Microsoft introduces new reporting feature for in-game voice chats on Xbox consoles
Microsoft has announced a new reporting feature for in-game voice chats on Xbox consoles. This feature allows players to capture 60-second clips and report inappropriate voice activity in any multiplayer game with in-game voice chat on Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.
Rolling out to Xbox Insiders for testing
Starting this week, the safety feature will be rolled out to Xbox Insiders for testing before it is made available to the general public at a later date.
Safety innovation targeting in-game chat
According to Dave McCarthy, corporate vice president of Xbox player services, the team focused on in-game chat for their safety innovation because it is often the place where players have the most interactions outside of their friend network. The aim was to make the reporting process quick and easy to use with minimal impact on gameplay.
Player-controlled recording
Players have complete control over the recorded clips. Xbox does not save or upload any voice clips without the player’s initiation of the reporting process. The clips remain on the player’s console for 24 hours before being automatically erased if no report is submitted.
Notification on taken action
If players do file reports, they will be notified about whether or not Xbox has taken action related to the report.
Aiming to combat toxic gaming communities
Research conducted by mental health organization Take This showed that seven out of ten players avoid playing certain games due to the reputation of their communities. Toxic gaming communities not only harm the community’s well-being but also impact the industry’s bottom line.
