With the launch of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S approaching, Microsoft has announced that Xbox One accessories and headsets will remain compatible with the console, but there are, of course, exceptions.
Kinect is dead, it was buried, and the lack of an infrared communicator (IR Blaster) on the Xbox Series X and S certainly raised questions about how devices like media remote controls would work. To that end, PDP has unveiled the new Talon Media Remote PDP, designed for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, although the Xbox One is still expected to work well.
Major Nelson recently reiterated that the Xbox Series X and S has an infrared receiver , cleverly hidden inside the pairing key on the front of each console. To control TV sets, however, you need to be able to send that signal to those external devices. You can use a bridge like Smart Speakers to set up procedures, which allow you to communicate with multiple devices simultaneously over WiFi. However, if you want to keep things simple, most modern devices like the best 4K TVs for the Xbox Series X | S will use HDMI-CEC.
HDMI-CEC sends command signals over HDMI to your TV set, eliminating the need for the infrared communicator, which is a remnant of the Kinect from the beginning of the Xbox One generation. At that time, the PDP Talon Media Remote was widely considered the best solution to control your TV and Xbox without using the gamepad. Now, PDP has launched a brand new remote control, designed for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles. It has easy navigation through the Xbox One or Xbox Serie X | S media apps and account with luminous buttons activated by movement.
The main difference between the new PDP Talon and the old PDP is the removal of the numeric buttons. The Xbox One had a deep integration with the TV, with HDMI port to effectively take over and control your cable TV using the infrared, including to change the TV channels. As far as we can tell, the software for this has been completely removed from the Xbox Series X and S, which means that you won't be browsing channels or using the old Xbox TV tuner on new generation consoles. Therefore, there is no need for numeric keys.
The old Talon PDP should still work perfectly, but if you want a thinner, smaller and more compact version to use Netflix, Disney + and all the other media apps available on the Xbox Series S and X, that newer version will probably be your best option. It only costs $ 19.99 and can be found on Amazon's website, however, it is not yet being officially sold in Brazil. The accessory will launch on November 5, 2020.