More New Xbox One Features Are On the Way, Including Party Chat Overlay

Microsoft recently released a significant Xbox One update and it is already sharing details about more new features that are on the way soon.

A new Xbox Wire post details some of the features that will arrive for Xbox Insider members “in the coming weeks.” This includes an expansion of the Arena feature to allow players to create and participate in their own Killer Instinct tournaments, in addition to those for World of Tanks, Smite, and Halo Wars 2.

The previous Xbox One update did away with the system’s Snap mode, leaving an achievement tracker as the only form of multitasking offered by the system. Microsoft intends to add a party overlay feature, which pops up when someone in your party speaks so you can easily see who is talking. You are free to customize the positioning and transparency of the pop-up as well.

Other minor additions include an option to share Looking for Group posts to your activity feed or in a message, as well as a way to filter activity feed posts in the iOS/Android apps. Here is a list of the “fan-requested” additions that are coming:

• Share your Looking for Group post on the Activity Feed or through a message.
• Unfollow a Club or Game Hub directly from your Activity Feed.
• Your profile will display your Arena tournament history and upcoming tournaments.
• For Beam and Twitch broadcasts, you will now have an option in the Guide for your Kinect to locate you automatically.
• Captive Portal support for wireless internet is coming to Xbox One, which allows for Wi-Fi authentication through a browser. Great for colleges, hotels, or public Wi-Fi locations.
• Filter posts on your Activity Feed on the Xbox app for iOS and Android.
• On the Xbox app for Windows 10, we’re adding the option to select the audio input and output sources for Party chat.

There is no date yet for when all Xbox One owners will get to experience these new features, but those in the Insiders program may be able to see some of this today, with more coming in the next few weeks.