GoPro channel on Xbox One, Xbox 360 to stream extreme action videos

GoPro playback on Xbox
Footage from a lightweight camera on your heavy-duty Xbox One

You'll soon be able to watch extreme action videos shot from a first-person perspective on the same Xbox console on which you play first-person shooters.

GoPro maker Woodman Labs announced a forthcoming Xbox One and Xbox 360 video app filled with curated user-generated footage, all taken from its Hero line of lightweight personal cameras.

The GoPro channel will be broken down into categories of sports, athletes and adventure, and provide the option to watch individual videos or go on a back-to-back video marathon.

Inspired viewers without GoPro gear of their own can step it up by ordering cameras like the GoPro Hero 3+ and GoPro accessories directly from the app.

Pay up for POV

The GoPro channel will be free, but like all multimedia apps available on Xbox consoles, it will be locked behind Microsoft's Xbox Live Gold annual membership.

Microsoft has a policy of restricting multimedia apps, even subscription-based Netflix and Hulu Plus, behind its own pay wall.

That may be a problem for some extreme sports enthusiasts who are sporadic video game players and favor going outdoors to gaming.

It also contrasts with PS4 and PS3, as Sony doesn't force users to pay for PlayStation Plus.

Of course, there's no thrilling point-of-view GoPro channel on Sony's video game consoles, so extreme action junkies will just have to pony up for Xbox Live Gold for now.

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Matt Swider