Microsoft is teaching the Xbox One a few new tricks.
The company is rolling out the August update for Xbox One. This includes a number of new features that should make the Xbox One easier to use and more social. Xbox Owners should see the new additions when they turn on their boxes today, as the patch went live late last night. This is the latest monthly update for the Xbox One, and it’s one of the ways that Microsoft has worked to keep its new console competitive with the PlayStation 4 in terms of features.
Today’s update adds a number of requested capabilities. Top on that list is mobile purchasing. Gamers can now use their phone to buy games for their Xbox One. Once you buy a game, the mobile app will turn on the Xbox One and automatically start downloading it. You can even do this from out of the house while you’re on the go. This is a feature that Sony first popularized with the PlayStation 4.
Another big new feature is 3D Blu-ray support. Now you can use your Xbox One to watch all of your 3D Blu-rays on a TV that supports that playback option. Microsoft has also overhauled the activity feed that shows you what your friends are doing. In addition to cleaning up the look of the activity feed to make it easier for players to visually digest, Microsoft also included sharing, liking, and text posts. This means you can share other people’s activities, give them a like, or even post a written message about your gaming plans directly to the Xbox One feed that all of your friends will see.
Additional features include:
- A low-battery notification to give you a heads up that your controller may die.
- The option to completely shut off all notifications during video playback.
- Your friends list will now show you the time your friends were last seen online.
Xbox evangelist Larry “Major Nelson” Hyrb posted a video late last night that runs over these features, so watch the video below if you want more information: