Microsoft has rolled out this year's Xbox One Fall Update, providing gamers with more ways of customizing their console.
The changes that the major Xbox One update applies were first previewed in August. Here are all the important things that are included in the download, which is now available to be installed for all Xbox One gamers.
Xbox One Home Page Personalization
In its blog post that announces the Xbox One Fall Update, Microsoft leads off with perhaps the most important addition to the console: more customization options.
The revamped Home tab is built around a new concept by Microsoft named blocks. Each block, which can stand for either a game, friend, Xbox Game Pass, or Xbox Live Gold, will provide users with an easy path to their favorite content. Game blocks, for example, provide information on updates and recorded GameDVR clips, while friend blocks show their achievement and their GameDVR videos.
Users can still pin objects into their dashboard, now up to 40 items. Microsoft is now offering three theme options, specifically dark, light, and high-contrast. All of them are accessible through the Xbox One's Settings.
Xbox One Guide Easier To Navigate
The Guide has also changed for Xbox One gamers, as Microsoft has returned it to a horizontal layout. Players will be able to switch between its different section using either the controller bumpers, directional pad, or left thumbstick of the Xbox One controller.
Opening the Guide during an active party or broadcast will now also automatically launch the party or broadcast section to gain access to controls faster. There is also a new kind of notification that lets players know if their friends are playing the same game. The Multiplayer tab of the Guide will also house the game invites that players receive, and a new Tournaments section in the tab collects all the tournaments that players have joined.
Xbox One X Coming Soon
The highly anticipated Xbox One X will launch on Nov. 7 with the Xbox One Fall Update installed, so gamers who are buying the console or upgrading to it should also expect to see these changes to the software.
In the blog post, Microsoft also detailed new options for Xbox One players in transferring their content to the Xbox One X as it arrives. Possible methods include transferring games to an external drive that can then be plugged in to the Xbox One X and copying games and apps through network transfers. Players can also choose to download 4K content for some games to the Xbox One or Xbox One S, so that it will be ready for the arrival of the Xbox One X.
