With the Xbox One now just a few weeks from retail, many of the key details pertaining Microsoft’s next-gen games console have already been revealed. But naturally, the Redmond has been saving some info for the build up to the release, and as we swiftly approach this all-important time frame, it has been revealed that every purchaser of the Xbox One will also get free access to Xbox Music, the streaming audio service to which many Xbox fans will already be accustomed. Unfortunately, it is ad-supported, so you will have to listen to numerous plugs for products and services you probably do not want, but nevertheless, this is definitely a win for music heads.
Of course, when the Xbox One was announced earlier on this year, it was immediately apparent that Microsoft wasn’t just focusing its attentions on the gaming side of things. In fact, some gamers were pretty antsy by the showcasing of a console that seemed to focus its attentions largely upon replacing the set-top box in the living room as opposed to the Xbox 360.
Since then, thing have gotten a little bit better from the gaming side of things, but with consumers forced to purchase the Kinect – something that bumps the price up $100 over the more powerful PlayStation 4 – those looking to be entertained rather than game will probably be picking up Microsoft’s machine.
As well as all of the other announcements relating to streaming content and such, it now looks like Xbox Music will be plugged from the get-go, with Xbox One owners enjoying free, ad-supported access. This offering may just be a ruse in order to get users to pay for the subscription, but with Microsoft offering tens of millions of tracks right from the convenience of your console (as well as other devices), it stands as good a chance as any of the competitors in making its streaming music service a success.
Spotify has kicked off a new generation of subscription model music services, and while it remains atop the pile, Microsoft will know that, provided it can sell the Xbox One in decent numbers, subscriptions will begin to pile up.
There are no further details as yet other than a confirmation tweet from Xbox One lead planner Albert Penello, but we will update you in due course.
(Source: Albert Penello [Twitter])
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