In one fell swoop, Microsoft has become Twitter’s biggest interactive TV partner. Xbox One is adding a raft of new apps including Twitter and Vine, as Microsoft gets serious about social TV integration on its next generation console.
Under the new scheme, by pressing the “view” button on the controller, users will be able to see live tweets related to whatever show they’re watching.
There will also be tweets from a show’s official Twitter account, as well as from the cast and crew. In addition, viewers can retweet and favorite tweets from the tweet stream itself.
Microsoft says Twitter has been “optimized for the biggest screen in your house in a smart, contextual way.” For example, it will automatically display tweets related to the shows watched on cable.
Twitter will also have a place in Xbox One’s OneGuide: you’ll see hashtags in TV listings, and a new “trending” section will highlight shows that are currently being discussed across the service.
Vine, the Twitter-owned video snippet app, will also be coming to Xbox One. Aside from watching six-second clips on a bigger screen, Vine will also let users upload gaming snippets, though we don’t see this unseating Twitch anytime soon. Other apps slated to appear on Xbox One in the coming months include EPIX, Crunchyroll, GoPro, MLG, iHeartRadio, NBA, NHL, and more.
This means that a commercial break can quickly turn into an opportunity to see what other viewers are tweeting about without pulling out your phone, swiping at a tablet, or taking the viewers attention away from their TV.
Microsoft also announced a number of popular apps including HBO Go, Showtime Anytime, Comedy Central, and others will launch on Xbox One by year’s end.
Watch this video explaining how the Twitter integration works below:
Read the full list of apps here
