The Xbox 360 Learns to Type

The Xbox 360 is a sneaky device. When you buy one and bring it into your living room you think you’ve merely purchased a video game console, but when you turn it on your realize that it’s also a media center and includes a robust online store for downloading movies and TV shows in high definition. Now, Microsoft is adding even more ancillary functionality to their popular console, allowing gamers to connect with friends over MSN Live Messenger.

Of course, to talk with people over Messenger you need to be able to type, and using an on-screen keyboard and a couple of joysticks to chat is like using oven mitts to put a puzzle together. In order to make typing on the Xbox 360 an easier proposition, this summer Microsoft will be releasing this QWERTY Text Input Device (TID). It plugs into the bottom of the controller where the headset goes and turns the controller into a fully-capable typing device. While it might look kind of bulky, early reports say that it actually doesn’t add too much weight or awkwardness to the controller. Will it catch on? Time will tell, but it’s just one more feature that Microsoft will be sneaking into people’s living rooms without them realizing it.

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