Microsoft Details its SkyDrive Functions on Xbox One

Microsoft has announced some of the features that will be carried by its native cloud storage system, SkyDrive, on the firm's upcoming gaming console, Xbox One.

The SkyDrive feature on Xbox One will be available starting November 22, when the console becomes available in the market. The feature is understood to offer a "seamless, beautiful experience" for the users along with an ability to view and share photos and videos from his or her personal collection.

It has been also noted that through the app, user can access photo albums via OneGuide, play music through Xbox Music and take charge of the app through voice and gesture controls via Kinect. The whole SkyDrive app starts with a simple voice command "Xbox: Go to SkyDrive."

OneGuide is also said to be the sole source to browse live TV, on-demand streaming videos from apps, or the user's SkyDrive photos and videos for simplified search.

A feature tipped as "Snap and see" has also been introduced, which is said to work in coordination with the Windows Phones. The feature uploads the photos automatically as soon as a photo is taken from a Windows Phone, which is later displayed on the TV.

The Xbox Incubation team has also added certain actions such as pan, zoom and enhance to the images. For instance a user can zoom a stadium shot and feel as if the he or she is actually inside the stadium.

"When you're just thumbing through images, the experience is fast and fluid because we only download and show a (1080p) thumbnail," stated Dan Somrack, programme manager of SkyDrive in a blog post.

Somrack also mentions that to make the picture slideshow more engaging, they have changed the slideshow style of simple fade to slide and zoom into view, also known as the Ken Burns Effect.

These enhancements done in SkyDrive app is clearly one of the major expansions done in the console. More features are expected to be revealed once the console releases in the market.