With their recent showing at E3, Microsoft and Xbox have once again proven their commitment to the utilization of the Game Pass subscription service, which is now being enjoyed by players on both the Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs. In fact, for a limited time after their E3 briefing, the Game Pass for both Xbox and PC was priced at one dollar, making it an extremely attractive pick-up for anyone looking to get into the whole ecosystem.
This July, expect more good things to come for the Xbox Game Pass, as this month brings a new update loaded with features to better enhance your overall subscription experience. Here’s a quick rundown of everything to expect from the July 2019 Xbox Update, courtesy of the Xbox newsfeed.
New feature for the Xbox Game Pass
As mentioned, the Xbox Game Pass is the biggest focus for this July update, as Microsoft gave the service an additional feature which helps you manage your collection better. The Xbox Game Pass is a curated library of over 100 high-quality games, now available for both PC and console.
- Play later – This new feature lets you create a list of games from the Xbox Game Pass catalog which you can come back to at any time, hence the ‘play later’ label. This makes it somewhat easier to find titles you like, as having this huge backlog of literally over a hundred games makes managing a pain sometimes. You can manage the titles for this Play Later list on both your Xbox console or on the Game Pass mobile app, with the option to download the games once you’re ready.
New Xbox Skill features for Alexa
Microsoft detailed new expanded voice control support last fall through the Xbox Skill for Alexa, a feature that lets you navigate and interact with your Xbox One console using various voice commands, as powered by your Alexa-enabled devices. With this July 2019 update, the Xbox Skill for Alexa will be receiving more supported countries and various new Alexa voice commands to see just what’s happening on Xbox Game Pass, plus checking in with your friends on Xbox Live.
- Additional countries – When it first launched last fall, the Xbox Skill for Alexa was supported in only a few countries. Microsoft has heard the pleas for support in other countries, and as of this July update, the Xbox Skill for Alexa is now live and ready to support customers in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico and Spain. You can check out this handy guide provided by Microsoft to learn more on how to set up the Xbox Skill for Alexa.
- New Alexa voice commands for Xbox Game Pass and more – If you ever just wanted to use your voice to check out what’s new on the Xbox Game Pass, then this July Update is made especially for you. This latest iteration introduces the ability to find out a lot of stuff about the Xbox Game Pass, including what’s new to the service, what the most popular games are, what’s about to leave the catalog, and so much more. To check these out, start with something simple, like, “Alexa, ask Xbox what’s new on Game Pass?” and see the assistant answer your query accordingly. You can also find out what games your friends are currently enjoying, so you can join in on the fun. Simply state, “Alexa, ask Xbox what are my friends playing?” and receive a proper answer. The convenience doesn’t stop there, as you can also start pairing your Xbox controller without tinkering about from the comfort of your seat. Just say, “Alexa, ask Xbox to pair my controller”.
The posting for the update also provided some very useful links that will help you get the most of these new features. To check out an extensive guide on how the Xbox Skill for Alexa works, check out the links here and here. If you want to know what commands you can say that will be recognized by the assistant, check out the full list here.
