Microsoft has released its Xbox One update for May, which contains several improvements, most notable of which are improved sound control, a better update system and Party Chat fixes.
The May update is available to Xbox One owners who signed up for Microsoft's beta program that allows them previews of updates for the company's flagship gaming console.
For this month, one major change is Microsoft's inclusion of a volume control for Snap mode, a feature that fans have clamored for, says Microsoft spokesperson Larry Hryb. The addition of a sound mixer allows you to control the volume levels of two different apps, so you can run apps such as Netflix or Amazon without noise from a game running in the background.
"With the new sound mixer, you'll be able to control the volume levels of two apps when you're using Snap, letting you decide which app is louder. In this same section, you'll also be able to control the volume levels when you're using Kinect for chat," Hryb writes on his personal blog.
The May update also now allows you to install the latest updates once they are made available. In the past, you could always click on the Get System Update button in the system options menu, even if there are no updates available. With the May update, the button will be grayed out if Microsoft has released no new updates and will automatically display Update Console once new patches are available.
The latest update also addresses sound issues with the chatroom app Party Chat, where the app stays quiet unless you snap it, as well as Game DVR, which may record video clips without audio.
Microsoft has also added a voice data collection program that you can opt into or ignore. Hryb says this will help the Xbox One maker improve responsiveness to voice commands for Kinect.
"The more voice samples we have to input into our algorithms, the better and more responsive Xbox One can be to our fans," says Hryb. "If you want to help us in our efforts to make voice and speech improvements for Kinect even better, you can opt-in to a speech data collection. Under Settings, then Privacy & Online Safety, go to Customizing privacy and online safety and set Share Voice Data to Allow. This is completely optional and all voice data shared via this setting will be used for product improvement only."
In April, Microsoft added friend notifications, Kinect voice and support for Blu-Ray 50 Hz for the Xbox One. This followed new multiplayer capabilities in March to coincide with the release of "Titanfall."
