Amazon Echo Button set to get more games and expanded capabilities in 2018

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Amazon's voice-orientated Amazon Echo line-up makes it the perfect gadget for quiz-show style applications, something the company capitalized upon with the release of its Amazon Echo Buttons.

The connected push-to-play pucks add a tangible element to interacting with an Alexa device, and at CES 2018 the company revealed that it's got much more planned for the add-on gadgets.

Speaking to TechCrunch, Steve Rabuchin, the vice president of Amazon Alexa said that "I think you'll see a lot more games come out this year that take advantage of the buttons."

What's next?

At £20/$20 a pair, the Echo Buttons are priced at impulse-purchase territory, but the relative lack of Alexa Skills that they can be paired with is stopping them from really taking off.

But with Amazon looking to expand the related 'Alexa Gadgets' line (with Amazon creating the hardware with the intention of letting developers experiment to find the best possible software uses), you may soon see more Skills and ideas unlocking the potential of Alexa add-ons.

Right now, the Buttons are limited to trivia games. But should there come a day where they integrate as controllers for other Alexa-compatible smart home gear, or are paired with other interesting hardware, they may become an essential component of Amazon's smart home plans.

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