set
Navigation and Multitasking
Command
Function
Xbox go Home
Returns to Home
Xbox show my stuff
Returns to Home
Xbox go to [activity]
Launches specific games, TV shows, apps, notifications and sections of the dash
Xbox show menu
In full screen: shows menu for whatever is one the screen. At Home: shows menu for whatever is in the current window
Xbox go back
Returns to previous screen or menu option
Xbox Snap [app]
Launches activity in Snap mode
Xbox unsnap
Unsnaps activity in Snap mode
Xbox switch
Switches control of the activities in Snap mode and Fill mode
Communication
Command
Function
Xbox Skype [person]
Launches Skype call, must be a person from your Skype favorites list on your Xbox One
Xbox call [person]
Launches Skype call, must be a person from your Skype favorites list on your Xbox One
Xbox answer/answer without video
Answers incoming Skype call
Xbox hang up
Ends Skype call
Xbox send a message
Send a message to your Xbox Live friends
TV
Command
Function
Xbox watch TV
Launches cable or satellite TV from set-top box
Xbox watch [channel]
Changes cable or satellite TV to specific channel when channel shortcuts are showing
Xbox show guide
Launches OneGuide for cable or satellite TV subscribers
Xbox OneGuide
Launches OneGuide for cable or satellite TV subscribers
Transport Controls
Command
Function
Xbox play/stop/pause/fast forward/rewind/faster/slower/skip forward/skip backward/next song/previous song
Transport controls for media playback, play and pause also work for gameplay
Xbox play [music/video]
Launches video and music playback
Bing and Internet Explorer
Command
Function
Browse to [website]
Browses to the specific website when in Internet Explorer
Xbox Bing [name]
Launches Bing and searches for the specific item(s)
Xbox Year in Review 2023 is live: here’s how to see your stats
Xbox's Year in Review 2023 has finally landed, bringing players a bevy of information about their playing habits and accomplishments over the past year. If you're curious about your overall earned achievements, how many hours you played, or which genres dominated your playtime, you won't want to miss the exciting opportunity to check it all out. In this brief guide, we'll fill you in on everything you need to know about accessing your Xbox Year in Review, as well as how to share your stats with friends.
Microsoft is making AI game-writing tools for Xbox with Inworld AI
Microsoft announced a partnership with Inworld AI to assist in creating game dialogue and narrative tools for its Xbox studios.
The partnership is detailed in a blog post by Xbox's General Manager of Gaming AI, Haiyan Zhang. In the post, Zhang confirms that this technology is meant to work in random with Microsoft's own cloud and AI tech to create both "An AI design copilot that assists and empowers game designers to explore more creative ideas, turning prompts into detailed scripts, dialogue trees, quests and more," and "an AI character runtime engine that can be integrated into the game client, enabling entirely new narratives with dynamically-generated stories, quests, and dialogue for players to experience."
No specific Xbox-owned studios were named, nor were developers from them commenting as part of this announcement, so it's unknown how much those developers are truly interested in embracing this kind of AI technology. In general, AI is a very controversial topic in creative spaces as artists and writers are worried that it will replace their jobs while creating worse art. AI leadership at Xbox doesn't seem to think that will become an issue, with Zhang explaining that the main purpose of this partnership is to "make it easier for developers to realize their visions, try new things, push the boundaries of gaming today and experiment to improve gameplay, player connection and more."
The blog post also teases that Microsoft will be willing to share these tools with interested third-party studios. Ultimately, it will likely take several years before we truly know what the impact or utility of this partnership is for developers at Xbox Games Studios, ZeniMax Media, and Activision Blizzard.
Best Xbox One deals: How to buy the discontinued console
The Xbox One has been officially discontinued, but that doesn't mean it's unattainable. If you prefer the console over the new Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, you can still buy refurbished units from retailers like Amazon. With its expansive library of games that will keep both casual and hardcore players busy for a long time, the Xbox One remains a meaningful purchase, despite Microsoft's rollout of its new generation of consoles. While it struggled against Sony's PlayStation 4 due to a rocky launch in 2013 because of a limited selection of titles and a higher price tag, the Xbox One gracefully recovered. Helping it bounce back were console exclusives from the Halo, Forza, and Gears of War series. If you're planning to buy the Xbox One to enjoy video game deals on these exclusive titles, as well as popular cross-platform games like Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Cyberpunk 2077, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, and Red Dead Redemption 2, we've gathered the best Xbox One deals available online to help you in your search.
Another important characteristic of the Xbox One is its fantastic multimedia capabilities, with the Xbox One S being one of the most affordable 4K media players available on the market. The Xbox One S and the more powerful Xbox One X both boast a 4K Blu-ray player, a feature that isn't found in the PlayStation 4 Pro. For gamers who also want the option to watch their favorite movies and TV shows in crisp 4K from their console, the Xbox One is the machine for you.
Xbox One deals
