Microsoft is sprucing up its Xbox One with a software update next month, and now we know exactly when you can expect that upgrade.
The New Xbox One Experience (NXOE) will begin rolling out worldwide on November 12. This revision reworks how the console’s interface functions and brings with it backward compatibility with around 100 Xbox 360 games. The company does regular updates to the Xbox One throughout the year, but this patch is by far the biggest ever for the console. Every menu is changing, and an entirely new guide system should make navigating easier than ever before.
This update is about making the Xbox One simpler and faster, and Microsoft largely accomplished that goal. You may read our impressions with an early version of the NXOE right here, or you may watch our video below:
We’ll have to wait and see if this update pushes the Xbox One ahead of Sony’s PlayStation 4 in terms of usability. Microsoft is promising that the final release of the NXOE will include tweaks and tuning that are absent from the current preview.
Since launching in 2013, Microsoft has faced criticisms that its Xbox One interface is laggy and confusing. Bringing up a friends list, for example, requires a separate app that can take a long time to load. Now, a double tap of the Xbox button will bring up a quick guide with a friends list, messaging, and other frequently used services. It loads faster and displays information instantly.
After this update, Microsoft typically doesn’t push out another update until January — and it’s possible that’s when the company will launch the Cortana voice assistant feature for the Xbox One.