Microsoft has been doing some pretty revolutionary things with its Xbox consoles lately. After introducing apps that give access to movie and music game streaming, as well as a full-blown app store varied enough to please any smartphone user, Microsoft is taking yet another leap forward with the Xbox One console. Word on the street is that the Xbox One is getting an overhaul that will make it look and function more like Windows 10.
As Thurott noted, some of the new features added by the Xbox One update will include a new form of navigating the dashboard, a “My Stuff” section for recently run apps and games, and a notifications view that allows users to see past notifications they’ve received. The site also mentioned that the official update will be out this November, but test versions are rolling out to Xbox Preview Program members now.
Users comfortable with Windows 10 will already be familiar with the tile-like experience the dashboard presents. This is nothing new and has been seen on Xbox 360 models, but the navigation and overall experience of the dashboard has improved. The Indian Express discovered that the November update to the Xbox One will likely include integration with Microsoft’s voice-controlled assistant, Cortana. The Xbox One Kinect is already able to be controlled using voice commands, but the addition of Cortana to an already-useful voice control feature may make the use of voice control even more powerful and intuitive.
As the Inquisitr reported, we will also see Microsoft Edge on Xbox One after the new software update. The browser formerly known as Project Spartan brings new and improved features to the game, including the ability to annotate tabs by “writing” on them and a “Reading View” that makes webpages clean and easy on the eyes. As exciting as this may all sound, there are some bugs with the preview version that’s been released. For instance, Engadget.com discovered through a posting on the Xbox Forums that games like Destiny The Taken King and Borderlands: The Handsome Collection won’t load on newly-updated Xbox Ones. These are kinks that will likely be ironed out by Microsoft in future updates, but only time will tell.
The site goes on to mention that members of the Dashboard Preview Program are getting invites sent to their Xbox dashboard’s inbox so they can grab the new update now. If you’re not in the inner circle, don’t worry just yet; it may be to your advantage to wait for later updates so the variety of bugs can be worked out. If you’ve already tried the new Xbox One software preview, let us know what you think. If not, would you be interested in trying it and why or why not?
[Image Credit: Windowscentral.com ]