So it turns out that punching in redemption codes on your Xbox One isn’t going to be nearly as nightmarish as it’s been on your Xbox 360. Under the current setup you’ve got to go into the guide, choose Redeem Code, enter in a 25-character alphanumeric code using the 360’s terrible keyboard interface, re-enter it when the console inevitably tells you the code was invalid, find the missing letter you missed or swapped spots on, lose your mind when you get an invalid code error again… and on and on and on. The more evolved Xbox 360 users have learned how to use the website, or Xbox SmartGlass, since you actually have a proper keyboard with either of those methods.
All of that comes to an end on Xbox One… provided you’ve got your Kinect hooked up, that is. Microsoft’s Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb demonstrates the new process in a freshly posted Vine:
Simple, right? End of an era, people. End. Of. An. Era. All you need to do is keep your Kinect active. Let it into your life. Let it into your secure, private space. Let its black, emotionless, unmoving eye stare into your very soul.
Presumably those that opt out of running with a wired-in Kinect will still be living in the dark ages of 25-digit code entry. We’ve checked with Microsoft for clarification on this point and will update accordingly when we have an answer.