It looks like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant are coming to Xbox One

We've been hearing for months that Microsoft was working on Alexa support for Xbox One, complete with voice control support via compatible Amazon Echo (opens in new tab) speakers. Today, we've seen hard evidence that not only shows Alexa support is coming, but also support for Google Assistant.

Since the death of Kinect, Microsoft hasn't really provided users with a decent alternative for controlling your console via voice commands. Sure, you can use a headset to speak with Cortana, but who is wearing a headset while watching a movie, when all you want to do is control the volume on your TV?

This picture comes to us from a reliable source who is familiar with Amazon and Microsoft's efforts to link Alexa and Cortana. In upcoming Xbox One builds, the Kinect & Devices menu should have a new "Digital Assistants" section, which lets you enable Alexa, Google Assistant, and Cortana, for use on your Xbox One. It then directs you to install the Xbox skills app for those respective platforms to get connected. The full range of features for those assistants remains unknown, but it could bring back many of the voice-assisted features abandoned Kinect users are yearning for.

Microsoft dropped the ball on Cortana's potential, pivoting her away from consumer capabilities and more into the productivity arena. As such, Cortana will soon be an "app" for Amazon Echo and probably other connected speakers, although she is available in a dedicated US-only speaker built by Harman/Kardon, called the Invoke (opens in new tab). It looks like Microsoft is allowing Amazon and Google to step up to give us back some of those voice-assisted dedicated microphone features too.

As always, plans can change at any time before launch, but I expect we'll see an official announcement about this one sooner rather than later. Former Xbox console marketing lead Albert Penello recently joined Amazon specifically to grow the Echo's presence in gaming. With Kinect out of the picture, integrating other connected speakers with Xbox is a total no-brainer.

You can grab an Amazon Echo Dot speaker for as little as $39.99 (opens in new tab). If you want a higher-quality speaker, you can grab a regular Echo (in a range of colors) for $99 (opens in new tab), or a smart-home hub version for $149 (opens in new tab).

See Amazon Echo at Amazon (opens in new tab)

Jez Corden

Jez Corden is a Senior Editor for Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by caffeine. Follow on Twitter @JezCorden and listen to his Xbox Two podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!

137 Comments

I dont see Microsoft doing any drastic change to push cortana. It had its peak along with windows phone. Now it is all downhill for her.
It takes years for a new CEO of huge company to make his mark, good or bad. Basically, the results of first few years are set by the inertia of the bureaucracy. Mobile is Ballmer's fault, and he's admitted it. But as bad as they were in mobile, Ballmer did have them set to exploit the Cloud wave with Azure and Office 365. Only now, with Andromeda, are we about to see the first of Nadella. Is he a visionary and great CEO, or just someone that cut costs where Ballmer failed and road the coattails where Ballmer was right? We're about find out this fall.
I accidently hit the report button please disregard. Also, Nutella is not good at his job in regards to Microsoft fans.
His job is not to make "Microsoft fans" happy...there simply isn't enough Microsoft fans to cater to with more failed consumer products. Thanks Balmer....
Google Assistant on my Xbox One? Yes please. Assuming it doesn't become some region restricted crap like both companies are capable of.
Hey Cortana, goodbye.
LMAO!
Yeah :))) because "why does the world need another virtual assistant?"
Right..on another note, who wants to learn 2 assistants? Lets see, this one turns it on, this one for the volume... Screw that, give me the option for one that does everything! This one for xbox, this one for PC... Give me amazon on ALL my devices! Cortana has slid off the the wall after sticking to it for some time...
I hope it will work with the Harmon Kardon Cortana speaker as well. Alexa or Google Assistant sounds good too though! If they aren't going to do more for Cortana then this is the obvious next step
I will ***** a brick if it doesn't.
It's incredible how badly Microsoft dropped the ball here. They had the first-mover's advantage in this market when the Xbox One with Kinect launched in 2013. Now, here we are 4.5 years later and they've capitulated entirely and, not surprisingly, their biggest competitors are swooping in and taking over the space.
Same goes for WMR...
WMR is close to death after the team was dismanteled. Soon to follow Bing, Movies & TV and other stuff Nadella can come up with destroying. They say Cortana will be business only :))) What a plain BS! the same pathetic excuse to avoid saying it's done! Companies are disabling Cortana and that Store app...
We wont be using it for business... Maybe it has a place in the office 365 space but we have no plans for o365.
"We are committed to Cortana" or some other famous last words......
"We are committed to Xbox". There is another half you're conveniently leaving out. This is nothing but great news for Xbox owners, which is REALLY the only thing that matters in this case: giving THEM a choice. We could, I dunno, celebrate that fact.
Why in the hell are you in the comments section being sensible, Dan? You know that's not allowed.
The nerve of him lol..
Agreed! Having this choice is what will keep me using my xbox rather than move to a chromecast or nvidia shield for my media.
Aren't they all useless without the microphone-remote you've been asking for?
Kinect is discontinued, plugging headphones into the controller, picking it up, turning it on, adjusting the headset.... (sigh)
If this is being done in the way the post implies, then any smart speaker or smartphone will function as the mic.
"Aren't they all useless without the microphone-remote you've been asking for?"
Last quarter just over 5 million Echo and Google Home speakers were sold. I'm sure a few of those households who bought one also have an Xbox. If not, maybe the other 9 million sold in 2017 may have an Xbox as well. Fingers crossed. That is how this works.
Giving choices at the cost of leaving first party AI?
"Giving choices at the cost of leaving first party AI?"
That's not at all what this is, but if you want to read it that way, knock yourself out. I don't see Cortana support going away at all (it's listed right there) and I'm quite certain Microsoft could do more natively with AI/Cortana/voice on Xbox than Google or Amazon could, since, you know, neither own that platform.
Considering a lot of parts of the World still don't have Cortana support on Xbox it hasn't even arrived to go away yet. I will be particularly peeved if this set up will require Cortana functionality, but I'm hoping they will just use their own services and not just act as a mic for Microsoft's.
Yes, I don't mind them providing the means for millions of Google Assistant and Alexa users around the world connect with ppl's choice of console, Xbox in MSFT's case. But it's frustrating to see them procrastinate on some of their products that should be competing with others right now. And we know there's a lot of potential in it, which is exhausting. I've mentioned above that MSFT is leaving Cortana out because you know, on one hand they are concentrating on their hardware business with cross platform support (which is ok) and on the other hand they put some of their own services and products to rest for sooo long till everyone around them catches up and be more successful in a specific market. And in the end what a typical MSFT will do? Announce, there's no need for a third so and so...
Well, at Microsoft Build, they just showed Alexa/Cortana integration. I'd say that allowing Xbox users access to other IA assistants is not a bad tradeoff for gaining access to all of the Alexa devices with Cortana, since they now work together. There's videos on YouTube that show this Cortana/Alexa integration on an Echo device.
If you believe users want to control Alexa via Cortana you are clearly delusional. Congrats!
I imagine it's the same now with Google Home and my Harmony Remote. I have to tell Google to tell Harmony to turn on my tv. More words to say but it works.
Bruh, what is you talking about... Microsoft is committed to Zune, Zune Pass, Xbox Music, Groove Music, Windows Phone, Windows Mobile, Kinect, UWP, and so on and so forth and what have you.
Those 10 people will be devastated, for sure. Microsoft is really suffering these days with their stock plummeting and distrust so high, I mean, clearly the next IBM. Look, if there is ONE thing we have learned in the last few years is fans of Windows Phones should never have their opinions counted.
I've been on this site for 2009 and I never thought something like this would come from you, the WC editor, to those of us who embraced MS's vision, and supported their consumer efforts to the last. Disgusting. You should be embarrassed.
Relax, just sit back and enjoy the ride at least...seeing MS being so desperate
Yeah, MS are so desperate with their $100 share price. They're really hurting.
But WM is destined to fall, and there's very few WM user to disappoint. I too think WM fan are just being illogical.
It's an OS that has a Windows name, but not really a Windows. Late to the game, with 0 user and 0 dev to start. Reason why I didn't care and went for Nexus. WoA is a smarter move (cause it's a PC).
Same could be said for fans of UWP! LOL
Sounds like what they said about kinect.
Spencer when he took over "For us it[kinect] remains a long term commitment to both games and platform."
Spencer in 2016: "Kinect will succeed based on how much people enjoy using it."
I mean, to be fair, as a company are you not allowed to say "we support something" only to have the market/dynamics change years later necessitating a pivot? Are companies supposed to be beholden to failed ideas just because forever?
If a company needs to change directions that is fine. Here is my problem. In June of 2017 when talking about the release of XBOX One X they said and had write ups that all your peripherals will work. No extra cables needed. Just plug and play. Imagine my surprise as a day one purchaser (just 4 months later) when I had to go buy a cable for my Kinect that I moved over from my Xbox one. I was one of the fortunate ones that was able to get that adapter before MS said they were stopping the production of and the price inflated exorbitantly.
Sure it’s a company’s prerogative to change directions but within just a few months of saying all was well seems a bit underhanded to me. How about at least a little warning?
I loved Kinect in the beginning and the potential it had and I still use it to this day.
As a side, I always enjoy your podcasts and articles even if I don't always agree. :-)
@Daniel Rubino
Ok let's be honest here.
How many games did they make for kinect since 2013? One? Two?
They knew they weren't going to support the product by making games for it when they forced it on gamers. They knew they weren't going to support it with games when they making these statements. I understand the idea of defending a company as much as possible but let's not defend it no matter what.
MS should take responsibility for the failure of the kinect and also own up to the statements and promises they used to make about supporting it (even though they weren't really).
I think over the past years we've got used to MS lying. I won't believe a damn word those guys say.
Sony said good things about Vita, Vaio and many other products, and they still drop the support.
Google / Apple drop products too. (unless... you don't read news)
@Hirox
Ah the classic "but others are doing it too" argument. We're talking about supporting a product.
Sony made a lot more games for Vita than MS made for kinect.
Enough said.
It's about making false promises. Can you post the links about what Sony said and when did they say it? Because unlike you who mostly come with "Sony said", I actually post exact quotes.
And I'm saying there's no exception / this is common sense. > Sony made a lot more games for Vita than MS made for kinect.
So? Tried and failed.
Vita gets no loves from gamers and devs, we drop. Fan or enthusiast are not the only one that buys products, that is why console market in Japan are shrinking. Sony released many wonky products in Japan, many have failed. 3rd time I post the link, maybe it's time for you to remember it.
Sony stands: http://www.4gamer.net/games/990/G999024/20160701111/
Devs stands: http://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/interview/171229/3
Can you understand?
MS didn't even try because they hardly made any game for their product. They hardly made anything but still kept hyping kinect. lol posting japanese links. Just post exact statements instead of posting Japanese stuff. I don't speak Japanese. For your information this is an english comment section...
> MS didn't even try because they hardly made any
> game for their product.
Funniest claim... do you work inside MS's campus? > They hardly made anything but still kept hyping kinect.
Hype? Even after honeymoon, few month after lunching? http://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/interview/171229/3
ctrl+f "どのくらい落ちるの？」と聞いたら" then continue reading.
ctrl+f "日本のコンシューマーでいちばん辛かっ" then continue reading. http://www.4gamer.net/games/990/G999024/20160701111/
use ctrl+f "先日のE3ではPlayStation Vitaの話題はとくにありませんでした" then start reading. Sure they tried.
"Funniest claim... do you work inside MS's campus?"
Are you having a laugh? The games they make and release is public information. LOL LOL Once again posting Japanese stuff. As expected. Knowing you, it must just be bs.
remove cause of double post
Those who used the Kinect on here seemed to enjoy it. Too bad it tanked at the time I was ready to pick one up.
I don't get it ...why can't ms improve cortana instead of adding Alexa & Google assistant to its own platforms. :(
Because everyone already uses Alexa and Google Assistant. Why is this anything but a good thing for Xbox owners? Know what I can't do on my PS4? Any of this.
Ummm.....yes but i think....ms can at least try it's best to improve cortana (give it features & skills) & then add GA or Alexa if needed
There's no reason to suspect that Cortana is being left out. But if you have a Google Home or an Echo, then you can use them too. If you have an Invoke, it'll also work. Or you can use any of the three assistants on your smartphone.
Why not JUST include it? Can Alexa talk to PS4? If you have an Alexa already, won't you try to / wanna pair it with a xbox?
Not saying it's bad for Xbox owners.....but instead of relying on those 2.....ms can improve cortana a lot. The smart assistant war isn't over at all. Ms has everything....money, talent, skills & a huge user base on pc n Xbox.....this will eventually help amdromeda category of devices....as those will have a awsm assistant as well.
Yes this I agree, put effort and your money on various things and let them grow only to merge them as One experience later on, which will be a massive hit.
Cortana is taking a backseat and heading to the backend, do a search on cortana...
@devine,Take a step back, you are too close to fully understand how this affects users. You keep telling us what we should be happy about without understanding why we are not.
Because "why does the world need another virtual assistant"
I want nothing to do with Alexa or Google assistant.
That's fine. Millions of other people do though. And Microsoft is catering to what its users are using.
There might be one or two more Cortana users if she was allowed out of the US. Currently, Google and Alexa have the world. Cortana has one country. No wonder everyone uses the competition. To decide that Cortana has failed before it has even been released is bonkers.
Doesn't take a business school grad to realize its Alexa and Google Home for AI assistant. What can Microsoft...or ANY other company do at this point to try to gain a meaningful following? If you want to talk about MS previous failures with rolling out Cortana sure, but you can't possible think pumping more money into trying to make it a consumer thing is a good use of money.
Yup, will integrate nicely with all my other smart home stuff. Bye Cortana, we barely knew you.
Cortana is part of this. So, no. Not bye Cortana.
keep telling yourself that Zac.
It's more fun to keep telling you what is written above.
Under Nadella, Microsoft seems to have lost it's competitive edge. This does not bode well ...
Not it's competitive edge, they are actively retreating from anything in the comsumer space. They are being IBM'd. Exactly what they did to IBM is now being done to them by Apple and Google.
Oh FFS, now it's "IBM'd"? The level of analysis in comments here is dropping lower and lower.
I don't need either of those. I still like Cortana.
Well at least they are not abandoning it. Can you use the Invoke to control the Xbox?
"Can you use the Invoke to control the Xbox?"
This news is supposed to be a part of that.
I don't understand the hate in this comment section. This is great news for Xbox user like us. Now I have options! I don't have the Invoke but I do have Alexa. Now I will be able to turn on the Xbox like a boss 😎
You mean Alexa will turn it on for you😏
"I don't understand the hate in this comment section. "
I'll go with salty ex-Windows Phone users now who are actively rooting for Microsoft to fail (even when this HELPS their gaming platform). They're a sad lot, but we keep them around for entertainment. They're like the emo crowd in high school who are always hilarious (well, on South Park at least).
Come on Man thats harsh, when for years editorials on this site indulged the very same fans when the writing was on the wall.
Poor stuff Dan. Many Windows Phone users continue to invest in new MS devices and absolutely do not want them to fail. It's just we keep getting hit by MS failures again and again. They fail despite what regular customers want, and what's more these failures are getting depressingly easy to predict. It is hoped that MS will pick up on this and change their ways so that less failures are generated for customers, but it is hard to see that happening to the point where many customers clearly fear it is not. If people here wanted MS to fail they need not try to egg it on, they need only wait in silence. The people speaking up are likely more keen than you think to see MS turn it around. So, when on PC, Alexa?
@Andy, you nailed it. The best thing MS can do is be upfront NOW. I was holding out on Alexa after I saw Cortana getting skills and after it was added to the Xbox. Now I no longer have that restriction. There is no reason to expect native features like Cortana to outshine the competition because the competition just does it better with more support, continued development, broader launch, etc...That's why those thinking that ex-Windows phone fans are being salty(maybe some are) are simply short sighted with their responses.
I don't see what he problem is here. Is not like they are abandoning Cortana, they just giving us a choice. Is not like people are running to the stores buying Invoke's. But they are buying Echo's. Also Google voice spy thingy.
This is the first step in abandoning Cortana.
Question, since you know so much here, if there is no Kinect right now for Xbox One S or X, and they're introducing Alexa and Google for Xbox...why have steps? Couldn't they just, you know, not have Cortana support anymore? But please, tell me about this theory you have about "the steps". Which is the next step in the grand scheme?
Good point, so why didn't MS do the same with all their other withdrawals then, and simply get rid immediately? I don't know why they like to drag it out with many 'steps', but they certainly have a history of it.
Can you explain more? Zune hardware ended quite suddenly. Groove had no steps, just had no growth, they released and kinda just let it die for whatever reason. Band had no steps either....they just shuttered it. What has had multiple steps to death?
I think Microsoft should release a small Cortana microphone that plugs into the Xbox. Basically Kinect without the camera. It could be small, unobtrusive, cheap and still provide all the voice commands you want to use. I could not be without Kinect to voice control my TV, home theater and Xbox. Yes, I'm that lazy! That said, I have turned Cortana off on my Xbox because she was useless, but the built-in voice commands work very well. I'm in Canada if it makes a difference. It probably does!
I agree 100%. Microsoft should have been selling a far field array microphone you could plug into your Xbox or your PC for $20 YEARS ago.
Yes they should also sell usb cables n connectors.
Does a USB Webcam work to support cortana or alexa/ga on Xbox?
I literally, LITERALLY couldn't care less or give less of a f#$k. WHERE. ARE. THE. *GAMES*?!? The games are what make a console, and it seems they still don't understand this. And until they do, Xbox will fall into a distant third behind Sony and now Nintendo. Wake up Microsoft.
I have multiple Xbox systems in my family and none of us play games. They're set up as a media hub. My sister and I use Google Assistant and my brother uses Alexa. With this news we can all take advantage. So we certainly care.
Gonna say this for you so you don't feel the need to come into comment sections all the time. Don't expect some massive change in exclusive rollout for this generation. Every move Phil Spencer has made is not going to bare real fruit until next gen. You'll still have games planned of course like Gears 5, Forza's halos and indie exclusives, but the new studios they acquired and built are most likely next gen initiatives. That said, i think they are fine conceding this generation at this point and they are focused on laying groundwork for next gen with some of the features and services they continue to introduce
Lol, why no link to the Google products like there are for the Amazon products? Oh yeah, Amazon refuses to sell them so no affiliate link kickbacks for Windows Central.
No kickbacks = no links.
Yeah, that's how businesses work.
"No kickbacks = no links."
I'm fine with this. Why should we give Google free business? Are we a charity for them?
Because you lose credibility when pay for play is in effect.
Yeah, I abhor businesses for trying to make money, that's why I choose to never buy or use anything, ever.
Lol, like they don't get paid for the ton of ads, sponsored articles, and "not sponsored" articles that everyone can clearly see are..
Ironic how more choices for Xbox users is a good thing, but not for WC users.
For those asking why the hate, it's because MS had this but failed at it now they are forced to add their competitors services on Xbox.
Not sure where the failure is. Cortana on my Xbox via Kinect is used regularly to lock/unlock doors control temps and dim lights for a movie, control volume. Avr inputs and tune to one guide channels, pause, record game clips. I guess if u shunned Kinect you would be in a different boat. I also want to point out even for unsupported hardware by installing TheHomeRemote designer on your pc. You can create new commands for Cortana that ms missed. Like control of a dennon/onkyo/door locks/insteon scenes etc. The other assistants do not have that kind of control yet on Xbox.
But you're the real Batman so you have all the wonderful toys.
You like working for free then I assume.
Being a Trade Unionist yes, I do. Someone's got to do this stuff, there's no excuse why it shouldn't be me. Not everyone's a bread-head about everything they do in life.
It's not like you don't know where to find them.
Why can't I do this now with Cortana on my PC? Cortana is never coming to Xbox in Canada so at least let me use my PC to turn in my Xbox
If u speak English select us English and your good to go.
Another day, another service being given up on by Microsoft. Nothing to see here.
They're adding two services, not removing anything..and they're adding it to a Microsoft product called "Xbox" (I heard it's a thing). Have you actually read the article?
Yes and the survey that preceded it on insider builds actually asked more questions about invoke,Cortana and Kinect that the others combined. So I'm guessing Cortana via all routes gets a native skill. And you probably have to shut her off for the others to work. What I would like to see though is the commands Cortana has on windows proper for Hulu, crackle,vudu and esp Netflix to come to Xbox. Maybe this is incentive for the app designers.
Yesssss. My new house is pretty much going to have a Google Home or Mini in every room that matters (obviously no bathrooms). This is perfect for me.
Idk, I have a mini in my bathroom for music when I'm showering.
Oh Jeebus, make this happen. I have my Home Mini sitting on the coffee table, it gets very little love but with this I'll be using it daily.
Adding to this I mostly want movie controls and recording control.
I currently use an Echo Dot + Logitech Harmony Hub + Stringify to turn my XBOX One on or off. Would be nice to do a little more by launching games and changing to the OneGuide mode through Alexa.
I use the same but with IFTTT. Have the basics (on, off, pause, resume, mute, unmute, volume up, volume down). You CAN have an activity to open oneguide. The command is in harmony hubs command list.
I'm glad more options for assistance when needed
Choice is good ladies.
Now, if they can get the Ring Doorbell video to pop up on the Xbox like it does for the Echo Show... Then they have my vote!
YES! How did I not think of that already.
Talk to ring or ask me for the vaporware product Home Hub
Sounds like this confirms the next Xbox will have built in speakers and microphone to turn it into a home voice assistant.
The last one should have. I expect an aftermarket Kinect 3.0 or ms to make one once Cortana is powerful enough for it to matter. The real story here is.....are they going to do this to windows.
I've been saying since the announcement that Microsoft would be separating Cortana from search on Windows that Cortana is dead as a brand. It will continue as a backend service, it's how Microsoft is gathering data on us, but it has no presence in the consumer or even enterprise space. Microsoft was called out on this and the best answer they had was, from the former Windows head, is that more Cortana announcements would be coming later this year. So what? No one cares at this point. As a previous Microsoft fanboy, I've gone from using Cortana on all of my devices to using it on none. It provides nothing useful to my day-to-day life. And with the integration of Alexa, assuming it works well, I'll be removing my Kinect as the last connection to Cortana. What's funny is that I haven't read Windows Central in over month, since I moved to Android, and the first article I see is Microsoft is killing off another service. Why would I expect anything else? To all those saying just look at Microsoft's stock as evidence of its success, you have no idea what you are talking about. Microsoft has simply followed the entire stock market, which is being driven by continued loose monetary policy. It's stock price will come crashing down with everyone else when this party ends, like it always does. I can't be the only person that has moved in this direction. Cortana is dead as a brand. Microsoft dropped the ball yet again.
Nice rant. I like they part where you ignored their continued revenue growth in key areas. Like it or not, consumer has never been where Microsoft has been successful. Why you think their stock is bolstered by nothing is odd.
How will this work if I have two xboxs in my home? :(
Now that's just a luxury problem! 😀
I still have my Kinect for my Xbox One and I still use Cortana with it. Do I want another assistant on my Microsoft device? No, no I do not. This is bothersome.
How well is your Kinect working? I have a OneX and Kinect is pretty terrible for me. I've wiped the machine several times and no improvement. It can take upwards of 15 seconds to recognize and act on a command, particularly with the first command after having sat for a while. Given my lackluster experience even on Microsoft's flagship gaming console, I can only conclude that Cortana development is being slowly shuttered for consumer facing features. Microsoft has set a pretty low bar for Amazon and Google to takeover on Xbox.
I find great that Microsoft is finally doing some good to their costumers in the consumer market. However, I often think Xbox is the weird division inside the company and wonder if they wouldn't do better spinning it off. Unfortunately, I am not sure they would ever find a buyer considering how tight is Xbox linked to Windows.
Ha, no. I mean, maybe some day far, far away. Amazon just passed Microsoft in capital early this year, but Microsoft caught back up, so they are still possibly bigger. Who knows about the rest of the year.. Still, a $685 billion company cannot buy a $684 billion company. Microsoft is still in the top 5 biggest companies in the US, no matter what. Who has the money to buy them outright? That's crazy talk.
Be nice to see that collaboration between the Seattle Sisters 😎💖🗽
I've never used Cortana on a laptop, tablet, or smartphone, but I can assure everyone that on a Desktop, Cortana is a useless, and irritating POS that eats up resources and which can't be permanently deleted. Kind of like an ex spouse with whom you have had children. You can disable it, but you can't delete, and the next update will make it frikken' come BACK! It's a Zombie app, desktops do not need an assistant that requires a set of headphoness that have a mmicrophone. What sort of {The word that indicates a person finds pain exciting}, prefers Cortana over a browser based search engine?
Well, people don't use assistants only for searches. You can use it to turn on the lights, TV, arm/disarm the alarm, lock/unlock the doors and even use it as an intercom to speak to those in other rooms.
This comment section is really interesting.
It looks like civil war. I'm more of a neutral but I can understand both sides.
The way I see it is that on one side there are those who see this as a plus for consumers. ofc those who are diehard MS "fans" who support them no matter what they do will join them and be for this... Then you have the other "fans" who's priority is still MS but who are not afraid to criticise them when they think MS is making moves that is killing MS's products and services. These people may have been upset that MS failed to support former products and see them doing something similar here with Cortana. So they decide to criticise MS's decision. I'm a neutral because MS isn't really my priority. I'll always be for the consumer so in a way providing these options for consumers is good. Having said that MS must support their products or try to make it work for the people who invested on those products...
Well Microsoft, I didn't get the hint when you killed URGE, then Windows Mobile/Phone or when you stopped selling music or when you killed Zune/Zune Player or when you killed XBox Music/Groove Music Pass. I was on the fence when you announced you'd drop support for Groove iOS and Android apps. However, you don't have to send me any more clues. You are clearly a business focused company and I get it now. I've started the process of moving my music to Google Play Music, I'll transfer my over 20 years worth of email, contacts and calendar info over to Google as well. I'll be sure to pull down my documents and pictures from OneDrive and Since I'm at it I might as well cancel that Office 365 Subscription and just buy Office out-right, instead of paying that yearly fee. Oh, while I'm at it I'll be sure to cancel my XBox Live because I just don't game like I used to anyway. It's been fun but you've made your intentions clear and I finally understand. So long...
Well, theres a question on Insider Hub that says "Which digital assistants do you use on your mobile device?" And the options to choose are: Alexa, Bixby, Cortana, Google Assistant, Siri and Other...maybe from MS are thinking to not jus limit on those 3 assistants 🤔🤔

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