Talking Point: As Skype Shuts Its Doors, An Old Xbox Feature Retires To The History Books
Image: Xbox

Well, it's the end of an era today! Microsoft has announced that Skype is officially shutting its doors in May 2025, with the focus shifting over to Microsoft Teams instead - and the company is making it as easy as possible to move over:

"Over the coming days, we will roll out the ability for Skype users to sign into Teams (free) on any supported device using their Skype credentials—starting today with those who are part of both the Teams and Skype Insider programs. By logging in to Teams with a Skype account, chats and contacts will automatically appear in the app so you can quickly pick up where you left off."

This means little to us from an Xbox perspective these days, but it what does do is formally put a nail in the coffin of the Skype functionality that survived on Xbox consoles for almost a decade before it was quietly sunsetted a while ago.

For those who don't recall, Skype was a significant focus of the Xbox One launch back in 2013, with video calls serving as a way to show off the Kinect 2.0's impressive capabilities - you could even use Skype in "Snap Mode" too!

Skype continued to get use on Xbox even despite the Kinect's dwindling popularity in the years to come, and it actually wasn't until a couple of years ago that the app was suddenly removed from the Xbox Store. Xbox fans questioned its disappearance, and Microsoft ultimately confirmed the news by adding Xbox to Skype's "no longer supported" list.

With the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S never supporting the Kinect in any form, it was inevitable that Skype would disappear at some point, but unfortunately there's never been a dedicated Microsoft Teams app to replace it.

That said, you can access Microsoft Teams via Xbox's Microsoft Edge internet browser, meaning that the functionality is available for those who desire it, and don't forget Discord is great for voice chat across multiple platforms too.

Anyway, going back to all this Skype footage from the Xbox One era is making us very nostalgic, and even though we didn't engage with the app that much over the years, there are definitely some cherished memories that stick out!

What was your experience like with Skype on Xbox? Let us know down in the comments below.

Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.

[source microsoft.com]