Microsoft has released its first Xbox One update of 2015 and it’s quite the big one.
Having recovered from its rocky launch in the West, Microsoft has been very attentive to what the Xbox Live community want from their Xbox Ones and so this February update reflects the desires of fans rather than what Microsoft feels needs changing. Although, we won’t see any Xbox App for Windows 10 just yet.
It’s a good tactic too as now the Xbox One controller has seen some improvements, Party Chat has been “enhanced”, the TV app has gained new features and now Windows Phone and Android users can live stream content from their Xbox One to their phones.
Xbox One February Update: Controller Update
According to Xbox community manager Major Nelson, The Xbox One controller update improves the speed and stability of the controller through a new “quick connect” feature that speeds up the connection sych speed from around four seconds to about two. The update also stops some of the disconnect issues that Xbox One owners have reported in the past.
You can download the update by plugging your controller in via USB, connect to Xbox Live, and head into Settings > Device & Accessories and selecting the controller. Select Update to download the new firmware to the controller connected via USB. After the update process is done and dusted, press “B” to back out to the main page and your controller should be updated to the newest firmware, version 1.2.2236.0.
Xbox One February Update: Game Hubs
Game Hubs are another new addition to the Xbox One and they sound startlingly familiar to PlayStation 4’s game screens, displaying all the relevant information about a game, along with recent friend activity including screenshots and videos they’ve shared online. It’s also a place to find updates from developers and publishers about any upcoming DLC or patch notes.
It’s a great feature for Sony’s PlayStation, so it would make sense that something similar has arrived on the Xbox One – although it does sound a little more convoluted to get to.
Xbox One February Update: Party Chat
Party chat has been polished up as well, now letting users see the connection status of individuals and who’s talking. Improvements have been made to connecting Xbox Live users operating with a Strict or Moderate NAT type, along with changes to connectivity speed for P2P connections. Game and party invites have also been overhauled, allowing you to see who’s invited you to a chat or game without you needing to open the invite to discover who’s sent it.
Xbox One February Update: TV
New TV updates have also been rolled out to those who make use of Microsoft’s Xbox One Live TV dongle. Users can now see which titles are “Trending on Xbox” or “Trending on Twitter” while they browse the OneGuide. This TV trending has also been expanded into four new countries; France, Germany, Brazil and Mexico.
Video frames are now supported when fast-forwarding or rewinding paused TV on Xbox One, and live streaming of TV is now available in Europe to users of Windows Phone and Android devices – however to use such a feature requires you to own the Digital TV tuner and live in the UK, France, Germany, Italy or Spain.
Xbox One can also handle a larger range of set-top boxes and audio/video receivers thanks to an update to its database and feedback from users due to the issues.
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