Xbox One DVR, SmartMatch require Gold subscription

Yesterday we talked about the Xbox One and it’s DVR system being limited to recording clips at a maximum of 720p and 30fps. Well today we’ve found out that you’ll also need to be a Xbox Live Gold member to enjoy it.

Other services requiring a Gold subscription have actually come to light too, including the ability to use Skype, OneGuide (best described as a “TV guide type thing”) and SmartMatch (a way to get paired more efficiently with other gamers for multiplayer games).

To be honest I find all these features being behind the Xbox Live Gold paywall a pretty bitter pill to swallow. There’s nothing stopping the DVR clips being saved to the console’s hard-drive (it doesn’t need to be uploaded to the Xbox Cloud) so why charge for it? Skype I’m used to being free, except when I call a phone number and in which case I am happy to pay Skype for the privilege.

SmartMatch being Gold only is probably the biggest disappointment. But then again you can’t play online with your Xbox with a Gold subscription, so it makes sense!

What’s your view?