When the Xbox One first launched Microsoft promised that gamers would see dashboard updates on a much more regular basis than they were used to seeing in the later years of the Xbox 360. And not small tweaks or console patches either, Microsoft wanted gamers to know that the console was very much an evolving hardware.
Thus far, Microsoft has stuck by that credo, issuing about one update per month, each of which has added at least one oft-requested feature to the console. There was the introduction of YouTube sharing just a few weeks ago, as well as improvements to the Xbox One's party chat, but this latest update keeps things a little simpler — tweaking a few minor things that may have been bothering console owners.
First and foremost, Microsoft's Major Nelson says the Xbox One update should be rolling out relatively soon. In fact, some gamers might already have an updated Xbox One console as we speak.
As far as what the April update adds, perhaps the most intriguing new feature is the silent reboot after system updates. With this new feature, the Xbox One will now boot up and update its firmware or software while in the 'Instant On' mode. Before, the console would download the update while in sleep mode but not install it, meaning gamers had to boot up and then wait as the green installation bar ticked along.
Other tweaks include improvements to Game DVR quality, support for 50Hz video output on Blu-rays, and better Kinect voice and motion recognition. Check out the full update notes below:
- Game and app saves and updates. A game save progress bar will show you the status of your game saves. You will also be able to easily tell what games and apps are being updated or have been updated recently.
- Friends improvements. Notifications will be added to see when favorites and friends sign in to Xbox Live. This was one of the most frequently requested features, so we made it a priority to include it in this update. Also, friends who are in multiplayer will be identified in the friends list.
- Kinect voice and motion improvements will continue to be fine-tuned for quality and reliability of Xbox One commands. For example, we’ve updated some of the gesture functionality to reduce false positives on non-hand objects triggering gesture commands.
- Improved GameDVR video quality through compression algorithm improvements.
- Blu-ray player supports 50 Hz video output for content recorded at 50 Hz. We’ll also be updating the Blu-ray Player app in the coming days to round out these improvements.
- Controller and headset adaptor firmware updates will reduce audio static and improve wireless connectivity.
- Silent reboot after system updates and system update on demand now available. If your console is in Instant On mode, the update will happen automatically and return to standby upon completion. This means you won’t need to power on your console after an update moving forward. If you want to take future updates when available without waiting for your console to do it on its own, we’ve added this option under system settings and you’ll be able to use it next update. It will only show as available when there is an update to take.
All told, the April Xbox One update sounds like it's introducing some important changes to the Xbox One console. It may not be as substantial as some of the prior updates, but the sleep mode installation will be a godsend for those gamers who have enjoyed the feature for years on the PS3 and PS4. Again, keep a look out for the update; it should be rolling out very soon.
What new or improved feature are you most looking forward to in the April Xbox One update? What do you think should be Microsoft's first piece of business with the next major update?
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Source: Major Nelson