Xbox announce reactive voice reporting feature, starting next week

Xbox has today announced a new platform-wide, reactive voice reporting feature to Xbox Insiders that starts this week. The new feature will give players the option to capture and report inappropriate in-game voice chats, meaning Xbox is ramping up its safety features with the innovative feature.

The reactive voice reporting feature for Xbox allows players to capture 60-second video clips of an in-game voice incident which they believe violates the Community Standards, then submit it as evidence to the Xbox Safety Team for review. This will then be evaluating to see if a policy violation has taken place. The whole process minimises disruption to play, as the clip stays on a player’s console for 24 online hours.

This means a player can hold off reporting until after their session or until they’re ready. Of course, it can still be sent immediately, but the option provides flexibility. Xbox will also send a report to the player who haven’t sent a grievance within the 24-hour period. If the choice is made not to report, the clip will be erased from the console immediately.

“As a woman online, I often find myself staying silent in online multiplayer to avoid abuse and harassment,” said CamicaziBoss, an Xbox Ambassador. “I am excited for features like this that can help give people like me their voices back. Nobody should miss out on interaction with their fellow gamers because they are afraid to speak.”

The feature was built following on from extensive research and feedback from the player community. It will first be issued to Xbox Insiders before going out to the console player base in English-language speaking markets like the US, Great Britain, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. Xbox is also testing and exploring additional languages.

The reactive voice reporting feature is detailed in much more detail on the Xbox Wire blog, which you can read here.