Xbox One Media Remote coming in early March for $24.99 (update)

The Xbox One Media Remote, a standard-looking remote control for Microsoft's latest gaming console, will be available in all Xbox One markets worldwide in early March, the company announced today.

In the U.S., it will retail for $24.99. The redesigned Xbox 360 Media Remote, which debuted in late 2011, costs $19.99.

The Media Remote provides Xbox One users with a way to control playback of video content, such as Blu-rays and streaming video, without using the console's controller. It also features a OneGuide button that will take users to the system's TV app with a single press. And through the Kinect's infrared blaster, the Media Remote can control power and volume for televisions and audio/video receivers. The buttons on the motion-sensitive remote control light up when it's picked up.

Microsoft's official announcement of the Xbox One remote follows a leak from last week on Amazon that revealed an image of the device, as well as report that Microsoft would announce the Media Remote today and launch it on March 4. We're reaching out to the company for a release date, and will update this article with any information we receive.

Update: You can see the illumination in action in the Vine below from Microsoft's Larry Hryb.

Update 2: A Microsoft representative clarified to Polygon that the Xbox One Media Remote does not require the Kinect in order to work with the console; it communicates with the system directly when it comes to controlling the Xbox One user interface and apps.

"To also control your television set, cable or satellite set-top box, or additional AV equipment, the Media Remote must sync with the console through an IR blaster," the rep continued. "This can be done with an IR extender cable plugged into the back of the console (not included), or it can be done through the Kinect sensor. IR blasting between the Media Remote and Kinect will work even if Kinect has been disabled in Settings."