Microsoft will soon let you use your TV remote for controlling Xbox

Microsoft wants to make playing games on its Xbox gaming consoles easier for its Xbox users, particularly the ones who use their TV screens as displays. And so to make this happen, Microsoft has started testing a new feature that turns TV remotes into controllers for its Xbox gaming consoles.

The Verge reports that Microsoft is currently testing a feature that enables users to use their TV remotes to navigate around on the dashboard of its Xbox gaming console. Select Xbox Insider users have gotten access to a new and revamped version of the Xbox dashboard for their Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X gaming consoles. This new Xbox dashboard enables new HDMI-CEC features which includes using the Xbox gaming console to turn on and off other devices, using other devices to turn on the Xbox gaming console, and controlling the volume of other devices using the Xbox gaming console.

One of the features in this new HDMI-CEC set of features also enables users to switch TV input using the controller, which means that users will not have to look for the Xbox controller when they want to control or switch to a streaming app such as Netflix or YouTube. Furthermore, there is a setting that allows users to use their TV remote for using various aspects of the Xbox dashboard. “Use your TV’s remote control to get around your console, play music and videos and launch apps and games,” the description of the feature says within the dashboard.

Now, there are a lot of TV remotes that come with the ability that enables users to switch the TV input from the streaming stick to Xbox simply by pressing a button. This new feature gives such users another way of making the changes. To other users, Microsoft’s new feature gives a chance of making the switch using a simple and easy-to-follow technique.

If you are an Xbox Insider user, you can find these settings inside HDMI-CEC settings inside the Xbox dashboard. The publication notes that Xbox’s new feature is available in Alpha Skip-ahead and Alpha Xbox Insider rings and it is expected to be rolled out to all Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S gaming console users in the coming months.