Leaked Windows 10 build shows interface Cortana and Xbox app

A new build of the as yet unreleased Windows 10 is circulating on the internet that includes the Cortana speech service and the Xbox application. Cortana is incorporated into the search bar placed next to the home button. Microsoft also seems to want to replace the control panel.

It concerns build number 9901 of Windows 10, which is part of the Technical Preview that has been tested for several months. The Verge discovered that this version of Microsoft’s new operating system includes the speech service Cortana. Cortana is incorporated into the search bar next to the home button. The search engine can search content on PC and web and thus is integrated with Cortana.

Build 9901 also includes a new version of the Xbox application. At startup, Microsoft indicates that it is still an early version of the software. The app shows the associated Xbox store, friend lists, achievements and activity feeds, among other things.

According to The Verge, Microsoft appears to be planning to replace the traditional control panel with the settings application. This app will have an interface that is similar to the current Control Panel, according to the changes in build 9901 of Windows 10. The Windows Store has also been expanded, so that more content can now be purchased. This includes video and audio, making it seem that Microsoft wants to integrate its various content stores with each other.

Details of Cortana in Windows 10 have already come out through a demonstration video, but the interface was not yet finished. There was only a search button that led to Cortana. However, it is still unclear whether the search bar shown in build 9901 corresponds to what will eventually appear in the consumer release of Windows 10: many features in Windows 10 are still under development.

Microsoft is holding an event on January 21 to showcase Windows 10’s consumer features. So it is likely that Cortana and Xbox will make their appearance. The final version of Windows 10 is expected to be released in the fall of next year.