US-only personalised music streaming app Pandora has debuted on the Microsoft Xbox One, the first time the portal has appeared on a games console.
The app, which allows users to tailor their listening experience with playlists based on songs, artists or genres, is available to to download from the Xbox Store today.
Pandora for Xbox One comes with plenty of the console’s bells and whistles, namely the ability to ‘snap’ the app and stream music while you game.
This means you’ll be able to, for example, pick a Metallica-themed playlist to get you jazzed when you’re undertaking a high-octane Call of Duty mission.
As well as the in-game streaming, there’s also built-in Kinect voice controls and gestures.
The app has been designed to look as good as possible on the home TV, with two available views. One shows the user’s recently played stations, while the other shows the amount of time spent on each station.
In a blog post (via Venture Beat) Pandora’s Ian Galler wrote: “Gaming consoles, especially the Xbox One, are immensely important devices for Pandora; they are the “most interacted with” device in the home after TVs and there are tens of millions of gamers in the U.S.
“More importantly, we know that gaming and Pandora listening are a natural fit. 76% of our male listeners ages 13-34, who identify themselves as console gamers report that Pandora often serves as their background music while gaming. We are thrilled to offer them a seamless way to listen to their favorite stations while gaming or at home.”
With all that in mind, why it has taken until now for Pandora to get around to launching an app for a games console?
Read more: Xbox One vs PS4
Anyway, seeing as Brits still can’t access Spotify on any device, let alone the Xbox One, Microsoft has eased the blow by releasing another musically-themed app. Brits will be able to down the Vevo music videos app from the Xbox Store today too.
