Home Gaming The next big Xbox One update adds more social options

The next big Xbox One update adds more social options

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The Xbox One is a much better console lately. Thanks to a focus on games over TVTVTVTVTVTVTV, making the Kinect a paperweight of value for those mad folks who truly do want it and overhauling the user interface into something that doesn’t look a dog vomiting up a Windows mobile operating system. Look, don’t even ask me how your dog managed to eat that. You should keep a better eye on the mutt.

The point is, is that the Xbox One is a much more likable console. It’s a late bloomer that has some great content on the horizon, as well as a new update that’ll be tweaking the social side of your evenings on the couch. According to Microsoft engineer Mike Ybarra, the upcoming update will allow you to see who’s in your party before you join it, which is useful for avoiding Matty and Al.

There’s also a new Gamerscore leaderboard being added, something about pins and more Twitching. Here’s the full rundown of features from Xbox Wire:

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Updating Activity Feed in Xbox One:

Your activity feed in Xbox One Preview will inform you when there are new items in your feed. Clicking the link will take you to the top of your feed where you’ll see a rundown of the newest posts, so that you always have the freshest content at your fingertips.

Joinable Twitch Broadcasts:

You want it to be easier to watch your friend’s game broadcasts. In Preview, Game Hubs as well as the game tile will allow you to easily launch Twitch.tv broadcasts if friends are broadcasting.

Improvements to Suggested Friends:

Looking for people who you might know on Xbox or top content creators to follow? Check out the new Friend Suggestions area in Community and the Friends list in the Guide on Xbox One. Friend Suggestions include the gamertag, real name (if shared), gamerpic or Xbox Avatar image, and the reason the suggestion was made to you. Click through from the suggestion to view the member’s full profile and choose to grow your friends list.

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Hide games from ‘ready-to-install’ list:

Fans asked that we re-enable the ability to hide content like betas, trials, games, and apps that they no longer want to install. Xbox One Preview members will be able to start using this feature again.

Avatar Store:

Equip your avatar with the latest avatar items in the newly-integrated ‘Avatar Store.’ On the console, the Store is built right into the Xbox Avatars app and on Windows 10 PCs and phones, access the Store through the Xbox Avatars app. Get access to the entire catalog of new and oldie-but-goodie items, including free items. As you’re perusing catalogs, enjoy the ability to preview the items on your avatar real-time before you buy.

Xbox News:

Xbox News is a one-stop source for all the latest information about new hardware, console updates, game releases, tournaments like the Halo World Championship, breaking entertainment content, and more. This month, both Xbox Beta app and Xbox One Preview audiences will see Xbox News posts in their activity feed to make it easier to stay up to date on all things Xbox.

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Improvements to Trending:

Across Xbox One Preview and Xbox Beta app experiences this month for console and Windows 10 PCs and phones, you’ll notice a new access point for Trending items to the right of the Community tab on your console and in the left menu area of the Xbox app. This gets you to a dedicated Trending landing page with the most popular topics across Xbox Live surfaced at the top followed by an inspirational assortment of top videos, screenshots, achievements, and more that members across the community have created or unlocked. Consider friending or following publishers of content that you like.

Suggested friends:

In both the Xbox One Preview and Xbox Beta app, we’re making it easier to get details on your suggested friends. Starting this month, if you click ‘see all’ or double tap on the shortlist of friend suggestions in any scenario, you will be pointed to a full-screen view of all suggested friends.

Compact mode for Xbox App:

With this update to the Xbox Beta app, we’ve moved additional functions to compact mode which will enable you to quickly switch between your friends’ view, your party, messages and activity alerts. A quick click allows you to keep an eye on what your friends are up to, while multi-tasking on your Windows PC!

Xbox One Preview Program members are currently able to access the update. Expect to patiently wait and tap your foot as the grey bar slowly turns green so that you can jam some Titanfall, in February.

Last Updated: January 20, 2016

No Comments

  1. But does it make it waterproof!? O_o

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      January 20, 2016 at 10:07

      If they made it waterproof it wouldn’t be able to make coffee or encourage talk around the water cooler.

      Reply

      • Captain JJ 'saurus

        January 20, 2016 at 10:11

        XD

        Reply

    • RinceThis

      January 20, 2016 at 10:42

      Why? So it can be used as a landing pad for rockets out at sea?

      Reply

      • Captain JJ 'saurus

        January 20, 2016 at 10:49

        Better than adding the Kinect.

        Reply

  2. Pieter Kruger

    January 20, 2016 at 10:09

    Yes, Avatars are back! So glad the dashboard does not look and function like a 1989 PC’s cmos menu(cough cough Sony….)

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      January 20, 2016 at 10:24

      Agreed, this is what XBOX truly needed. Avatars!

      Reply

  3. The Grand Admiral Chief Prime

    January 20, 2016 at 10:26

    Social TV

    Reply

  4. RinceThis

    January 20, 2016 at 10:43

    Be still my beating heart. An Avatar store, where you can buy, BUY, imaginary clothes and other redundant things? Woop Wopp!

    Reply

    • BacchusZA

      January 20, 2016 at 11:17

      You do recall that little game called The Sims, right? The whole point of that game is to play dress up and so on, and people line up to throw money at Maxis for the privilege 😛

      So yeah, not something I’m likely to bother with myself, but don’t underestimate just how popular personalisation options and the like are with MANY people, even for something “silly” like an XBox / PSN avatar.

      Reply

  5. Raptor Rants

    January 20, 2016 at 10:57

    More social options to give developers more ways to say it’s for socialism and not for piracy!

    Reply

    • miaau

      January 20, 2016 at 12:03

      so, team Red, then?

      Reply

  6. Francois Knoetze

    January 20, 2016 at 11:13

    Ok I have a question: why the hell are these guys stalling on the backwards compatible list so much?? At the rate they are going they might as well call January’s list update February’s list update.

    Reply

    • Fweds

      January 20, 2016 at 11:40

      Because whinger’s like you would be the first to complain if they have any bugs so they now give them a thorough Beta test and optimization before release.

      Reply

      • Francois Knoetze

        January 20, 2016 at 13:45

        Actually I am the one person that complains the least so please don’t point fingers.(that and I am not a man that whines and flaps spicy chicken wings around either:whinger) I know what has to be done its a matter of keeping to a schedule and actually informing people. Give people a date. if anything doesn’t make the cut push it to the next batch. bec currently they have heaps of people who are asking for the next batch but nobody knows what is happening, what is included and when. There is no communication! That is not how you offer a service/product etc. You sit down you say what is it you are planning on launching on BC this month. Tell the people that this is not the final list and if some games don’t make the cut in time it will be in the next batch and finally you give a release date. 1st of feb would be great as an example. its the first day of the month, coincides with New Games with Gold line up and people know that with the free games these old games can be played from this date. Simple short and sweet. Not “hold on to your horses…it will be soon” after 18 days into the month and it is close to its end that is not what you say to a bunch of “whinging” gamers. Now I need to run to Nando’s an buy wings while whining about my shitty hobby

        Reply

        • Fweds

          January 21, 2016 at 10:29

          I think you mean “Winger” a Whinger is someone who complains about trivial things.
          If you want just Xbox 360 arcade games then i’m sure MS will happily release a list at the beginning of every month, it takes time to licence and make sure everything is running smoothly on full games and you are not being charged for it, MS are footing the bill. (Unlike Sony’s policy of you pay for everything)
          Now stop whinging I already told you Friday/Saturday they will be announced.

          Reply

          • Francois Knoetze

            January 21, 2016 at 12:31

            hahaha! dude remove the ” G” and you have the word Whiner:
            “to utter a low, usually nasal, complaining cry or sound, as from uneasiness, discontent, peevishness, etc.: The puppies were whining from hunger. 2. to snivel or complain in a peevish, self-pitying way: He is always whining about his.” as per the english dictionary.
            This is why I kept on joking about about the use of your “G”…
            but enough of that. Not interested in the arcade games . I come from a PS background and own a PS4 too. Just eager to see what exclusives I missed that I might finally be able to play after all the wait. So I will wait for the list as per your command young master(unless you are an old hermit that sits in the mountains with high speed fibre and direct access to MS internal news feeds…then I will call you Steve…Old man Steve)

          • Francois Knoetze

            January 21, 2016 at 12:36

            oh snap…now I feel like a tit… I take the spelling correction back…actually found the word but never before seen it spelt that way before…sorry about that my persistent ass-hatness dude.

  7. BacchusZA

    January 20, 2016 at 11:20

    It could be I’m just going blind & didn’t read properly, but I didn’t see if there was mention of an anticipated release date? For the most part this doesn’t look like it’ll do much for me, so I’m not too fussed really, though the changes to the suggested friends side of things could be handy…..

    Reply

  8. miaau

    January 20, 2016 at 11:52

    I read this and just think about Zaphod Beeblobrox, self described as the best bang since the big one

    Reply

  9. Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

    January 20, 2016 at 12:34

    Gah! I want less social features. Damnit Microsoft! #ShakesFist

    Reply

  10. DrKiller

    January 21, 2016 at 14:32

    Quite excited to see that Compact Mode thingy

    Reply

  11. WitWolfy

    January 21, 2016 at 20:16

    Yay… More social crap.

    Reply

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