Cortana's connections are what makes the digital assistant so valuable to users, and now, she has a new source of information: Xbox Live.
On Friday morning, Winbeta received a tip that an Xbox Live tile now appears in the Connected Accounts section of Cortana.
The new feature isn't limited to Windows Insiders. It's available to everyone via the Windows 10 experience.
When connected to an Xbox Live account, Cortana can retrieve data about a user's Xbox gaming experience and share updates — right now, she's promoting Halo 5: Guardians. Cortana can also notify users when their friends are online and available to game. And she can also schedule gaming sessions.
To connect an Xbox Live account to Cortana, launch the digital assistant's menu using the box in the bottom left corner of the desktop. From there, select "Notebook" and then choose the "Connected Accounts" option. After a few prompts, the Xbox Live sign-in page will appear. After registering, users will have to have to sign on for Cortana to have access to Xbox Live data.
Cortana will need permission to "sign into Xbox Live and access to Xbox Live and partner services." She'll also need permission to "access your Xbox Live info anytime."
While Cortana can now touch Xbox data, it'll still be a while before Microsoft gives her permission to move into Xbox One consoles, according to Larry Hyrb, the Xbox director of programming who goes by his gamer tag Major Nelson.
"For those who have asked about Cortana, our plan is to add Cortana to the Xbox One experience preview later this year," says Hyrb on Oct. 2. "From there, we'll ensure that the experience is tuned for gamers before we officially launch Cortana in 2016."
Cortana will be a late edition to the New Xbox One Experience (NXOE), which is due for release next month. The NXOE will retrofit the Xbox One with a Windows 10 foundation.
"Whether you want to discover new movies and shows with the OneGuide or play with the best gamers on Xbox Live, the New Xbox One Experience gives you what you want, when you want it," says Microsoft's Xbox team.
