Control Your Xbox One With Alexa, Cortana Voice Commands

Controlling your Xbox One is about to get a whole lot easier.

Microsoft on Thursday launched a new skill for Cortana- and Alexa-enabled devices that lets you control your game console using voice commands. The skill works with Windows 10 PCs; smart speakers like Amazon Echo, Harman Kardon Invoke, and Sonos One; and the Cortana and Alexa apps on iOS and Android.

"With the Xbox Skill, you can use voice commands to power your Xbox One console, adjust volume, launch games and apps, start and stop broadcasts on Mixer, capture screenshots, and more," Xbox Senior Program Manager Harrison Hoffman wrote in a blog post. "It's the fastest way to get into your games and one of the easiest ways to interact with your console for everyday tasks."

Rumors of the integration first surfaced in June. At this point, the feature is only available to select Xbox Insiders in the US. Those who are part of the Insider preview can, for instance, enable the new Xbox Skill on an Amazon Echo and start spouting command such as "Alexa, start Rocket League." That command will turn the console on, sign you in, and launch the game.

To check if you're eligible to test the skill, visit Settings > Devices on your console and look for the Digital Assistant setting. "We will be rolling the Xbox Skill out to Xbox Insider rings gradually," Hoffman wrote. "If [the Digital Assistant setting] doesn't appear, then please be patient as we are working quickly to add more Insider rings to the beta."

To set it up with Cortana, sign into the Xbox you want to control, jump on your Windows 10 PC and click here, then sign in with your Microsoft account, and link the skill.

If you want to use Alexa, sign into the Xbox you want to control, click here, sign in with your Amazon Account, press Enable, sign in with your Microsoft account, wait for Alexa to discover your console, and follow the instructions to pair your console with Alexa.

Once you get it all set up, say "Ask Xbox what can I say?" to discover supported commands. A full list of commands is available via this Xbox Insider Subreddit.

About Our Expert

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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