Microsoft has announced a new Bing app for Xbox consoles, which is meant to make the company"s search engine more readily accessible on its family of gaming hardware. In terms of basic features, it"s pretty much what you"d expect from a Bing app, with web and image searches, so you can get help with a game without using your phone or PC, for example.
It does have some more interesting features, though. Microsoft says the Bing app can help users discover recommended and tending games, along with videos and news about games. The app also uses data about the games you and your friends play to deliver its recommendations and search results. Plus, if you search for images, you can easily set search results as your Xbox wallpaper, which makes customization a bit easier.
The Bing app for Xbox also integrates with the Microsoft Rewards program, so you get points for performing searches. But Microsoft also added some new ways to reward users with more points, like quizzes and polls. Finally, the app also supports voice search, which is probably easier than navigating an on-screen keyboard with a controller.
The app is available to download now, and you can install remotely on your console using this link. It"s currently only available in the United States, but it should make its way to more markets soon.