August’s Xbox One update is set to be a continuation of the monthly pattern of update releases for the popular console. Not only will the update contain some cool and exciting new features, but also Xbox head Phil Spencer has promised that, at least up until October, new Xbox One updates should be coming every month. The announcement was made via Twitter.
“We’ve worked through the feature list through October. MUs [Monthly Updates] will continue and features look good.”
The fact that the Xbox One was released as a ‘work in progress’ console hasn’t been hushed up. It needed to compete with Sony’s PS4 last Christmas, and the two famously battled it out over the holiday period, with Sony’s console maintaining the top spot with regards to sales over winter 2013-14.
The Xbox One and PS4’s releases couldn’t have been more different either, with the Xbox One released ‘unfinished’, with Microsoft promising many updates and new features, whilst the PS4 was released as finished, but fans have been crying out for additions which are not as of yet forthcoming.
The August Xbox One update is jam-packed with features to keep you busy over the rest of this long, hot summer. Social networking features are getting a reboot, with the console’s activity feed being expanded on and made more interactive, with features such as a streamlined one column interface for content and the option to dish out likes and shares of content that appears. Each user will get their own profile feed, just like Facebook or Tumblr.
The SmartGlass app (you can read more about it here) is also getting a few tweaks, allowing users to purchase Xbox Live content through it, plus set your console to download your purchases if it’s on standby and you’re away from home.
You’ll also be able to get pushed notifications for when your controller has low battery, which thankfully you can disable during videos.
Microsoft has also finally added 3D Blu-ray playback for all users, as well as shipped out OneGuide to users in Brazil, Mexico, Austria and Ireland.
Also, there’s an all new friends area on the Xbox One home screen, which features highlights from your friends and selected users. It’ll show what your friends are up to, what activities they’re partaking in, as well as trending games and a leaderboard for stats such as gamerscore and achievements, plus you can now keep track of when a friend was last online, a feature lifted directly from Steam. The friends window feature isn’t completely finished yet, but hopefully we’ll see it in the August update.
For the official announcement and info, check out the preview video here.
Source: Xbox Live on Youtube