Alexa Xbox skill lets you download Game Pass titles from anywhere

They say that inspiration can strike anywhere, sometimes when you're not at the place where you needed that inspiration in the first place. That works not just for creative activities but even for ideas on what game you want to play next. When that happens away from your PC or console, you'll have to remember to take note of it for later. If you have an Xbox Game Pass subscription and an Alexa-powered device, however, you can simply just ask Amazon's smart assistant to download that game for you, even while you're on a run outside.

Amazon last month surprised Xbox owners with the addition of an Alexa app for the console. It allowed owners of Xbox consoles and Echo devices to have some visual feedback for some of Alexa's skills. That includes not just seeing the weather but also view smart cameras connected to Amazon's smart speakers.

Ironically, Alexa didn't have any gaming-specific skills, at least until now. Amazon announced what is the first gaming partnership that will allow Alexa to download games with just their voice. Using any Alexa-powered device, like Echo Buds or an Echo Auto, you can ask the smart assistant to download any Xbox Game Pass title to your console, ready for you when you get back home or in your living room.

The Alexa Xbox skill, however, can do more than just download games. It can also inform players of what's hot on the Xbox Game Pass library as well as which titles will be leaving soon. Querying the Xbox Game Pass catalog doesn't require linking Alexa with your Xbox account but downloading any game does.

This feature is, of course, available only if you have an Xbox Game Pass subscription. But while Xbox Game Pass itself is available in 41 countries worldwide, the ability to download games via Alexa is available only for US customers.