Microsoft has announced a new reporting feature for in-game voice chats on Xbox consoles
It will let players capture 60-second clips and report inappropriate voice activity on any multiplayer title with in-game voice chat on Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.
Starting this week, the safety feature will be rolled out to Xbox Insiders for testing before being made publicly available later.
“When we looked at the next important step in our safety innovation, our team targeted in-game chat because it is often the place where players have the highest opportunity to interact with players outside of their friend network,” said Dave McCarthy, corporate vice president of Xbox player services.
He added: “Reactive voice reporting on Xbox is designed to be quick and easy to use with minimal impact to gameplay. The feature is designed so players can capture quickly and jump back into their gameplay and finalize the report when their game is over.”
Only players have access to recorded clips until they submit them. “Xbox is not saving or uploading any voice clips without you, the player, choosing to start the reporting process,” McCarthy said.
Clips live on players’ consoles for 24 online hours before being erased automatically if a report is not submitted. Players who do file reports will be notified about whether or not Xbox took action related to the report.
Research published last week by non-profit mental health organisation Take This found that seven out of 10 players reported avoiding playing certain games because of the reputation of the community.
“Toxic gaming communities are not only bad for the health of the community, they are bad for the bottom line,” commented Take This research director Dr. Rachel Kowert.
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