Microsoft To Charge For Key Features On Xbox One

When the Xbox One console goes on sale later this year, key features will only be available with an annual subscription.

The types of features covered under these policies include the recording and sharing of gameplay videos, making Skype video calls and using the feature that finds gaming opponents.

Microsoft announced these requirements through an update to its webpages detailing the Xbox Ones’s features.

It has been revealed that to use the Xbox One for online mulitplayer gaming, watch streaming services such as Netflix and browse the web via a TV, then the owner will need a Live Gold account which currently cost $60.

As well as this, the annual subscription will let users share videos with friends. To make it easier to share the best bits of gameplay, the console records a rolling sample of the previous five minutes.

The annual payment also allows users to use the OneGuide and SmartMatch services. OneGuide analyses what Xbox One owners usually watch and recommends TV shows and YouTube content to match. The SmartMatch service links players with other gamers of a similar ability to ensure they are not outclassed in multiplayer matches.

Sony PlayStation 4 owners will also have to pay for some online services.

[Image via metro]

SOURCE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23613754