With the Xbox Skill for Alexa, you can interact with your Xbox One using just your voice. Turn it on and off, launch games and apps, play and pause videos, and more, all from any Alexa-enabled device or Alexa apps on iOS and Android.
To get started, sign in to the Xbox One console you want to control, tap "Enable Skill" in the Alexa app, and sign in with the Microsoft account you're using on that console. The Xbox you're signed in to will be automatically linked (you can also enable it on your console under Settings > Kinect & devices > Digital assistants). To change the device name of your Xbox or add additional consoles to control, go to the Smart Home Devices section of the Alexa app.
To learn what the Xbox skill can do, just say “Alexa, ask Xbox what can I say?" Here are some commands to get you started.
Standard commands
For access to all the commands available for the Xbox skill on Alexa, use the standard command structure, like this:
• "Alexa, tell Xbox to turn on." (Make sure instant on is enabled on your console.)
• "Alexa, tell Xbox to turn off."
• "Alexa, tell Xbox to launch Forza Horizon 4" (to turn on your console, sign in, and start the game).
• "Alexa, tell Xbox to pause" (while a video is playing on Xbox).
• "Alexa, tell Xbox to resume."
• "Alexa, tell Xbox to turn it up."
• "Alexa, tell Xbox to turn volume down 5."
• "Alexa, tell Xbox to start a party."
NOTE: Both "Tell Xbox" and "Ask Xbox" work for standard commands.
Smart home commands
You can also target the Xbox One console as a smart home device. Alexa smart home commands work for power, volume, and media controls. With smart home commands, you can drop the "Tell Xbox" or "Ask Xbox" portion, like in these examples:
• "Alexa, turn on [device name]."
• "Alexa, turn off [device name]."
• "Alexa, pause on [device name]."
• "Alexa, resume on [device name]."
• "Alexa, volume up on [device name]."
The default device name for Xbox consoles is "Xbox". Additional consoles have unique default names like "Xbox 4B1D". You can change the device name for smart home commands to something else – "Basement Xbox" or "Den Xbox" for example. This becomes especially important if you want to use Alexa with more than one Xbox. You can change the device name for your Xbox under Smart Home Devices in the Alexa mobile app.
If you've recently used your Xbox One and there aren't any other smart home devices paired with Alexa, you can drop the device name altogether, like this:
• "Alexa, pause"
• "Alexa, play"
• "Alexa, resume"
• "Alexa, skip forward"
TV & video skill commands
A smaller set of video skill commands are used for TV and game functions on Xbox. You can enable and manage video skills under Settings > TV & Video > Xbox in the Alexa app. Examples include:
• "Alexa, launch Forza Horizon 4."
• "Alexa, launch Forza Horizon 4 on Xbox."
• "Alexa, launch Netflix."
• "Alexa, launch Netflix on Xbox."
• "Alexa, watch PBS."
• "Alexa, watch PBS on Xbox."
NOTE: Your Alexa device needs to be linked with your console via the TV & video setting to enable these TV & video skill commands.
For troubleshooting, including discovering your console and working with multiple consoles or users, see our support content and forums:
• https://aka.ms/XboxSkillSupport
• https://aka.ms/XboxRedditForum
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