December 4th 2011 9:14 pm PT

Xbox Companion for Windows Phone coming December 6th

If you read the press release put out earlier today, you probably saw the huge list of partners coming soon to Xbox 360 and may have missed the paragraph about the Xbox Companion app coming this week, so I wanted to share a few more details about it.

Starting this Tuesday, Dec. 6, the free Xbox Companion app for Windows Phone will let you find, learn more about and control content from popular entertainment services on Xbox LIVE.

 

This Xbox Companion app will have some cool new features to use with your Xbox 360 including:

Xbox Companion search powered by Bing. Search the unified Xbox catalog for movies, TV shows, music, games and apps using the Windows phone. View a detailed unified results page across all content providers. You can see recently played games and apps and browse the Zune video catalog

Using the Xbox Companion app you can learn more details about the movie, TV show, music or game that is playing on your console. You can also get friend activity (friends online, friends with beacons, friends who have recently played), achievements and related items. You’ll also be able to select a search result, and launch a movie, TV show, game or app on the connected console as well as play, pause, fw, rw the playing video or music on the connected Xbox,initiate media purchase and navigate your Xbox console with Windows Phone using the Xbox Companion.

The Xbox Companion is a free app that launches on Tuesday, December 6th exclusively on Windows Phone. See the screen shots here.

Update: The app is now available. You can download it here.

 

 

Windows Phone, Xbox 360, Xbox Live By Larry Hryb, Xbox LIVE's Major Nelson

permalink: http://majornelson.com/2011/12/04/xbox-companion-for-windows-phone-coming-december-6th/

← Older Comments
  • andrew smith

    me too roger

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Robert-Wampler/820465007 Robert Wampler

    when does this come out?  i keep checking and nothing yet

  • crystalj

    WHY CANT I DOWNLOAD MY PROFILE???
     

  • Anonymous

    HOw 

    • http://www.facebook.com/cvpage Craig Page

      Your profile will always be locally stored…the update just makes it easier to sign in and out on multiple consoles. There’s no “Gamertag Recovery” process anymore…you simply sign in on the console you wish to play on (at which point your profile is downloaded from Xbox LIVE). If you play on a different console, you don’t have to download your profile again if it’s already there, Xbox LIVE just informs you that you were last signed in on another console.

      I hope that all made sense…I tend to get long-winded when I explain things, haha.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000787445341 Justin Huntley

    is the update done?  I can’t sign on my xbox.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=501334632 Michael Ratliff

    I tried searching on the App Marketplace for Xbox Companion, but the only thing that ever popped up was Xbox LIVE Extras. Is this right?

  • http://twitter.com/bawitdaba1337 Nick

    I would really like to see an iOS version of this too, or at the very least an open spec for the remote pause, ff, rewind so devs can integrate it to their remote apps

  • http://profiles.google.com/cad.k00k John Hazucha

    if you want it to work on iOS buy an Apple TV.

    • Don’t Really Care

      Thank you.  If people want a connected ecosystem in their homes, then its time to realize that all companies, from Google to Apple to MS, are going to make it so you need their products to do so.

      I can’t control an Apple TV or Google TV box w/ my phone…. if I cared that much, then I’d get an iPhone or Android phone.  Just that simple.

      People are just stupid and whiny is all.

  • Anonymous

    Hmmm.. December 7th and no update. Maybe someone missed the memo?

  • Anonymous

    uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh???????????????????????

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000473712231 Tom Schouw

    dear major Nelson, WHYYYYYY ??? WHYYYYY dont we still have voice reconitzion in Europe? no apps, and we can only search for movies and games??? i was hoping tooooooo much of this update, i guess.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Robert-Wampler/820465007 Robert Wampler

    Well looks like someone did not get the memmo about this app comming out still not on the market place.

  • Anonymous

    I just updated my 360 to the new metro designed dashboard.
    Honestly quiet disappointed about the super features ?!?!?!
    Voice recognition is nice but only some commands, very bad I thought it will deliver more than that.
    Seems by the way to have some problems somewhere as all the zune,etc won´t install !
    I let my 360 on the download screen for more than 1 hour, and came back….ooopsss….same screen:
    You application will be downloaded…searching for content !!!!
    WTF is that
    No Xbox companion app on wp7 marketpalce or zune!
    Very disappointed

  • http://twitter.com/BenChristmann Benoît CHRISTMANN

    It’s me or xbox companion is not avaible on wp7 marketplace?!

    • http://twitter.com/DimitriKazakov Dmitri Kazakov

      Can’t find it either.

  • http://twitter.com/irnchriz Chris Marshall

    How about an app for the iPhone and Android?  I know Microsoft make the windows phone hardly anyone has one and iPhone owners are unlikely to switch to WP7.

    I bought a windows phone years ago when there was the promise of Live Anywhere, which went nowhere.  Now fully bought into the iOS ecosystem and not going to buy into WP7.  You are missing a trick on the 200+ million iOS devices out there let alone the hundreds of millions of Android devices.

    • Anonymous

      Who cares about you and your isheep mentality.  Go troll elsewhere.

      • http://twitter.com/irnchriz Chris Marshall

        Looks like Microsoft cares, got the Xbox iOS app out today.  Ace.  Well done Major.

    • Don’t Really Care

      There was no such thing as Window Phone “YEARS ago”.  Lying troll, GTFO.

      And if you love your iPhone so much, you wouldn’t give 2 craps about Xbox Companion.  If you care so much about Xbox Companion, you’d ditch your iPhone in a heartbeat.

      Calling you a troll is actually too good for you… we’ll just stick with outright LIAR.

      • http://twitter.com/irnchriz Chris Marshall

        Im sorry, there was Windows Mobile you idiot, and LIVE ANYWHERE was meant to be coming out on it.  What a total moron.  Anyway, Im happy now as I have the XBOX LIVE on my iPhone 4S and iPad 2.  

  • http://www.facebook.com/DeadlyEd Ed Jones

    Its not on the marketplace, well not on the UK marketplace :(

  • http://www.bazajaytee.com Bazajaytee

    Still not seeing it after the Marketplace update today :(

  • http://www.facebook.com/zero647 Alejandro Patino

    the netflix app is terrible no option to watch videos with friends in a party , and you cant make vifeos full screen anymore. this sucks  im very disappointed also this upgrade just makes my xbox even slower, take so long to launch anything. FIX THIS!!!.

  • http://twitter.com/Navarin Bennijin Turbo

    There is now an “xbox companion” setting under the genre list, however when you go to it you can only find Xbox Live Extras, Avatar Gadgets and Halo Waypoint under it right now.

  • http://twitter.com/laserfloyd Lewis McCrary

    Searched a few times for this as well.  Any word on availability?

  • http://www.facebook.com/GeminiAce Rane Pollock

    Still waiting to hear the status on this.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Terron-Andrews/100000503074942 Terron Andrews

    Can someone please give us a ETA?

  • Anonymous

    Where is this? Just checked on my phone and it’s on available yet, an update would be nice?

  • http://www.facebook.com/charlesehilton Charles Hilton

    Still looking for the app myself. I figured due to the delay with the Dashboard, the app was pushed back. Yet, there has not been a peep about it.

  • http://twitter.com/Agile_IT Agile IT

    @MajorNelson I know you heard via
    the various tweets and posts…nobody can find the Xbox Companion for the Windows Phone communicated to launch
    on December 6th. Could you provide the community an update?

  • Anonymous
    • http://www.facebook.com/JimboSchneider James Schneider

      Well done sir!

  • sean traynor

    I’m confused. It’s on the market place majornelson has linked it however when i go onto my phone (Titan) its not there?

    • http://www.bazajaytee.com Bazajaytee

      Then click it on the website and it’ll get sent to your phone

      • sean traynor

        I wasnt to sure if that costed or not. I got it from zune so its all good :) thanks anyway

  • http://twitter.com/Agile_IT Agile IT

    Go To
    “XBOX Live Games” program > Scroll Down near bottom of the
    “Xbox Live” section. If you get in to the “Other”
    section…you scrolled down to far.

    It’s
    amazing! I searched for “Better Off Ted” on the Xbox Companion phone
    interface, and then selected play through Netflix subscription on the phone…and it started
    playing on the Xbox. Too Cool!

  • http://twitter.com/Agile_IT Agile IT

    Go To
    “XBOX Live Games” program > Scroll Down near bottom of the
    “Xbox Live” section. If you get in to the “Other”
    section…you scrolled down to far.

    It’s
    amazing! I searched for “Better Off Ted” on the Xbox Companion phone
    interface, and then selected play through Netflix subscription on the phone…and it started
    playing on the Xbox. Too Cool!

  • ElektroDragon

    Can’t find this on my HTC Titan!  I can only see Xbox Live Extras!

    • ElektroDragon

      Nevermind, I got it via the web.  Really strange that it does not show up anywhere. Not under Xbox Companion apps section either.

  • Anonymous

    Can’t get via the web tells me my phone software is out of date yets its not. I live in the uk!?

  • M Ballard

    Unable to download from the US Marketplace.  Says that my phone needs to be updated to the latest OS. AT&T Samsung Focus running Mango 7.5…am I missing something?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Scott-Brown/562165664 Scott Brown

    Like the app but wondering why the app doesnt have basic functionality for the video player and such? Should have put somewhere that its only good for Zune video. Also dont see anything for friends in the app.

  • http://twitter.com/tanchongren AhJohn

    It’s not available for Singapore region?

  • Anonymous

    Agreed. I want to use the app, but if my Xbox is off, I should be able to turn it on with the app.  Being able to add items to my download queue would be even better if I could remotely turn on my console and download them while I’m gone. Large updates would also be less of a nuisance if they could be downloaded while I’m away. 

  • Michau brak

    and where is  
    Poland Ver. ? 

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001334437622 Randy Soerjanatamihardja

    not available for Singaporean marketplace. Again another disappointing Microsoft content both for xbox live and windows phone marketplace for Singaporean gamertag region.

  • Sean Weyant

    What is the point of this? All it does is navigates the menu, but I have a controller for that.

    I was hoping I would finally be able to stream music from my WP7 to the Xbox, but it doesn’t seem to do that.

  • http://www.facebook.com/hood.locsta Hood Locsta

    is this out for android

← Older Comments
search
Latest Podcast
Show 476

see more

Twitter Feed

see more
Blog Archive
RSS Feeds
Helpful Links
Ads