Microsoft says development of TV DVR feature for Xbox One has now been 'put on hold'

Last August, Microsoft announced that it was bringing digital video recording (DVR) functionality to the Xbox One, to allow owners of the console to record over-the-air TV broadcasts, and then watch those recordings on other Windows 10 devices.

Microsoft said that the feature would be offered as a free addition to the Xbox One, and promised that it would arrive sometime in 2016. In March, it emerged that the DVR feature was being tested internally, but some eyebrows were raised when Microsoft made no mention of it this week when it announced details of its next major update for the Xbox One, coming this summer.

Unfortunately, the reason for that omission has now become clear. Ten months after its original announcement, Microsoft has now said that DVR functionality on the Xbox One is on indefinite "hold", and it's not yet clear if the company plans to deliver that feature at all.

In a statement to The Verge, a Microsoft spokesperson said:

After careful consideration, we've decided to put development of DVR for Over-the-Air TV on hold to focus our attention on launching new, higher fan-requested gaming experiences across Xbox One and Windows 10.

We're always listening to fan feedback and we look forward to bringing more requested experiences on Xbox One, Windows 10 and Xbox Live this year.

So Microsoft hasn't completely ruled out the possibility of adding DVR functionality to the console at a later date, but the statement makes it clear that it's no longer in active development.

Microsoft said this week that its Windows 10 Anniversary Update for the Xbox One - which it announced earlier this year - will be split into two separate updates, only the first of which will arrive this summer, so it's possible that work on the DVR functionality could be resurrected for the second wave.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is rumored to be announcing two new 'media-focused' Xbox devices at the E3 gaming expo next week, along with details of an updated version of its Xbox One, as well as its virtual reality plans.

Source: The Verge