Xbox One’s Spring Update is now feature complete, and as Microsoft stabilizes the code for the spring 2018 rollout, the company is now detailing the biggest features and changes coming with this release. (These improvements are already available for participants of the Xbox Insider Program with consoles enrolled in the Alpha ring.)
Although the Spring Update won’t redefine the way you play games significantly, it delivers a number of new exciting features and changes.
In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at the biggest improvements coming with the Xbox Spring Update.
1440p video output support
Perhaps the biggest and best addition in this update is the new support for 1440p (sometimes referred to as “2560 x 1440” and “QHD”) video output. Nowadays, it’s the resolution of choice for PC gamers as it provides steady high-frame rates instead of focusing on 4K visuals.
1440p support will be available for Xbox One S as well as for Xbox One X only.
Immersive audio
The Xbox One Spring Update is also adding a new option to selectively balance game audio against background music within the Guide.
In addition, the sound settings on Home and Guide have been redesigned to support spatial audio.
Club filtering
If you’re a club administrator, you can now filter invitation requests based on various criteria, including reputation, Gamerscore, and recommendations from existing club members. However, if you change the filters, you’ll need to sign-out and sign back in to see the changes.
Also, club invitees will now appear in a vertical list with details, such as their Gamertag, Gamerpic, Gamerscore, a line noting if the new invitees were recommended by an existing club member, and a reputation indicator.
Smarter feeds
Starting with the Spring Update, you’ll be able to sort your club feeds to show you “what’s hot” and “top posts.”
Additionally, you’ll be able to disable comments on your feed posts across clubs, Game Hubs, and Community, and you’ll see cleaner feeds as posts will now hide automatically after a broadcast has ended.
Open Tournaments
Microsoft is also introducing a few tweaks to Tournaments. With the Xbox Spring Update, you can now access Tournaments directly from Game Hubs, which means that you don’t have to be a member of a club to start or join a tournament.
Microsoft Edge
The version of Microsoft Edge for the console has been updated to make it easier to navigate with a controller. The Favorites and History experience has been tweaked making it simple to return to websites.
Furthermore, you can now download and upload pictures, music and videos from Microsoft Edge on the console. The downloads will also be accessible with the File Explorer app. Additionally, it’s now possible to mute tabs, read aloud and autofill.
Mixer Interactivity
If you’re a Mixer streamer with the Xbox One Spring Update, you’ll get a new option allowing you to share the controller with a Mixer viewer through Mixer.com.
Using this new functionality, you can share the entire controller (except the Xbox button), and a viewer can take control through the on-screen gamepad or plugging a controller into their device.
Also, as part of the Spring Update, broadcasts will no longer stop when you switch games. Instead, the stream will show a pause screen to viewers until you’re ready to continue.
Wrapping things up
The Spring Update for Xbox consoles is expected to officially start rolling out in the coming weeks (March or April). If you’re an Xbox Insider member, these features and changes are now available to you, and Microsoft also said that even more changes are coming in the near future.
What do you think about the changes coming in this new Xbox update? Tell us in the comments, and don’t forget to check all the new features and improvements coming with the spring update for Windows 10.
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.