Microsoft announces that its long standing Xbox Preview Program is getting rebranded as the Xbox Insider Program and will eventually be open to all users.

User feedback has been an important part in the evolution of the Xbox brand. The company has made sweeping changes over the years to its consoles, and it can be argued that user feedback helped completely change the course of its latest system after the Xbox One was initially revealed. Not only did Microsoft backtrack on many features like the DRM policies, but independent friendly programs like ID@Xbox were also born out of feedback. Now, one of Microsoft's key user feedback programs, Xbox Preview Program, is now getting a new name and will be available to all Xbox One users.

The program now goes by the new name, Xbox Insider Program, and instead of being closed off to most Xbox One fans, Microsoft is opening it up to everyone. Previously, accepted users were able to download and check out new features before they would go live to everyone. The goal of this program was to invite player feedback which could then be used to improve the feature prior to going live.

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Over the next few weeks, existing Xbox Preview Program members will find a brand new Preview Dashboard built from the ground up. The Xbox Insider Hub has been personalized for each user with relevant announcements, quests, and Insider content opportunities displayed by the similar UI to the new Xbox One Experience. The program supports multiple users on a single console and each person has their own profile card, which displays all of their contributions to the program.

For now, any previously active system updates currently in testing will remain closed to those already participating. At an undisclosed later date, the program will then open to all Xbox One users, though Microsoft has not provided a time frame for when that will happen.

While the program has been in service since the Xbox 360 days, it has become a much larger piece to the Xbox brand this generation. Already preview members have been able to test out and go hands on with massive new features for the Xbox One such as the Game Preview Early Access and the new Xbox One Experience which launched last year. For many though, the biggest feature to go through this program was the addition of the backward compatibility for Xbox 360 games, one that many studios have since jumped on to include older games as pre-order bonuses.

Are you planning to take advantage of this new preview program? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Microsoft's Insider Program for the Xbox One currently lacks a date of availability.

Source: Xbox News Wire