A press release issued by Microsoft has detailed that the new Xbox One dashboard has a new Home screen, improved Guide menu, the Beam streaming option, enhanced multitasking, and deeper Cortana integration.
The new Home screen is faster than the old one and is designed with “prioritizing the most valuable content for your games,” in mind. The game icon itself is smaller, while community tabs like Clubs, Groups, and Achievements are now more visible. The background image will also default to key art from the most recently played game if you do not select a fixed background image.
Pushing the Xbox button on the controller brings up the new Guide on the left-hand side of the screen. It will include quick links to Games and Apps, as well as this month’s Games and Deals with Gold for Xbox Live Gold members. Just tap the button and download your games. The guide also features a simple integration of background music player and access to the GameDVR.
Microsoft’s multitasking system is closely integrated with the guide itself. The new achievement tracker lets you keep objectives in an overlay while you play. Cortana can also be pressed into service. Her new multitasking overlay will allow you to more easily and consistently use voice commands to control your Party settings and play background music.
The last major update introduces Beam, which Microsoft says “will unify players across Xbox One console and PC.”
“With Beam, we’re inviting Creators on Windows 10 PC and Xbox One to stream gameplay and interact with the community in near real-time using Beam’s ultra low-latency — no extra hardware or software required. Starting today, you can stream your Xbox gameplay directly from the Guide on your Xbox One, with the ability to manage your Beam broadcasts and interact with fellow gamers on chat overlays that appear on your screen. … Beam broadcasting is built right into your Xbox One. Once you start streaming, Beam makes it easy to connect and engage with your viewers no matter where they are. You’ll also find the new Beam viewing app in My Games and Apps, which lets you watch, chat, and interact with your favorite game streamers in near real-time..” Microsoft says.
Other features include Copilot, which lets players split the functionality of a single controller across two different controllers. “This will help make Xbox One more inviting to gamers who can benefit from playing along with another person,” Microsoft said, “more fun for families by adding cooperative controls for any game, and easier for players who need unique configurations to play.”
There are also new revisions to the Magnifier and Narrator tools as well as a small update next week that will allow for Blu-ray player bitstream passthrough, including Dolby Atmos and DTS: X.
