This March, Microsoft will roll-out an update that addresses multiplayer and party features on the Xbox One. Stuff that arguably should have been included on the console on day one, features that have been staples of the Xbox Live experience for many years.
Today though, Microsoft outlined some of these changes that you can expect in March. Via the Xbox Wire:
Get to your friends list faster. The friends list will be front and center on the homepage of the Friends app. Click the Social tile on Home, or say “Xbox, go to Friends” to see who’s online and what they’re up to. From there you can quickly send messages and get into a party.
Party chat will be turned on by default. When you party up, chat audio will be turned on by default.
Chat with friends playing different games. Party chat will be separated from people playing your game, so you can chat with your friends who are online or you can chat with everyone playing the game.
We’re adding an “Invite friends to game” option to your multiplayer titles moving forward. Similar to Xbox 360 titles, this will appear inside a games’ menu and offer a simple and quicker way to set up your multiplayer battles. Selecting “Invite friends” will let you invite friends to your game and party.
We’re adding “Recent Players.” This is a simple list that shows you Xbox Live members you’ve recently played with, making it easier to stay in touch with people, or add new friends after your multiplayer battles.
Microsoft wants to get this multiplayer update out ahead of the launch of Titanfall, so look for the update in early March, ahead of the March 11th release date for the Respawn Entertainment shooter.
This month, Microsoft will be rolling out a smaller update for the Xbox One. This update was supposed to arrive today, but was delayed. This smaller update will feature tweaks to the Xbox One Dashboard like storage features and a display for battery life of the Xbox One controller.
