Xbox One Moves Toward Total Entertainment Device With Pandora And More
The Xbox One has always been billed by Microsoft as a full entertainment device, not just a gaming console. With the launch yesterday of applications like Pandora and Vevo, the machine is finally living up to its billing. The releases come hot on the heels of news that Microsoft is also closing the sales gap with Sony and its Playstation 4.
The Xbox One just recently dumped the free streaming music service it had been offering, and it appears the replacement by Pandora has been in the offing for a while. Vevo, which also launched on Friday, was originally tipped way back in June, according to PC World. The announcement of Vevo was part of Microsoft’s unveiling of as many as 45 different applications already on or headed to the Xbox One.
For it’s part, Pandora says its new Xbox One application is a souped up version of Pandora for TV. The application has included functionality that will allow users to control it through Kinect gestures and voice commands. The Pandora and Vevo apps are bringing quite a bit more music offerings to the platform, but Microsoft is going farther than music.
The Xbox One is also getting equipped with a Bravo Now application that will allow users to watch their favorite shows like Real Housewives and Below Decks. The Xbox One is also going bilingual, with the launching of a Telemundo Now app that will bring the popular Spanish language channel to the console. If there is one drawback to those two applications it is that you will need to login with your television provider, and that means there are a few people in the U.S. who won’t be able to take full advantage of the new entertainment offerings.
Everyone will be able to use the new free streaming movie application called Popcornflix as long as they reside in Canada or the United States. The lack of access to applications around the globe will likely frustrate some Xbox One users,but they can at least take solace in the fact that Vevo is accessible in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The news of the push by Microsoft to make its flagship gaming device more of an entertainment device comes on the heels of the announcement that Minecraft is going to getting the Telltale treatment. Considering Microsoft just recently purchased Minecraft maker Mojang, look for the new game to get featured heavily on the Xbox One in 2015.
