Microsoft is rolling out a new safety feature on Xbox consoles, allowing players an easier way to report inappropriate voice chats.
In a new blog post, Xbox Player Services Dave McCarthy wrote that this new feature will allow players to "capture and report inappropriate voice activity on any multiplayer game with in-game voice chat on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One." McCarthy also confirmed that the feature would support thousands of games that offer multiplayer voice chat; this includes Xbox 360 games that are backward compatible.
The new feature will allow Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One players the option to capture a one-minute video clip of in-game audio that they deem is both inappropriate and violates Xbox's Community Standards. The clip will then be submitted as evidence to the Xbox Safety Team, which will review the evidence, and the player will be notified about whether or not Xbox took action.
"With reactive voice reporting, Xbox continues to help players feel protected. Empowering players with easy-to-use tools helps foster togetherness, while improving the greater health of the gaming community on Xbox," Family Online Safety Institute CEO Stephen Balkam said in the blog post.
More interestingly, the blog post notes that you do not have to immediately submit the clip after recording it. It states that the clip will live on your console for 24 hours before it is deleted. This allows users a day to decide whether to file a report, with Xbox sending a notification to remind them to submit a report before the clip is erased.
In recent years, companies like Riot Games and PlayStation have implemented similar voice moderation policies that try to crack down on inappropriate voice chat behavior in multiplayer games.
Microsoft says its new safety features will roll out first to Xbox Insiders with the Alpha and Alpha skip rings before it is made available to all users.
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
