Another month, another update for the Xbox One. Microsoft have been incredibly consistent in providing new features and updates for Xbox One users, and November marks the biggest update yet. According to Mike Ybarra, Director of Program Management for Xbox, November’s update will see the “fastest and most social Xbox experience ever.”
“The New Xbox One Experience will be powered by Windows 10, elevating the gaming experience on Xbox One,” states Ybarra. “Integrating the speed of Windows 10, the New Xbox One Experience will get you to popular gaming features up to 50 percent faster. Instantly start a party, see what your friends are playing, and get updates to your recently played games from Home with no wait time. We’ll also be delivering your most requested feature – Xbox One Backward Compatibility.”
So, what’s new?
Guide
Well, for starters, there’s a brand-new Guide, allowing quicker access to essential apps and features. By pressing left or by double tapping the Xbox button, you can instantly overlay the guide. From there, you can access Friends, Party, Settings, System Notifications, Messages and more, without needing to leave your game.
Interface
The interface is seeing a major overhaul. A faster and cleaner interface will provide access to recently used apps and games, an easier way to share achievements and game clips, quickly see whether your friends are playing the same games, and one-click access to Game Hubs.
Community
An all-new Community section will “make Xbox One more social.” Based on consumer feedback, the Community section will help you see what other gamers are doing on Xbox Live, including your friends, keep track of the games you follow in a new-look Activity Feed, and explore the new Trending section, which will showcase popular posts from players on Xbox Live.
One Guide
For those of you who take advantage of the Xbox One’s TV and media functionality, the OneGuide is getting some love. Trending live TV shows will now be available to view, showcasing the most popular shows among Xbox users. TV listings now appear instantly, and in-full screen, and there’s even a picture-in-picture mode, allowing you to multitask while you watch TV.
Xbox Store
‘New’ seems to be the recurring theme here, and the Xbox Store is no different. An improved Store will separate four easy to navigate areas: Games, Movies & TV, Apps, and Music. A new vertical gallery will help bring more listings on screen at once. More categories include Staff Picks, New Releases, Top played, Top rated, Coming Soon and Recommendations, to help you discover new games, apps, and entertainment.
That’s a lot. Add in Backwards Compatability, and Xbox One users have a lot to look forward to this November. Xbox One Preview members will see the functionality rolled in the near future, with users who most often contribute feedback receiving priority.
