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We've got a whopping twelve new Xbox console features for you to enjoy!
Previously, most of these updates were only available to select members of the Xbox Insider program, and we've covered many on Pure Xbox already. However, the changes have now rolled out publicly to everyone on Xbox consoles.
There are a few really cool additions here, including more characters to work with when conjuring up an excellent new gamertag, updated Xbox 360 achievement artwork, and the ability to personalise your console even while you're offline. Lovely!
The update also includes some bug fixes, which are as follows:
- Fixed an issue where My Games and & Apps could crash while installing updates.
- Fixed an issue where navigation focus could get reset unexpectedly.
- Fixed an issue where the game list would fully reload after entering a game's achievement details and then backing out.
Let's take a look at all twelve features, and you can let us know which one excites you most in the comments section:
Longer Gamertags - From 12 To 15 Characters
We've heard from players who wanted a little more flexibility when choosing a gamertag, and we're bringing back support for unique gamertags up to 15 characters long, expanded from the previous 12-character limit. This update applies to gamertags that are unique and available, giving you more room to create a gamertag that feels like you. Gamertags that are not unique or contain non-Latin characters may have a suffix and will continue to support up to 12 characters.
A New Way To Display Your Xbox Games
You can now display games with rich poster-style artwork for a more immersive library experience. To toggle your library box art layout based on your preference, go to My games & apps and then go to Manage > Settings > Customise games & apps > Choose a tile style for My games & apps.
Additionally, you can now remove badges from the box art for your games to match your preference. To enable or disable badges on your games, go toMy games & apps and then go to Manage > Settings > Customise games & apps > Choose which icons will appear on game tiles in My games & apps and recently played lists.
New Colour Options For Customisation
You are now able to enter a specific hex colour code for precise colour selection or use the new “match my gamerpic” option to pull a colour directly from your gamerpic.
Once you've picked your colour, you can preview how it carries across your console, making it easier to see exactly how your look comes together before you set it.To change your profile colour using one of these options, go to Settings > General > Personalisation > My colour & theme > My colour.
Console Update Release Notes - New & Improved
After your console updates, you can now quickly access the latest release notes directly from Home's top navigation to easily see what's new and explore new features. We've also improved the release notes themselves, adding more details about new features, changes, and major bug fixes.
Ability To Find Mutual Friends More Easily
When you view another player's profile, you can now see mutual friends on XBOX (depending on their privacy settings), helping you feel more confident connecting. If you're viewing a player that you are not already friends with, you'll also see how many mutual friends you share, making it simpler to discover new people and build connections, whether you met through multiplayer, or across the XBOX community.
Console Customisation, Even When Offline
More personalisation options, such as dark and light themes, custom backgrounds, setting a solid colour background, a limited selection of dynamic backgrounds or customising the colour of dynamic background are now available when your console is offline.
Add To Wishlist Directly From Game Cards
You can now add games to your Wishlist directly from the Game Card before they're available for purchase. That means less time searching later and an easier way to keep track of the games you're looking forward to.
Xbox Accessories App Now Shows Your Controller
The XBOX Accessories app now shows an image of the specific XBOX controller you have connected. Whether you're using a supported standard or special edition XBOX Wireless Controller, or an XBOX Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, it's easier to confirm you've got the right one. selected, especially when you're remapping buttons or adjusting settings to fine-tune your set up. Note: Most Controllers released since November 2020 should be supported.
Easier Access To Home, Games & Apps Settings
We've reorganised the personalisation settings for Home and Games & apps into separate sections in Settings. To make these more convenient to access, we've added entry points to these pages from all context menus in Home and My games & apps as well. To adjust these settings, go to Settings > General > Personalisation.
Prompt To Play Via The Cloud When Games Need Updates
Players will now see the game art when cloud gaming sessions are loading. When your streaming session begins, you will now be taken directly into the game instead of seeing the XBOX logo before the game loads.
Indicator When Xbox Network Is Suffering An Issue
Now you can stay informed without leaving your console. When there's a confirmed XBOX service issue, a new indicator will appear on the top navigation on Home so you can quickly see what's going on. From there, you can jump straight to a status page with the latest updates on what's affected and when things are expected to be back up and running, no need to check other sites or social channels.
Crisp Xbox 360 Achievement Art
XBOX 360 achievement art will now be rendered with crisp pixel blocks when upscaled.