Taking a look at the latest Xbox One update, new dashboard interface, Beam streaming and more!

There are many things we enjoy as Xbox gamers; the first being the countless titles ready to download from the Xbox Games Store, the second being Achievements, and the third being a fresh new update to bring new features to our trusted gaming machine. Whilst the first two are generally available all the time, the latter of the three only comes around every so often. But booting up your Xbox One console today will see a new sight for players to get used too, so here’s what you need to know about the newest features you can expect to find in the latest Xbox One update.

Straight off the bat, the first thing you’re likely to be noticing is the new look for the Xbox Dashboard. A new dash can be a testing experience but as someone who has been lucky enough to have hands on with the latest update for a little while now, you’ll be happy to know that you’ll be appreciating the ease of access it brings in no time. As for the changes, well you’ll notice that the home screen isn’t exactly the same as it was – when in a game, it will no longer take an awkward double tap of the Xbox Guide button in order to head back to the home screen, instead one single button press will bring up the menu we once knew on the left, with new options available such as ‘My Games and Apps’ and indeed the option to return to home. This will work seamlessly with games and will no longer pause or halt your gaming experience in order to see things such as the friends list.

On top of that the U.I is completely refreshed and is now quicker and easier to use, bringing a kick to the overall system performance as well as putting your most used features closer to your fingertips. Things found with the new U.I when on the snapped menu for example will include Games With Gold options, recently played games and apps, and easier, more selective choices when it comes to game DVR options. Want to change that recording length easier? Now you can. Another nice feature sees those without a custom background installed ,sporting the art of whichever game they are playing as the background, something which can make for a nicer looking home screen experience.

Another new addition, one that is sure to make achievement hunters happy, is the ability to track several achievements at once. This will come on screen in an easy and convenient overlay in is the same way you will find Cortana working now – an assistant who has also changed, can now set alarms and reminders for you, as well as play music with simple voice commands.

Perhaps the most prominent of the new features is the introduction of Beam. Beam is the interactive livestreaming service that was initially acquired by Microsoft in August of last year, and today sees that service integrated into our gaming experience, bringing with it an entirely new way to stream your games to the worldwide community. Of course, those familiar with the Twitch streaming platform will still be able to find and use its full range of services but with Beam integration put directly onto the Xbox One and requiring no extra download to work, you have nothing to worry about when it comes to setting things up. Beam will allow you to now 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. With Beam also quickly accessible via the Xbox One Guide menu, you will find it easier to connect and engage with your viewers no matter what you’re doing, and those interested for the new viewing options brought by the Beam service, you will now be able to watch, chat, and interact with your favorite game streamers in next to no time at all.

A new approach from Microsoft has seen the accessibility on Xbox One in recent months become the forefront of what they want to achieve. In the latest update, Microsoft have taken one more step to making this a reality, with the new Co-pilot setting, which allows two controllers to act as if they were one. This will help make Xbox One more inviting to gamers who can benefit from playing along with another person, 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 enhancements brought to the Magnifier and Narrator, and also the audio output and custom rumble settings for on your controller – which was something previously reserved for owners of the Xbox One Elite Wireless Controller. All of these new options can be found under ‘ease of access’ in the settings menu.

Bringing even more security to help ensure the safety of gamers of all ages when setting the family settings, are the new Screen time limits. Those familiar with the time limits currently available in the security settings on Windows 10 will find things now similar on Xbox One. With the new option, parents will be able to set daily time limits for each child on the Xbox One with them then enforced as soon as that account is signed in. 

The final change, one that may not appeal to all, comes to Xbox One’s Blu Ray Player with Bitstream Playthrough now an option for those interested. This allow your receiver to decode audio natively. All bitstream formats are supported, including newer ones like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

As someone who has been using the various features for a little while, whilst things can take a little getting used to, there is no doubt the new options make the console even easier to use and easier to access. We may have already had access to a trusted streaming platform with Twitch, but the experience brought in by Beam is a no-brainer for those that use game streaming features to get their games out to the community.

So, there we have it, your full list of what new features to expect when you sign into your Xbox One courtesy of the latest Xbox One update. What do you think of the new features? Let us know in the comments below.