I never thought I'd miss the Xbox One’s now-defunct Kinect camera, but its voice commands were actually one of my favorite features. Shouting at the all-seeing camera to pause Netflix, turn the console off or record a clip was a novelty that never really wore off.
I miss talking to my Xbox, then, so that's why I've decided to take advantage of the Prime Day deals on a number of Amazon Echo devices. It's easy to forget that you can use an Alexa-enabled device such as the Amazon Echo and Amazon Echo Dot to control your Xbox to bring the Kinect’s best feature back for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Xbox One consoles.
The Amazon Echo Dot seems like the perfect companion for the Xbox due to its small size, and it should fit nicely on my entertainment center, too. During Prime Day, it's only $24.99 / £24.99, which is less than the price of a game.
Using Alexa, I'll be able to install games straight from Xbox Game Pass, control media playback, invite friends to parties, and control my TV when using HDMI-CEC, all with the power of your voice. It’ll be nice to only have to ask once instead of multiple times, too, thanks to Alexa’s superior voice recognition technology.
Connecting an Alexa-enabled device to your Xbox is simple, too. Just download the Xbox app inside the connected Alexa app by following the instructions, and then enable digital assistants on your Xbox console. To do this, head to Settings, Kinect & Devices and then select Digital Assistants. Tap A on your controller to enable digital assistants and you’re good to go.
Once you’ve got the two devices talking to each other, you can say things like “Hey Alexa, turn on my Xbox” and “Hey Alex, redeem a code”, which is a lovely time-saving feature. There’s also something still wonderfully novel about controlling a device by only using your voice, and I look forward to being able to quickly pause Netflix without having to turn on my Xbox Wireless controller.
(Not in the US or UK? Scroll down for the best Amazon Echo deals in your region).
Today's best Amazon Echo deals on Prime Day (US)
Today's best Amazon Echo deals on Prime Day (UK)
Being able to add a whole host of new functionality to your Xbox One or Xbox Series X console for less than the price of a game is a great deal, so don't miss out on the opportunity to add voice commands to your setup during Prime Day, and turn your Xbox into a smart device.
More Amazon Echo deals
No matter where you live, you'll find all the lowest prices for the Amazon Echo from around the web right here, with offers available in your region.
More Amazon Prime Day deals in the UK
- Amazon Echo devices: now starting from £9.99
- Amazon Echo Dot: £49.99 £24.99 at Amazon
- Amazon Echo Show 5 (2019): £79.99 £39.99 at Amazon
- Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet: £89.99 £39.99 at Amazon
- Audible Premium Plus: Prime members get 3 months for 99p
- Blink Mini security camera: now just £21.99 for Prime members
- Deals under £15: save on games, smart home, fashion and more
- Fashion: big savings on Amazon brands starting at under £5
- Headphones: Jabra headphones from £69
- Kitchen: Dolce Gusto coffee machines from £59 and more
- Laptops: cheap PCs starting at just £199
- MacBook Air M1: £100 off at Amazon - now £899
- PC games: EA titles including The Sims 4 from £7.49
- Prime Video: channel add-ons 99p for three months
- PS5: Demon's Souls, Immortals and more discounted now
- Smart home: Ring Video Doorbell from £35
- Smartwatches: Fitbit Charge 4 now £99
- TVs: 4K smart TVs from £298
More Amazon Prime Day deals in the US
- Amazon devices: early Prime offers from $14.99
- Amazon Echo Dot: 2 for $49.98 with code PDDOT2PACK
- Amazon Echo: 2 for $119.98 with code ECHOPRIME
- Audible Premium Plus: save 53% on your first 4 months
- Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm, GPS): $399 $279 at Amazon
- Deals under $25: save on games, smart home, fashion and more
- Fashion: men's and women's fashion from $14
- Headphones: save on Sony, Beats, Bose and more
- iPad (8th generation): was $329 now $299
- Kitchen: save up to 42% on Cusimax, Cosori, Instant Pot and more
- Laptops: Chromebooks, MacBooks and gaming laptops discounted
- Nike: save on NBA jerseys, sneakers, and more
- Nintendo Switch: big titles now $10 off
- PS5: now starting at $29.88
- Smartwatches: save up to 35% on Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
- Subscription boxes: 50% off for Prime members
- TVs: Fire-enabled smart TVs starting at just $99.99
