Xbox SmartGlass Will Be Windows 8 Compatible

Microsoft takes new steps towards integrating Windows 8 and Xbox with the new SmartGlass, as announced at E3 this year.

SmartGlass To Be Windows 8 Ready

SmartGlass is a new app from Microsoft that enables unprecendented multi-platform, multi-screen control for Xbox content through smart mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. It will work on all three major platforms — iOS by Apple, Android by Google and Microsoft’s own Windows Phone. Additionally, Windows 8 is also going to be a SmartGlass platform. So devices running Windows 8 or Windows RT (Windows on ARM) will also be able to take advantage of the new app’s features. Even though the devices weren’t specified, it would seem that the support would extend to anything running Windows 8, including laptops and desktops.

SmartGlass has multiple abilities. It can beam content from the console to the device screen and also turn the device in to a companion device and a second screen. This enables the user to use the second screen to browse for information on the main console content. For example, the user may be watching a TV episode on the console and simultaneously looking up actor, director and story information on their tablet through SmartGlass. SmartGlass can also take that content and show it on your TV screen via the Xbox console. It can also show the browser through the console.

There will be more console properties integrated with Windows 8 via SmartGlass, presumably. But only the sharing of achievements and joining multiplayer games on Xbox through SmartGlass has been specified so far. With Windows 8 just around the corner now (latest rumors suggest an October release date), we can expect further leaks and/or official announcements detailing more of the Windows 8 and SmartGlass integration.