The official rollout of the Microsoft’s Xbox summer update has recently been launched and there are a number of improvements and features that the company has finally added to its gaming console.
The 2016 summer update comes with goodies that have already been tested by insiders who played the preview releases, so if you are one of the insiders, there’s nothing new for you here. But retail users, on the other hand, have much more to discover.
One of the major updates of the Xbox One is that the console finally supports Background Music, so you can choose which songs play in the background when you play games.
There are some limitations to Background Music, however, as only some apps support it. Pandora will be the first to have the feature, followed closely by iHeartRadio, Groove Music, and more.
At the same time, the summer update means that Cortana is compatible with Xbox One in the United States and in the UK. Just like on PC and smartphones, Cortana will assist you in finding games, starting a party, getting in touch with friends, turning on the Xbox One (with Kinect), and other similar tasks.
Now you can sort and manage files with the updated options that roll out to the Game Collection; you can also quickly access the Ready to Install tab from the new dedicated section.
In order to give users “a single cohesive experience across their devices,” the update also unifies the Xbox and Windows Stores. Part of Microsoft’s “One Windows” strategy, the change will bring the company’s platforms together for better convergence.
And if these changes are not enough to make for a major update, Xbox One also comes with Facebook Friend Finder, a new feature that does exactly what its name says, and better sharing options.
The Game Bar will also start supporting 60 FPS game clip recording, as well as full-screen for six games, such as World of Warcraft and CSGO.
Remember that the rollout of the latest summer update on the Xbox One console will take place gradually, which means you should be able to get it in over the weekend or in the next few days.