If you’re an Xbox One owners tired of shouting at your TV to get it to do things like open Netflix, switch to other media apps or control your Blu-ray discs or any other media related things, Microsoft’s got just the thing for you; the Xbox One controller that comes with your console. Or Smartglass. Or gestures using Kinect, because you are the controller. Yesterday, they announced another thing to do that job; a media remote.
According to Microsoft the new remote has motion-sensing, battery-eating light-up buttons “allowing it to be used in the darkest of rooms while playing games, watching TV shows, movies and more.”
In addition to that, the thing will interface with Kinect to use that lump of technology’s IR blasting magic to change the volume and channel selection on your actual TV. Here’s more of the PR blurb, from Microsoft:
Releasing across Xbox One markets worldwide in early March, the Xbox One Media Remote lets you control video playback for Blu-ray movies and streaming video on Xbox One. Additionally, there are dedicated Back and OneGuide buttons. The OneGuide button provides one-touch, quick access to your favorite TV shows and movies through the Xbox program guide. This remote is designed to help you listen, watch and switch among experiences instantly – allowing you to rule your entertainment. The Media Remote can also control TV/Receiver power and volume through Kinect, which uses IR blasting to send signals to your TV and/or receiver.
It’ll be available in March, for just under $25. The Xbox 360 has a perfectly functional media remote that’s not operable with the Xbox One, because of reasons. Sony’s actually done the same thing; that wonderful Blu-Ray remote you used on your PlayStation 3 is useless on its new kin, though anybody with a relatively modern HDMI-CEC enabled TV could just use their TV remotes to control what few media functions exist on the PlayStation 4.
You’d imagine, with its huge media focus, that something like this would have been included in the Xbox One package – but that would have been tacit acknowledgement that Kinect isn’t quite as well-suited to being a controller as they’d hoped.
Last Updated: February 21, 2014
Alien Emperor Trevor
February 21, 2014 at 08:41
Of course it’s not included. It’s just a continuation of their policy to milk the cow for every little thing they possibly can, just like their headphone adapter.
FoxHoundR - 720p is bestest
February 21, 2014 at 10:08
I will gladly pay twice fer this
Rainman
February 21, 2014 at 08:42
Starting to wonder why these articles about the XBox one is on a gaming site…..
Spathi
February 21, 2014 at 08:43
Comment of the week!
TiMsTeR1033
February 21, 2014 at 08:44
except one issue *about
RinceandLeSIGH
February 21, 2014 at 08:52
One issue? What about ‘is’?
Rainman
February 21, 2014 at 09:16
Hey grammar nazi’s leave this poor dutchman alone.
RinceandLeSIGH
February 21, 2014 at 09:17
Hehe, no, I was more having a go at Tim, not you 😉 What you said deserves comment of the week, grammar or no! 🙂
Its Just a Ride
February 21, 2014 at 09:01
Shit just got real……
TiMsTeR1033
February 21, 2014 at 08:43
ah who gives a crap, if I want to watch my favourite tv shows ect I can use the normal tv remote. So flipping silly to add crap we don’t really need.
DrKiller
February 21, 2014 at 08:46
lol! Because no IR remote ever worked without a Kinect right 😉
TiMsTeR1033
February 21, 2014 at 08:49
Seriously Ms I never bought your remote for Xbox 360 why because it was useless the damn controller is a remote already, plus now you can use your voice or your flipping hand but no that still requires too much effort for the American folk apparently now all they need to do is push 1 button to go to all their favourite shows… what next you gonna add a pizza button so pizza hut orders your favourite pizza and sends a guy to your door. Making lazy people even lazier well flipping done.
FoxHoundR - 720p is bestest
February 21, 2014 at 10:09
Nooooo ypu must have the precious!!!!
RinceandLeSIGH
February 21, 2014 at 08:52
HAHAHAHAHAHA! So, the ONE system makes you PAY for the use of a fucking headset and now you need to buy a remote? Why? Because the Kinect doesn’t work?
Alien Emperor Trevor
February 21, 2014 at 08:54
You shut up! The Kinect is the bestest thing everest.. everestest…erm… everesting… screw it.
RinceandLeSIGH
February 21, 2014 at 08:54
Where the heck has Foxhound been lately? Note how we only ocassionaly see Nana.. .#justsaying
HvR
February 21, 2014 at 09:08
Probably got himself strangled between the free headset and the new controller.
RinceandLeSIGH
February 21, 2014 at 09:09
HAHAHAHAH! That made my morning! http://gifatron.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/taxi-drive-clap.gif
FoxHoundR - 720p is bestest
February 21, 2014 at 10:10
Here I is. My daddy un-grounded me
FoxHoundR - 720p is bestest
February 21, 2014 at 10:09
Bestest estest!!!
RinceandLeSIGH
February 21, 2014 at 09:03
I really have to laugh at this. Ol Admiral Nelson goes on about how this is an ‘inclusive system’ that ‘brings ALL elements of entertainment’ together but no, it doesn’t. At least not in the overly castle- sized box that it comes in. You need to spend extra on adaptors for headsets and if you are a lazy bastard like me and don’t like doing the Hakka to rewind your porn need to buy a remote?
Hammersteyn
February 21, 2014 at 09:11
LOOOOL doing the haka while watching porn. That basically describes any person who drives a car with a huge All Black sticker on his back window.
Hammersteyn
February 21, 2014 at 09:10
So they finally figured out people may be sleeping. Or that the consoles may be used where you aren’t supposed to make noise. I call that progress.
HvR
February 21, 2014 at 09:11
Why push a button if only need to learn these moves to play a Blu-ray on your Xbox.
ZumaIsPoes
February 21, 2014 at 09:12
You SEE
this is a good point i would like to make about my decision to move to PC gaming , twice in this article it has been mentioned that you old “controllers , remotes, headsets ” lets add games into that as well , can’t be used on your “next gen system” the reason : ” ______ . ” there is no real real reason its basically a fucking scam , rebuy the media remote rebuy your games rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy rebuy
get a pc , u can still play games from 1989 right up to now , and most of your old mouses and remotes will also work !
Console gaming has turned into a scam
RinceandLeSIGH
February 21, 2014 at 09:14
No Xbox One gaming has 😉
ZumaIsPoes
February 21, 2014 at 11:38
… zzzz …..
Jaded_Reprobate
February 21, 2014 at 09:58
Just for curiosities sake, how many ‘Mericans that visit this site own an XBone?
Rikus
February 21, 2014 at 10:00
Here are even Souf Efricans with Xbones. Or are you only interested in the ‘Mericans?
Jaded_Reprobate
February 21, 2014 at 10:02
i didn’t think any of us would be daft enough to purchase 1
Rikus
February 21, 2014 at 10:04
Yeah. Some crazy guys here went for the import route. Boggles the mind!
FoxHoundR - 720p is bestest
February 21, 2014 at 10:11
Ofcourse I have one
Jaded_Reprobate
February 21, 2014 at 10:14
My condolences…
Rikus
February 21, 2014 at 09:59
The fact that this controller has the option to interface with the Kinect baffles me…So it is basically a Wiimote with media buttons? Why would I want to swing the remote around like an idiot, if I can just swing my hands around or shout at the Xbox like an idiot? Its just…well….weird that they would do that. Maybe I’m missing something.
FoxHoundR - 720p is bestest
February 21, 2014 at 10:08
Soooooo sexy. This remote is bestest. I shall have a special place in my pants for this