Next Xbox One updates bringing Cortana and Windows marketplace unification

The next Xbox One updates, both of which will land this summer, will bring Microsoft’s Cortana voice assistant to consoles and start bridging the gap between the Xbox and Windows Stores. 

Writing on Major Nelson’s blog, Mike Ybarra, director of program management for Xbox, explained Cortana voice commands will work with both headsets and Kinect, and can be used to find games, search for friends, and start parties.

Ybarra also offered more details as to how the Xbox and Window Stores will be brought together, explaining that the first steps will be to improve the functionality of both marketplaces. 

With that in mind, new channels are being added to the Xbox Store to enhance and streamline discovery, while shoppers will also be able to filter, browse, and search results by genre, read user-submitted reviews, and find deals thanks new strikethrough pricing lists. 

Over on the Windows Store, updates will allow players to browse and purchase bundles, episodic games, season passes, virtual currency, and other game add-ons and DLC.

Other new features include Windows Game Bar improved full-screen support, an app that will let Xbox One users share game clips and screenshots from Xbox Live to Twitter, and a revamped Game Collection interface that should make it easier to find and launch games. 

For a comprehensive overview of all the new features, head on over to Major Nelson’s blog.