The Xbox One Media Remote is an alternative to using the Xbox controller when you are using your Xbox One for doing any of those non-gaming activities like watching TV, Netflix, YouTube, DVD's, etc. While the Xbox One controller is generally considered one of the best game controllers available it can be difficult to use when trying to pause, fast forward, increase volume, or any of those actions you normally use when watching TV. The regular controller also will turn off after certain amount of time to save battery life and it can also be intimidating for those non-gamers who want to use the Xbox One.

The Media Remote is a little fatter than I thought it would be, but after using it I came to appreciate the extra size. The Apple TV and Boxee Box remotes are both nice and small, but too small and light. The Media Remote feels more solid and easier to use. There is also a nice matte rubbery coating on it to make it extra grippy.

The Media Remote is much more like a regular TV remote with a couple extra Xbox One specific buttons like a button for the menu, options, and a big silver button to turn your system on and off and to go to the Home screen. It also has a nice feature of lighting up when you pick you pick it up so you can easily see all the buttons when in a dark room. It also doesn't need to shut off like the game controller which uses Bluetooth to control the Xbox One. The benefit of Bluetooth is that you don't need line of sight to control the Xbox One, but the downfall is that it sucks up battery life. The Media Remote uses IR (infra-red) so this does mean you need to point it at the Xbox to control it. One the positive side the AAA batteries should last a long time.

If you have your Xbox One configured so that it can control your TV (and multimedia receiver if you have one) you can also use the Media Remote to control the volume. Ideally you could also use the Media Remote to control your cable box but unfortunately this feature is only available in the USA through the Xbox One's One Guide. Hopefully this will be coming to Canada soon. Regardless of this the Media Remote is great when you, or your non-Xbox familiar family and friends, are using any of the other media/streaming features on the Xbox One. For $24 it's a great add-on for those who use their Xbox One as multimedia device in their living room. I purchased mine directly from the Microsoft Store which offers free shipping and anything I've ordered from them ships overnight.