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.
The Xbox One might not have the same selection of exclusives as the PlayStation 4 or Nintendo Switch, but the handful it does have are worth checking out. Some of the best Xbox One games are first-party titles, but you'll find loads of other quality games from the likes of Electronic Arts, Bethesda, and Ubisoft that compose a huge library of games worth playing.
A lot of them are available on Xbox Game Pass as well, so you can try out the best games on the system without shelling out $60 left and right. If you've already upgraded to the Xbox Series X, don't worry: The vast majority of Xbox One games work on the Series X and Series S with Microsoft's Smart Delivery program.
Every new console generation is another step forward in accessibility. Whether that be through innovations in games that allow players to customize the experience to their own preferences, new controllers, or even the hardware itself. While the PlayStation 5 launched with only a handful of new features compared to its predecessor, Sony has continuously updated it with functionality to make it easier and more convenient to control its most powerful system yet.
One extremely handy and highly requested feature the PS5 was given is voice commands. These allow you to navigate and control a majority of your console's functions (outside of actually playing games, of course) without having to pick up a controller. This system can be both more convenient and intuitive for people, especially if you're unfamiliar with navigating the PS5 UI. You do need to do a few things to get this system up and running, and then know what exactly you can do with it before laying back and ordering your PS5 around with nothing but your voice. Here's a full voice command guide to get you going.
How to set up voice commands
The preferred method of play for shooter and strategy games is to use a mouse and keyboard. However, there are a few instances where having a controller is ideal. Titles such as Immortals Fenyx Rising and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla are more intuitive with a controller. To help, we’ll walk you through connecting your Xbox controller to your PC so you can play Xbox games on Windows. These steps will work for an Xbox One Controller or an Xbox Series X Controller, so no matter your kit, you'll be playing in no time.
