• by Steve Smith , Staff Writer @popeyesm, December 6, 2011

So much attention is being paid to the new Xbox 360 and Kinect platform’s TV partnerships that it is easy to overlook another critical component also rolling out in today’s big refresh. Now that the Xbox 360 is starting to act like a set-top TV box, it is also reaching out to the same mobile platform that is also so appealing to the likes of Turner Cable and Comcast. In tandem with the big Xbox 360 update that will bring more TV/DVR-like functionality to the game console, Microsoft is also releasing an Xbox Companion app that will interact directly with the main box.

No, don’t go fishing around the Apple App Store or Android Marketplace looking for this must-try item. Microsoft for now at least appears to be using the mobile features of its new Xbox OS to lure people to the struggling Windows Phone platform. Yeah, bummer.

Luckily Xbox platform personality Major Nelson seems to suspect that only three of you actually have a Windows Phone right now, and has offered up some details about the second-screen model. The app will let you search for more content that is available on the new Xbox through the game, movies, TV show, music and apps catalogs. It will also show you games and other media you recently played. You can also drill into more information about whatever is on screen now, and friends' activity in media and games.

Of course the key piece for advanced second-screen apps is their ability to control and interact with the first screen. The Xbox Companion will let you search for new programming and tap to bring it up on the main screen. You can also use the app as a remote control for stopping, pausing, scanning and starting what is playing.

The battle for control of the second screen is on, so Microsoft is smart to make mobile an integrated piece of the Xbox upgrade this week. With over 80% of mobile handset owners using their mobile phones in some way while watching TV, this is the next obvious land for everyone to grab all at once.

It will be interesting to see which imperative motivates Microsoft more here. The company can leverage the Xbox to sell Windows Phones, which means leaving the Companion app as an exclusive feature of Microsoft phone platform. Or, it can make the Xbox’s new TV capabilities even more attractive to content providers and advertisers by going for scale and moving the Companion to Android and Apple platforms. At least when it comes to its mobile strategy for Xbox, Microsoft’s best interests may be at war with themselves.