Microsoft's Cortana Now on Xbox One Ahead of Official 2016 Release
Microsoft's Cortana will not be officially released to the Xbox One until next year, but the voice assistant is reportedly already available on the console's interface preview.
Cortana's official release date is in 2016, but some gamers have discovered that Microsoft's voice assistant can be accessed if they use Xbox One's interface preview. A couple of tweaks in the settings will allow the user to get information that Cortana offers on other platforms, according to Engadget.
To access information from Cortana on Xbox One, users just need to go to the settings, go up, and press the A button several times. The series of moves serves to give users a sneak peek into what is yet to arrive in the coming weeks, the report details.
Earlier, Microsoft confirmed that not all Xbox One owners will immediately be able to access Cortana, but those using the preview program will be the first ones to access it before the virtual assistant is released to the public. The settings tweak will allow users to activate Cortana and attaches it to an open game, Geek Snack reports.
Once Cortana is activated, it stays at the top side of the screen and starts executing voice command with the key phrase "Hey, Cortana." As of now, the virtual assistant on the Xbox One interface preview only offers basic functionality. The public version will be able to access the user's calendar, news, and other apps and send invitations or perform other tasks based on available information, the report details.
When Microsoft launched the latest Windows 10 mobile operating system, the tech giant also updated Cortana. The company will roll out the updated virtual assistant service to all Windows, iOS, and Android devices in due time.
For now, Microsoft Cortana is only available on Xbox One's interface preview, but it will later on be integrated with other features of the gaming console once it is officially released in 2016.