Gamers all over the world are in for a big surprise when they hear that Microsoft unveiled new features for its Xbox One.
In a post by CNET, Terry Myerson, Microsoft's executive vice president of operating systems, announced that universal Windows apps will be made available on Xbox One through its latest operating system Windows 10.
According to Myerson, the specific cross-platform apps will include applications like Skype. Microsoft is re-introducing the Xbox as more than a game console but also as a TV-connected Windows PC as well.
Microsoft has already demonstrated a variety of universal apps across phone and PC. These included a mobile version of Outlook, Calendar, a Photos app, a People app, Maps, among others, all of which cover the bases for everyday communication.
But it seems like the Windows 10 in Xbox One will be a more limited experience than what was seen on phones, tablets and PCs. Xbox head Phil Spencer pointed out Office apps were not yet envisioned for the gaming console.
Spencer also unveiled an Xbox app for Window 10 in bid to "combine gaming activity feeds from your Xbox Live friends with other game-specific interactions."
Also, Microsoft is bringing back "cross-play" mode on Xbox One and PC, after the company had not been successful with it for years. As a matter of fact, Fable Legends has expressed its interest to work via the "cross-play" mode on the platforms.
With Windows 10, PCs will be allowed to stream Xbox One games. However, this feature is limited to tablets and PCs only.
Alongside the launch of Windows 10, a new browser, code-named Spartan, was introduced by Microsoft to replace the Internet Explorer, reports The Verge. The new browser will also have new exciting features. One feature is the ability of users to annotate web pages much like an Office document, and sync all of those notes to OneDrive and share them with collaborators.
Another feature is a new reading mode that takes away the clutter of the page to make the experience more like reading from an actual book, much like the feature offered by Apple in Safari.
BBC reports that the company announced that Window 10 would be offered free of charge for devices running Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Phone. Previously, Microsoft's policies charged it users for major updates, which was the reason why many users chose not to download Windows 8.
