Report Indicates Impending Alexa and Google Assistant Support for Xbox One

With the growing influence of smart assistants in the tech industry, it was only a matter of time before it started affecting the video game sector. In the case of the Xbox One console by Microsoft, for example, a recent report is indicating that support for Amazon’s Alexa and the Google Assistant is on its way. This would then provide gamers with the ability to make use of those smart assistants via the game box.

It’s worth pointing out that Microsoft actually has its own smart assistant that is powered by artificial intelligence in Cortana. Unfortunately, the capabilities of the "Halo"-inspired AI are too limited to be of much use to most people, as it is right now.

In comparison, both Alexa and Google Assistant come with a wide range of useful features. This makes the report by Windows Central about the upcoming support seem quite sensible.

As the publication indicates in its article, it would appear that Microsoft has been in talks with Amazon for some time now to bring its smart assistant to the console. According to visual clues that were recently obtained, it seems these talks have finally come to fruition.

This new development also likely has something to do with the presence of Albert Penello in Amazon. As a veteran of the Xbox division, Penello was brought over by the merchant giant to help figure out how Alexa can be best integrated into gaming, The Verge reports.

The Xbox One would certainly be a good start since it’s a self-contained ecosystem and thus can be easier to control. The fact that Penello used to work for Microsoft might have also contributed to the fact that this support has come to the Xbox One rather than the PlayStation 4.

Then again, Sony has always had a reputation for being a stickler for keeping third-party developers away from its hardware. This might have been another reason.