Microsoft unleashes a major update for Xbox One bringing huge visual changes to the dashboard and a slew of new features. In the Fall update for the game console, the company is focusing on making the experience faster to use, easier to customize, and adds visual changes using Fluent Design elements.
In this new update, the guide is now oriented horizontally to make it easier to move between sections using the controller left thumbstick, d-pad, and bumpers. You can quickly access a number of sections, including sign-in, achievements, parties, friends, Home, messages, broadcasts, and a new section with settings. In addition, browsing the guide, you’ll be stepping flyout within flyout to access more information or settings.
Alongside the design improvements, Microsoft is making the experience quicker by eliminating the wait between Home, Social, and My Games and Apps by combining them into one experience, which means no more splash screens.
Fluent Design comes to Xbox One
Perhaps the biggest change is happening in the home experience that now features Microsoft’s Fluent Design elements, such as Reveal highlight, Acrylic material, and Perceptive Parallax, similar to those changes you’ll be seeing in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.
You can now finally customize almost any aspect of the home dashboard. If you want to add a game, app, or friend, you can simply select “Add to Home” from the Xbox menu.
Improved customization
As you add new content, you’ll be creating a “block of content” that you can remove or relocate up or down. These blocks will also show updates with relevant information. For example, adding a new game, you may see Activity Feed content, friends playing the game, suggest Achievements, and offer a shortcut to the Game Hub for that title.
On the Xbox One Fall Creators Update, Microsoft is also adding a light theme, alongside the original dark option.
In the case that you have an OLED TV, you’ll be happy to hear that the update brings a screen-dimming feature to prevent screen ghosting.
When you step away and the console goes idle you’ll now see notifications of timely things and statuses.
Xbox One backup
The October update also includes a number of features specifically designed for Xbox One X, which is expected to launch in November 7. For example, you now have an option to quickly transfer your games to an external hard drive, or copy games over the network from your Xbox One to Xbox One X.
Starting with this update, you can download 4K content for certain games that you can quickly transfer to your Xbox One X. The GameDVR experience also receives an update to support screenshots and game clips on 4K / HDR, and their consoles now get support to connect any webcam to interact with Mixer or make Skype calls, which means that you no longer required to use Kinect.
The October 2017 system update for Xbox One is rolling out to everyone now for Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Xbox One X. The new release will install automatically, but you can always force the update going to Settings > System > Console info & updates > Update console and click Start update.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows expert and the Editor-in-Chief who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He is also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 12 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows, software, and related technologies, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.