Xbox 360 Bluetooth headset for smartphones on the way

27 Jul 2011

Microsoft is to bring out a new Xbox 360 wireless headset with Bluetooth capabilities that is compatible with mobile phones, allowing users to play and take calls at the same time.

The device is compatible with Bluetooth devices, including mobile phones and PCs. It will be available for €49.99 in stores worldwide from early November.

The new device has a sleek appearance and has noise cancellation technology, is capable of up to 300 hours of standby on a single charge and eight hours of talktime on a single charge.

The new headset can be charged through a micro USB charging cable that connects to the Xbox 360 ports.

Users can switch from Xbox to Bluetooth mode to answer calls with a flip of a switch. Blue and green LED rings of light show visually which mode the device is in.

New Xbox 360 media remote

Xbox is also bringing out a new Xbox 360 Media Remote that allows users to control their dashboard and play DVDs and CDs through Xbox LIVE.

This is ideal for Xbox LIVE applications like Sky Player, Zune Marketplace and apps like Last.fm.

The remote will go on sale in early November priced at €14.99. Media playback controls include play/pause, skip forward, fast forward, skip back, fast back, and display to control DVD, CD or streamed media. The TV controls include power on/off, volume up/down, mute and TV input. The Xbox 360 Media Remote’s menu navigation controls include A, B, X, Y buttons, D-pad navigation, back and select. Live TV from Sky can also be controlled with the Xbox 360 Media Remote.

News of the new devices comes within a day of major updates for the Xbox Kinect motion-control gaming platform, which include avatars that respond to physical gestures and voice, as well as new art capabilities in the form of Kinect Sparkler. In addition, Microsoft is upping its game in terms of the quality and density of Kinect games with major new titles like its Star Wars Kinect bundle arriving in time for Christmas.

Xbox Remote

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com