With the Xbox 360 already dominating the living room, it only makes sense for Microsoft to want to wrangle up the tablets and smartphones to create a seamless multimedia experience. That's Xbox SmartGlass.
The use of a secondary display isn't a new idea. Both Nintendo and Sony are toying with the idea with the Wii U GamePad and PlayStation 3/PS Vita. Xbox SmartGlass just makes it so that you don't need to buy any more devices.
The Xbox SmartGlass app works with the smartphone and tablet that you already own. It will land on iOS, Android and Windows Phone. Microsoft believes Xbox SmartGlass will make your entertainment much more immersive.
For example, you can watch a movie on a tablet with Xbox SmartGlass and then finish it up on your TV. Xbox SmartGlass will intelligently know that you've switched to your TV to continue movie playback and use the tablet display as a secondary screen to bring up movie info such as cast lists, bloopers, behind-the-scenes, etc.
It doesn't stop with movies though. Xbox SmartGlass can also be used as a secondary display for gaming. For instance, in a football game, you can use your tablet to draw up plays or in a first-person shooter, you can use it for matchmaking and displaying maps and schematics.
The windows of opportunity are endless, so long as developers choose to create add-ons for Xbox SmartGlass.
In addition to tablet connectivity with your TV, Microsoft introduced smartphone connectivity that'll see your smartphone used as a remote for controlling your Xbox Dashboard or browsing with the new Internet Explorer Web browser.
U.S. & World
Microsoft said that Web browsing has sucked on Smart TVs and consoles because the in UI is terrible. It believes that using a smartphone's touchscreen and Kinect's voice controls is the solution.
How do you feel about having a second screen for your movies and games?
Posted on location at The Galen Center in Los Angeles, California.
