Echo Beta Xbox on off skill

Microsoft are wayyy behind if bothering at all in automating there technology but…finaly they are trialling on off for the Xbox through Amazons Echo, trouble is setting up on off in Echo does not produce an Echo virtual switch, simply it allows voice control
Is there a way to control Xbox on off through Echo from within St ?
I have tried all sorts of things but cant quite tie the 2 together so i have a v button that does the job in St

Alexa routines can turn the xbox on or off. Use an ST simulated motion device or simulated open/close sensor that is seen by the Alexa app to trigger the routine.

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Thanks Ernie, i had seen that on the forum somewhere but for the life of me i couldnt find it again to clarify what i needed to do
Pita its easier on a Pc, shame you dont get options when you set up a v switch

Whenever you sort of vaguely remember having seen something in the forum, try the quick browse lists. In the community created wiki.

In this case, if you look down on that page for the project report section, the new echo routine integration will show up on the lists for “alerts,” for “sensors,” and for “voice” projects. So it can save you a lot of search time. :wink:

http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=How_to_Quick_Browse_the_Community-Created_SmartApps_Forum_Section

And here’s the FAQ if you just want to jump straight to it.

http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=How_to_use_SmartThings_to_have_Alexa_do_something_without_speaking_to_it

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Thanks JD but the link heading didnt really shout out xbox on off in St via echo

I did read the thread but even then it didnt really help

Anyhoo. For the first time in forever the xbox can now be switched on off from within St, all be it slightly un elegant but it works

Good old Microsoft, late to any party, maybe one day they may even discover IFTTT

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It’s simple. :sunglasses:

Anything which can be turned on/off in an echo routine (not a smartthings routine) Can now be controlled from smartthings.

That’s because an echo routine can now be initiated by a contact sensor opening or closing.

And smartthings allows you to create a virtual contact sensor which looks just like a real contact sensor to Alexa.

Even better, smartthings allows you to create a virtual device which looks like both a contact sensor and a switch to both smartthings and echo. When you turn the switch on, it makes the contact sensor look like it is open. When you turn the switch off, it makes the contact sensor look like it is closed.

So now you can turn that virtual switch on and off with any smartthings automation, including the official smart lights feature, that will make the virtual contact sensor look like it is open or closed, and that can trigger an echo routine.

Voila!

SmartThings control of anything which can be turned on/off in an echo routine. :sunglasses: which now includes an Xbox.

Did that help?

Also, we have now added a simplified, straightforward how to article on using this feature to the community-created wiki. It should be easier to understand than the thread I previously linked too.

http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=How_to_use_SmartThings_to_have_Alexa_do_something_without_speaking_to_it

(BTW, The article also includes the link to the code for a virtual contact sensor which has switch capability, so that’s the one you should use.)

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