By Paula Beaton A new set of features rolling out as an Xbox Insider update today promises a host of improvements to search, party chat, remote play, and personalization.
Let’s take a look at what’s in store for those in the Xbox Insider program — plus, how to join if you’re not already part of the inner circle.
With the latest Xbox Insider update, those in the loop can choose their console startup animation beginning today. Select from a range of cool animations from nostalgic Xbox One options to the latest generation animations.
You can select your animation by going to Settings > System > Startup and choose whether to enable sound.
You can also choose to feature up to five badges in your profile card showcase — or there’s the option to hide individual badges from your profile and keep them all to yourself!
Improvements to remote play now means you can stream from your Xbox console to even more places, like your phone, TV, and other devices. If you’re an Xbox Insider in Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead on Xbox Series X|S, you’ll enjoy previewing higher-quality streaming with Xbox Remote Play. That means increased video bitrates for smoother gameplay and crisp visuals, plus support for up to 1440p resolution!
No subscription is required, but some devices might not offer separate streaming settings for Remote Play and Xbox Cloud Gaming. Ensuring your streaming quality’s set to Auto means Remote Play automatically streams at the highest bitrate and resolution your device and network supports.
For those already using Remote Play, check your console’s Display resolution by going to Settings > General > TV and display options. It should be set to 4K UHD or 1440p to ensure these improvements apply.
This Xbox Insider update helps you find stuff faster thanks to a new local search feature that makes it much easier to hunt down achievements or specific games in huge lists. The feature is available in My games and apps, profile achievement history, and official club achievement lists.
Xbox Insiders will also be able to enjoy clearer conversations from today by testing out Voice Clarity. This enhanced audio feature makes chatting with friends and teammates easier by reducing background noise. It’s enabled by default in most games released since 2020 and in party chat, but if you want to turn it off, go to Additional Options in Volume and Audio Output under the General section of your console Settings menu.
Earlier this summer, Xbox enabled Insiders to stream games while they installed or updated. From today, you can also download games in the background while playing on Cloud, for uninterrupted gameplay and less time wasted waiting around! If you’re playing on Xbox Series X or S, you can reportedly expect the biggest gains, but it all depends on your network speed and connectivity.
To enable or disable this feature, head to the Streaming Preferences menu which you’ll find under Settings > Cloud Gaming.
Xbox is also rolling out behind the scenes party updates to Xbox Insiders. If you spot anything unusual while connecting with friends, you’re encouraged to submit feedback to help enhance party security and reliability.
Not part of the Xbox Insider program yet? To ensure you don’t miss out on a future Xbox Insider update, and gain early access to new features, you can download the Xbox Insider Hub on your Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, or Windows PC.
Head to the official Xbox Insider Programme FAQ to find out more.
Fletcher Wilkinson
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