Xbox brings gaming soundscapes to Calm app for sleeping and meditation

Microsoft also highlights games that feature healthy escapism, including Stardew Valley and, uh, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice.

Microsoft has announced a partnership between Xbox and Calm, a popular sleep, meditation, and relaxation app, that will bring video game-themed soundscapes to the Calm app for the first time. Available from today, Calm Premium users can access two new soundscapes based on Sea of Thieves and Halo Infinite which can be used as background audio for sleeping, or general relaxation.

According to a press release for the collaboration, Calm premium users can “enjoy the 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.”

A Calm Premium subscription typically costs $69.99 per year (or a one-time lifetime membership fee of $399.99), but Microsoft’s Xbox Ultimate subscribers can try it for three months for free, and receive a 50 percent discount on their first yearly subscription (only available for new Calm subscribers).

The collaboration with Calm is a part of Xbox’s push to support the mental health of its player base. According to a recent global survey commissioned by Xbox, 54 percent of participants said they use video games to relieve stress. As such, the gaming giant is also highlighting a collection of games available to play via Xbox Game Pass that “provide an escape from the trials of life,” that includes Stardew valley, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Unpacking, Persona 5 Royal, and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. 

It should be noted that the latter two games on that list have a mature age rating and feature traumatic themes, making them a somewhat questionable inclusion for a collection based on promoting mental health. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice features simulated psychosis and a suicide trigger warning was provided for Persona 5 Royal within the press release written by Ron Brown, Quality of Life Program Manager at 343 Industries. Nevertheless, this collection of games is available to play today on Xbox, Windows, Mobile, and via the Cloud.