Last year, Microsoft released a new version of its Skype app, built on the Universal Windows Platform (UWP), as part of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. The app was labelled 'Skype Preview', an accurate name, given that it was missing many features that were available in the full desktop version of Skype - but in the months that followed, Microsoft worked to improve the app and fill in some of those gaps.
This week, as its rollout of the Windows 10 Creators Update began for PCs, Microsoft said that its Skype UWP app for PCs and phones had officially dropped its preview tag, and declared it "ready for everyday use". Today, two weeks after the Creators Update was released for the Xbox One, Microsoft announced that its "all-new Skype" app is now available on its consoles, with a revised interface designed for use on TV screens.
"The Skype app has been redesigned to put gamers first," Microsoft said today. "The UI has been updated with a new look and feel, making it simpler to use, and letting you easily jump in and out of a call. It also has a new dark look that is easier on the eyes and is in line with the look and feel of other Xbox apps from Microsoft."
The new interface has been redesigned to offer easier interactions when using a controller, and the app now includes a "manual zoom option that gives you control over the Kinect camera during a call" - a feature that has apparently been in high demand among Xbox One owners.
You can download the new Skype app from the store on your Xbox One, as long as it's running the new Creators Update. Further information on the app is available here.
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