My Xbox LIVE

Summary

Microsoft is undergoing a sort of unification process at the moment, and especially Windows 8 users will benefit from this, seeing that as of now one account suffices to log into several services from now on. Android users will be happy to know that that personal Xbox LIVE account can now me interacted with easily using the My Xbox LIVE app. Find out more about the app's features and performance in today's review.

I've been trying out Windows 8 for the past few days and am pleased to report that's it's working out flawlessly.
Microsoft are in a difficult transition phase at the moment: the Metro design is now being referred to as Modern UI and all of its services are being unified. Xbox is a major player in this regard seeing as multimedia services such as videos and music run under the Xbox label. What's the motivation behind this corporate re-branding? Simple: Microsoft has not exactly been the pinnale of what is considered as being “cool” these past few years, but Xbox on the other hand has grown to be extremely popular. So this is a means to get users being Windows and co. again.

One of the main concerns is making popular services more easily accessible via mobile applications. Microsoft has several applications that have enjoyed a positive user response, but what about My Xbox LIVE? In a nutshell: it's top notch. The app provides all of the features we were hoping it would: chat with friends, updates on Xbox and games, own games and account management.

• Spotlight: This is where you'll find videos related to new games and Xbox features. The clips are in HD and their quality was very good on the Galaxy Nexus.
• Social: This is where you interact with friends, chat and tweak your personal avatar.
• Games: All games linked to an Xbox Live account can be found here. This is becoming increasingly important seeing as apps and games are now integrated in the Xbox Live network.

Bottom line:

I especially like the options for adapting one's avatar in Mx Xbox Live, which I would say is on par with when making adjustments from your computer or Xbox.

What's missing: in depth account management, similar to what can be done via the browser. Within the app itself you can only make changes to the name, motto, location and bio.

That said, all Xbox users should find joy in this little app, especially those users who don't use an actual Xbox but rather play on their computers.
 

My Xbox LIVE does well in the department. A lot of us here at AndroidPIT like the Modern UI, and Microsoft has a nice minimal look to it. There are some fun surprises along the way, too: in the “Social” category one's own avatar strolls across the display and waves. A cute, tongue-in-cheek moment. And who would've guessed a few years back that Microsoft would come out with an individual and appealing design?

Controls are equally good and fun to use.

My Xbox LIVE performed well and without any major issues throughout our test runs. The only small hiccup was when the “options” button in the “Social” category didn't react.

My Xbox LIVE is free and can be found in Google Play.