Windows 8 and your Xbox 360

Friday, November 16, 2012 2:18 PM

As jingle bells rock and the clicking of keyboards hammer out a list of must-haves over the Christmas period you?ll probably see boyfriends, girlfriends, parents and relatives sent towards games retailers for the latest titles. Halo 4, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and Assassin?s Creed 3 will all be vying for top spot - but if you really want to make the most of your gaming experience while surrounded by bulbuls, you might want to switch some of your less desired games on Santa?s list to a Windows 8 powered phone, or a Windows Surface tablet.

Windows 8 launch
Windows 8 and the Microsoft Surface tablet, that sports an ?RT? version for use on devices with ARM processors, have been much publicised over the last couple of months ? particularly as they look set to take the classic Microsoft operating system in a new direction and challenge the conventions of portable computing.

James Caselton from Dolby (whose Dolby Digital Plus technology features in all Windows 8 devices) told us ?Tablets are the new laptops, and laptops the new desktops? ? but that?s only scraping the surface, ahem.

The release of Windows 8 ? in combination with an Xbox 360 ? isn?t just a new operating system for your laptop and a swanky new range of tablets ? it?s a new way of integrating all of your entertainment devices throughout the home and on the move.

All this transpires from Microsoft?s new ?Xbox SmartGlass? feature, also present on Windows 8 tablets and phones. Taking advantage of Xbox SmartGlass is simple; there?s no complicated set-ups and logins to remember ? it?s all done through your gamer tag (and Microsoft Account).

But what does it mean to gaming?
Before anything else you?ve got a second screen to a number of games, which can be viewed on your mobile or tablet. At the moment this offers a second map on Halo 4, so that dream of becoming elite super solider with eyes on the prize is one step closer. There?s also integration with games such as Dance Central 3 for the Kinect, again enhancing the game?s features ? so here?s to hoping many more developers follow suit and use the power that Microsoft has dropped into their hands.

This Windows 8 and Xbox 360 combination stretches beyond being able to see around corners though, by offering the capacity to control your entire Xbox Live account on the move. This goes as far as being able to buy games, see what your friends are up to, track in-game progress and browse your illustrious trophy cabinet that makes Barcelona look a little ?Sunday League?.

?Windows 8 has been developed to deliver a fast and fluid experience for all your gaming needs. But it doesn?t stop at gaming, it extends into all your entertainment need,' said Robert Epstein, Windows consumer product manager.

With the launch of Xbox Music, for example, you can have access to 30 million songs, a number which is only set to grow.

The strength of this service was tested with a number of obscure DJ requests from half-sozzled journalists ? one of whom challenged the service with a track by her friend?s band - and it came out on top every time.

To put this in to perspective, we went from 1970?s hip hop to contemporary musicians so raw they look like they?ve been playing the harmonica with sandpaper wedged between their lips.

If you don?t mind a few adverts the service is completely free to stream; if you want an ad-free service, with the capability of downloading tracks, and playing them on your phone and Xbox too, it?ll cost you ?8.99 a month or ?90 a year ? significantly less than buying two or three albums a month.

Xbox Music also allows you to create playlists on your Windows Phone or Windows tablet, whilst playing a game on an Xbox 360. So those tunes that get you pumped up for Call of Duty battle are always going to be waiting for you. These tunes can also be played on the move, just remember the free service will eat up your mobile internet usage (unless you download tracks with an Xbox Music pass for playing on the go)

Xbox Video, like other video streaming services, is in HD and allows you to rent or buy videos and watch them through your Xbox 360 or Windows 8 device ? but that?s not the best part.

If you?re on a shared console, or just watching a film while travelling, you can pause a film and resume where you left off on another device, again all done through your gamer tag.

Logging in?
Overall, I couldn?t find any major flaws in Xbox SmartGlass and the latest additions the Microsoft service that could make an Xbox 360 the central hub of your home.

Just remember that some of the more advanced features, such as the dual screen capability, are in early stages so it may take developers a little while to fully take advantage of their new, limitless, toy.
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Source: http://www.gamezine.co.uk/previews/2012/11/16/windows-8-and-your-xbox-360

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