Microsoft’s Xbox team together with the sleep and meditation app Calm has confirmed a new partnership, which will see “first-ever video-game-themed soundscapes added to the platform”. What does this exactly mean? Users of the app in an attempt to nod off to the land of dreams will soon be able to lull themselves to slumber through a series of sounds sourced from video games – including “meditative sounds of whirling waves and chattering birds from the ocean expanse of Sea of Thieves and the ambient alien sounds of Zeta Halo from Halo Infinite”.
These video game themed soundscapes will be available through Calm Premium. For those who are subscribers of the Xbox Game Pass service and have access to Ultimate Perks, you will be able to claim three months of Calm Premium for free, followed by an additional offer of 50% off for a one year subscription. This offer is only available to new accounts of the service.
This is the latest in a series of endeavours made by the Xbox team to support players in their mental health journey, with other initiatives including:
- Xbox Games Studio, The Coalition will donate 1% of net revenue from all Gears of War games and merchandise to organizations working to prevent suicide and combat loneliness. This year, players can purchase the 2022 Benefit Tee from the Xbox Gear Shop, with all proceeds benefiting Crisis Text Line.
- Microsoft Rewards members can earn and donate points to organizations supporting mental wellness, including Crisis Text Line, The Games and Online Harassment Hotline (Feminist Frequency), Take This, CheckPoint, and Lifeline.
- Xbox have also carefully curated a selection of games from Xbox Game Pass that provide an escape from the trials of life and help players connect with their unique identities, including Persona 5 Royal, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Unpacking, and Stardew Valley.
- Xbox Ambassadors will share their personal perspective on the role that gaming has played in their mental wellness journey to help support others.
- Throughout the month of December, the Xbox Plays team will host Twitch Takeovers with guest streamers to share their favorite feel-good games, stress relief tips and more.
As someone who doesn’t use an app like Calm to assist in relaxing and dozing off, this isn’t an approach I can vouch for (and even then, mileage would vary), but for active users of the service, this is a nice approach in my opinion for the Xbox team to do something a little bit extra for its users and fans of gaming in general.
