Xbox One and the Google Assistant sitting in a tree…
WHAT DO YOU GET if you mix Cortana and the Google Assistant? If you think of a blue, feminine-shaped Nest Home Max, then you’re wrong. But if you said the Google Assistant on the Xbox One, then take an INQUIRER point.
Yep, despite being a rival in various arenas, not least the upcoming game streaming world with Microsoft’s Project xCloud and Google Stadia gearing up to lock horns, Microsoft has seen fit to let the Google Assistant into its console. And Google has given its AI-powered virtual assistant the nod to go and play in Redmond’s park.
Google Assistant won’t actually run on the Xbox One directly, rather you’ll need to use the Assistant app for iOS or Android in order to enable the Xbox One to receive voice commands via the digital helper.
To get access to said app, you’ll need to join the ‘Xbox for Google Assistant Beta’ Google Group and then add the app to your device and search and select “[beta] Xbox”.
From there, you can bark “OK Google, turn on Xbox”, and thus the Assistant will, at least in theory turn the console on; occasionally it gets a little confused in our experience. This is pretty much the same as the Amazon Alexa integration the Xbox One already has.
“With the release of the Xbox Action for the Google Assistant, you can now interact with your Xbox One in even more ways using just your voice, including the ability to turn your console on and off, launch games and apps, play and pause videos, and more, from the Google Assistant and Home-enabled devices, as well as the Google Assistant apps on iOS and Android,” explained Microsoft.
The useful thing here is that while the Xbox One could recognise voice commands to turn on, you needed the somewhat redundant Kinect camera accessory to enable the function. By integrating virtual assistant support, Microsoft allows for voice commands without the faff of setting up a Kinect. µ