Yesterday, GamesBeat reported that Microsoft only intended to support Xbox One voice commands through the Kinect 3D camera in five of the 13 markets the consoles is launching in this November. Microsoft revealed today that it is expanding that number.
Microsoft has informed GamesBeat that it will support Xbox One voice commands in 10 countries.
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We’ve requested that Microsoft specify which three markets it is leaving out, and we will update this post when it provides us with that information. The company plans to launch Xbox One in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, and New Zealand this year. Between the eight supported languages, Microsoft could cover all of those countries.
Even in the 10 countries that support Kinect’s voice features, some features won’t work in all markets.
“There will be some voice experience variations in different markets at launch; the ‘Xbox On’ voice command will only be available in five markets — United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, and Germany — and will come to others in the near future.”
Microsoft didn’t explain why the “Xbox On” feature works in some countries but not some others that speak one of the eight supported languages.
“There are many complexities associated with delivering a great voice experience around the world, and we’re working hard to add more voice features and more countries,” the spokesperson said. “We’ll share more details in the future.”