Microsoft is outlining what the upcoming Xbox Spring Update has in store, but for those in the Xbox Insider Alpha Ring, the new features are already making their way to them.
Most notably, the Xbox One S and Xbox One X are getting 1440p support not only for media but also for games, which has been a long time coming. Streaming platform Mixer is also getting a lot of improvements across the board.
Pixels Galore
As Microsoft puts it, 1440p is a popular choice among PC users. With the Xbox One S and Xbox One X getting support for the resolution, gamers can hook it up to 2,560 x 1,440 or QHD displays and enjoy every pixel at their disposal.
"With over a million and a half more pixels than 1080p, this resolution fills the gap between Full HD and 4K displays," Microsoft writes.
Just to be clear, the console will downsample the resolution to 1080p when plugged into a 1440p display sans the Xbox Spring Update. In other words, Xbox One users are getting a wider range of options thanks to this.
Mixer Gets Beefier
For those who don't know, Mixer is Microsoft's competing service against the likes of Twitch. Now the company is rolling out a slew of features to take on its rivals in the scene.
To start things off, viewers and streamers can now take interactions to the next level with controller sharing. That means Mixer streamers on Xbox One can share their controller with a viewer on Mixer.com, who will get full rein of the controls, except for the Xbox button. In this case, the viewer has two options: an onscreen gamepad or their own Xbox One controller connected to their PC.
"Viewer and streamer can work together in the game, or the viewer can cause trouble - resulting in hilarious chaos. It's your choice!" Microsoft says.
That's not all, though. Mixer broadcasts won't stop when streamers change games anymore. Instead, they will only pause. In the meantime, viewers will be shown a pause screen until the streamer returns.
Last but not least, Mixer streamers can now start a broadcast from anywhere, including but not limited to on the splash screen of a game and on the dashboard.
As for the rest, the Xbox One's Microsoft Edge browser is getting a new look and controller-friendly controls. There are also new audio controls that allow users to adjust the game's volume and the volume of the music playing in the background.
Club feeds are also getting better with new sorting options, and club admins can now filter invitation requests.
