Microsoft Walks Through Next Month's Xbox One Update

External device storage! I wasn't expecting that one. I'm already about to fill up the internal drive, so I'm going to have to look into getting setup with that.

Wow, at this point there is very little differences between the PS4 and Xbox in terms of features.

The ability to set an account to automatically sign-in when you start it up, WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?

Jesus.

To be fair, the Kinect auto sign-in has been one of the few things that has worked for me essentially 100% of the time. This seems to me like it's probably more of an addition to make sure things are ideal for all of these Kinect-less SKUs that are going to be hitting shelves.

Very Nice!

Very impressed how fast microsoft is making these changes, they could have saved all of these features for some mediocre but necessary E3 presentation, but they are treating xbone more like a popular app then a slow console.

Yep, this, auto-sign in was effectively there already assuming you were not an anti-Kinect luddite.

Yeah, I've had pretty good luck with that feature too. It doesn't always work for me because of the way I've got the camera positioned in comparison to where I sometimes sit, but when I'm in view of the camera, it's pretty spot on.

Yeah auto sign in works with the Kinect for me every time.

I leave my Kinect plugged in and pointed at me, and I haven't had it sign in automatically for a really long time.

Looks rad. Basically everything I wanted feature-wise within 6 months of console release. Not too shabby!

Finally! It's weird that I'll have to use SmartGlass to organize pins but at least it's there.

And the auto-sign in option is only available now because it wouldn't do it without Kinect. I'm glad to see this finally become an option since I don't have my Kinect hooked up.

love the smartglass integration! I also find oneguide to be a lot faster and more responsive than the fios guide. Keep it up

I wish they would include a toggle in the real name screen for "favorites". All or manual seems a bit barren.

This looks good. Now, these are additions to the much needed context sensitive function of the home button... right?

I mean, surely, when someone comes online I just have to press a button to open up communication possibilities with that person. Right? When I unlock an achievement I just have to push one button for it to take me to there. Right?

... Right?

Right?

Come on, you guys had this stuff right with the 360. How come you are messing it up here? What happened?

Pretty impressed with the speed Microsoft have been updating and adjusting things, to many peoples surprise it does seem like they've listened to user feedback. Having owned an Xbox One for just over a week now I'm enjoying the experience and within the first few hours using the console I wished it had a couple of features including Skype snapping and external HDD support.

A few features I'm waiting/hope on include background music playback from Xbox music rather the needing it snapped in and ideally I'd rather have spotify support both snap-in and background (hopefully this will come with 360 supporting spotify and while Microsoft have their xbox music service its a similar rivalry between netflix and xbox's up and coming exclusive video content. Bing search seems a good feature too but it needs to work wit hall apps such as 4OD here in the UK.

As for the kinect sign-in I find it works 98% of the time, it has picked me up twice as my partner when she wasn't in the room.

I am really liking these video Patrick is putting out, but in a way I'm really missing seeing news as in it's written format. Maybe I'm just an old hat, and I know there's more to it than that, but oh well.

It's amazing how effective competition is. Now that Microsoft has a lot of it they sure are doing a lot of consumer friendly updates.

There was no reason not to have auto-sign-in for users who didn't want to use Kinect for that feature. Other than forced justification of Kinect of course.

Now if they let you play media from an external hard drive, that would be awesome.

You hold the home button when a notification is up to jump to it. Or you could use Kinect voice commands to jump straight to the relevant section.

And see all the stuff around the content screen when you press the home button. A lot of those tile names look very similar to what was on the old 360 guide yes?

...Yes?

Yes?

@budgietheii: lol was about to reply myself. Hell they spell it out right on the notification as well.

I feel like a video is almost more appropriate for a UI/OS update since you can actually see what is being changed. I'm not against written updates, but for something like this I think it makes perfect sense since MS is already releasing these videos. :)

As someone who bought an Xbox One last week this stuff is coming in nice and handy for me

AUTOMATIC SIGN IN!

Finally! A feature that should have been present from launch day!

I like the external drive stuff. The Xbone interface is still a big, big mess though.

Whoever came up with the idea to get rid of the guide needs to be fired.

whats a "big big mess" mean?

I'm fine with the guide being gone but i also use voice for everything. I think the UI was built around voice that is true. BUT....in preparation for a kinect less xbox one here is an easy solution...the "guide" button is now in the snap. Double tap the xbox button and your snappable options appear on the side. Add a friends snap app and all is good in the world.

SERIOUSLY.

With the weird cuts in the audio it sounds like they recorded them separately and spliced the tracks together.

Meanwhile in the Netherlands (and 58 other countries), PS4 has the distinct advantage of being out there, for people to buy. Doesn't really affect me personally (I just bought a new PS3, no plans to buy a new current gen system any time soon), but I do worry that if this strategy works for Microsoft, Sony will follow their example in the next gen. If everyone's just concerned with 'winning' the US, the rest of the world will just keep getting boned.

Please bring back the guide, I don't want a Kinect and I just want press the home button so I can play the music off my hard drive while playing games, like on the 360. All the big full screen things are jarring and unnecessary.

Microsoft is doing well to address the issues with the OS.

I just feel like neither the PS4 not the Xbox1's OS were ready when the systems launched. which is super shity for consumers.

I agree. I'm happy I have no plans to buy either for at least another 12-18 months because I think both still have yet to show their true potential and personal strengths - and I mean to the people making them and developing for them as well as consumer.

@shenstra: Meanwhile, there is a lot to streamline when taking a system like the Xbox One to new countries if all the features are to work.

Meanwhile, they already announced plans to launch in 20+ more countries before the end of the year.

They're working on it, it's not like they're turning a blind eye.

@superfriend: Pretty simple. Press home button. If it's not in your recent activity, you press left on your analog stick or d-pad once and your pins are there.

Or double press the jewel button and you have some snappable apps there, including friends, music, etc.

@chaser324: Yea the kinect auto-signin was pretty ok. There's been numerous times I've been standing naked in front of it and it woke up to say "Hi!" and sign me in.

Was this part of a test or you just like it to all hang out? ;)

Anyone think an external SSD will make load times ok? or are we just shit out of luck :(

Excellent. Now change the interface to something not shitty. :)

Cool, I guess...

Yeah, auto-sign in! No more having to get up and put my face in front of the Kinect to sign in quicker.

Real names have always been a weird idea to me, but it's also weird that you can't just set it to tell your name to all your followers, or even just have it public.

I'm sure as time goes on loading will become faster.

These console are still ripening, but in the right way. A white XBOne with Mass Effect 4 is my sign up date.

This video in a nutshell.

"Please buy it! Please buy it! Please buy it! Please buy it! Shit works now, we promise!"

But can I make it so the NSA can only see my gamertag?

And still no option to auto-boot to full-screen TV, aka "Wife Mode". I was really hoping to hook my cable back up to my console with this option.

Really glad they are removing the apps from behind Xbox Live Gold.

Need to bring the home button pop up screen from the xbox 360 to the XB1 in the next update!!