Microsoft has updated its My Xbox Live application, and now Android users can access their Xbox Live games, friends, and achievements, from anywhere. iOS users also received an update, adding the ability to use their phones to remotely control the Xbox 360, a feature that is expected to come to Android phones in the future. With My Xbox Live, Android users can enjoy a fully-featured Xbox Live client, as well as one of the best looking applications on the platform, as it does a great job of replicating the "metro" look of Windows Phone 7.
Much like Microsoft's upcoming Smart Glass technology, My Xbox Live is going cross-platform, giving Xbox access to more users around the globe. My Xbox Live allows you to do just about everything you can from the Xbox console dashboard besides playing actual games, a feature that is still a Windows Phone 7 exclusive.
After signing into Xbox Live, the application is divided into three segments, Spotlight, Social, and Games. Spotlight is where you'll find video content such as game previews and developer interviews. Social is probably the most useful area of the application, where you can view and make changes to your Xbox Avatar, as well as message friends and see what games everyone is playing. The Games section of My Xbox Live will display a list of all the games in your library, as well as detailed achievement lists for each title.
My Xbox Live is a useful app for gamers, but Microsoft didn't stop there, packing in all sorts of little extras that make the experience a more memorable one. For instance, your Xbox Avatar is fully animated in 3D, and reacts to touch and motion - if you shake the phone violently, your avatar will stumble and fall, and will only get back up if you shake him or her awake. There's also tons of content in the spotlight section, and video playback is smooth, even over a 3G connection. As previously stated, the entire experience mimics that of a Windows Phone 7 app, so it feels as if you're getting the full Xbox experience, rather than a watered-down port.
While iPad users received retina support for My Xbox Live, iPhone users gained the ability to use their phone's touchscreen as a wireless Xbox controller, meaning they can fully navigate the Xbox, even if they don't have an Xbox controller near by. iPhone control is a welcome feature, but it is far more useful for basic navigation and accessing video services like Netflix, rather than actual gaming. It is expected that Microsoft will add remote control functionality to the Android version in a future update.
My Xbox Live is free to download and available now.
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