Xbox Smartglass launching tomorrow

While we might have discussed a fair bit here about how the Wii U could potentially open up some interesting new avenues of gaming, thanks to its inclusion of a tablet controller in the standard gaming environment, Microsoft Smartglass for Xbox has even more potential – and it launches tomorrow, 26th October.

Smartglass' initial intentions are to add more information to movies and media, meaning you can browse netflix while a film is going on – if you're getting bored perhaps – or that certain shows will display a map of where the characters are during a Game of Thrones episode.

Certain games will also have some support, including Dance Central 3, Forza Horizon, Halo Waypoint, Karaoke, Kinect Sesame Street TV and a few others. In the same way that the Wii U could offer some improved interaction through a tablet interface, so could certain Xbox games.

Unfortunately at launch only the Surface tablet and Windows phones will be supported for Xbox integration, but Microsoft is planning an iOS app, which means one for Android won't be far behind. This opens up millions of touch screen devices to interaction with an Xbox and therefore potentially tens of players in the same room – perhaps even hundreds or thousands throughout the world – similar to Mr Molyneux's Curiosity.

KitGuru Says: I'm really excited by Smartglass. Similar to Nitendo's Wii U GamePad, I think we're looking at a real return to hotseat/local gaming, where players drop in and out in the real world by using their smartphone, as much as they can online. No longer will people need to make sure there's enough controllers to go around – everyone will already have one with them. I'm also really hoping we see a Smartglass compatible Micro Machines remake, with support for 16+ players. That would be awesome.

Become a Patron!