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Kodi Launches on Xbox One, But Don't Expect Perfection

The free, open-source software, which is designed to help you organize and manage your local media collection on various devices, is now available worldwide via the Xbox Store.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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In the vein of "everything old is new again," the media streaming software Kodi — formerly known as Xbox Media Center (XBMC) — has arrived on Xbox One.

The free, open-source software, which is designed to help you organize, view and manage your local media collection on various devices, is now available worldwide via the Xbox Store, the Kodi team announced Friday. Just don't expect perfection.

"It's not finished yet and may contain missing features and bugs," the team wrote.

Kodi, for the uninitiated, works with your existing digital media files — things like movies, television shows, music, podcasts, and photos — and won't replace your subscriptions to video streaming services, such as Netflix and Hulu, or music streaming apps, such as Spotify or Pandora. Instead, Kodi's utility is its support for a wide range of file types and extensive cross-device compatibility.

If you use already use Kodi, you'll find that it looks pretty much exactly the same on Xbox One as it does on Windows 10 and other platforms. On the down side, though, the Xbox One app is still "in early stages of development and has very rough edges, might not be as stable as the regular version and may even be missing some functions," Kodi wrote. At this point, for instance, it does not offer access to Blu-ray or attached storage drives.

Still, Kodi developers are "working on getting it up to the regular standard" and are hopeful about this release.

"We were aware from the beginning there would be limitations when the work started however that never kept us from realizing that dream of becoming once again available on the device that started it all," the team wrote. "It almost feels like being reborn again."

Besides Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile, and now Xbox One, Kodi also runs on Apple's OSX and iOS, Google's Android, as well as Linux and Raspberry Pi.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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