Add the Xbox One to the growing list of hardware set to receive Windows 10, but not when Microsoft’s device-spanning operating system lands on PCs.
Microsoft plans to take a staggered approach to releasing Windows 10. The operating system will launch first on PCs this summer, followed by subsequent releases for Windows Phone, HoloLens, the gargantuan Surface Hub display, and yes, the Xbox One. While Microsoft hasn’t announced firm launch dates for any of the launches—including PC—a tweet by Xbox head Phil Spencer suggests Xbox One owners won’t be basking in universal Windows apps anytime soon.
@dave125norco It will be post-summer.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) May 19, 2015
Note that that isn’t the final version of Windows 10 for Xbox One launching this fall, it’s the beta—indicating the full release will be later in the year at the earliest.
But while you won’t be able to enjoy Windows 10 on your Xbox One until sometime in the fall or beyond, PCs should have unprecedented hooks into the Xbox experience when Windows 10 launches this summer. The new operating system includes an Xbox app that ties to your Xbox Live account, bringing your console friends, achievements, and clips to your PC. Xbox One-to-PC streaming is already being demoed, and Microsoft’s working on PC-to-Xbox streaming in the other direction. Meanwhile, the new Xbox One TV tuner released yesterday lets Xbox One users stream live TV to Windows 8 devices using the Smartglass app.
The story behind the story: Microsoft’s never really clarified what to expect when Windows 10 hits the Xbox One, aside from a curated set of Windows apps—so what, exactly, the update will bring is anybody’s guess. One thing’s for certain: Microsoft’s ambition of drawing all its far-flung platforms into a cohesive whole is finally starting to take shape, despite Windows 8’s disastrous reception.
[Via IGN]