There’s one thing you shouldn’t go without if you plan to watch TV on your Xbox One and that’s the official Xbox One Media Remote. Even if you have no intention of watching TV on your Xbox One you still might want to consider picking one up unless you enjoy controlling Blu-rays, etc. with a gaming controller. Before we dig in I want to point out that out of the box this will ONLY work with the Xbox One, it’s not a Windows Media Center remote for your HTPC. Also, it’s an IR remote which means you’ll need to point it directly at your Xbox One or have a IR repeater setup as it doesn’t work on the proprietary wireless protocol like a controller.
The Xbox One Media Remote really puts the Xbox 360 Media Remote to shame and it’s clear Microsoft put some real effort behind the design, functionality and overall build quality of this remote. They’ve added Motion-activated back-lit buttons so that you can actual use the remote without having to turn on a light. If you’ve got a Kinect it will also control TV which I’ve displayed in my video below. It will control Blu-ray movies and just about every action within apps like Amazon, Plex, Youtube, Netflix, etc. It sports a nice and soft silicone finish which tends to retain greasy fingerprints from your favorite snack, but overall has a nice feel to it. I can tell you from experience as a father of two young children that this remote has taken a beating for the last few months and has no signs of abuse. Despite the abuse and multiple tumbles the back part that slides off to reveal the two AAA batteries has yet to come apart aside from replacing the batteries. The Xbox One Media Remote will run you roughly $25 and despite the ding on the rating for still using IR it’s well worth every penny. I’m certain you’ll like it so much that I’ll be hooking up one lucky US reader with one in the linked giveaway below.
Link to the giveaway!
[…] Recently I reviewed the Xbox One Media Remote and I’d like to hook up one lucky reader. There’s no catch, just my way of saying thanks for checking out my website. […]