@monkeyking1969 said:
Size, lack of power brick, and the small chnages in buttons are a postive - all needed improvments. Yet, I don't really see who this is for when Scorpio is being dangled in a year. (I still think Scorpio is a huge mistake, but that is a discussion for another thread.)
So, good for MS, but too bad it 'IS' what should have come out in 2014 and coming a year away from a more powerful entry.
This thread is about the latest software update, not the Xbox One S. It's a significant one, adding Cortana, background music, expanded language options, UI changes to the "My games & apps" area people visit the most, UI changes to the store, etc.
Cortana is finally coming around. Having a Kinect, I was just about frustrated enough with Cortana early on to go back to the "Xbox ____" commands. I'm glad I didn't, because it's actually starting to learn my cadence and respond consistently now (after a month of forcing myself to use it in the hopes it would learn). There's still a bit more latency than I'd like, but I'm glad to report that it is improving. There's a light at the end of the tunnel.
I'd forgotten how much I missed background music. Man, it really adds something to your game if done right. Rocket League was that much more intense/fun with a metal soundtrack, and then I fired up Forza Horizon 2, put on some Ludovico Einaudi, and just blissfully cruised around. Really different and cool experiences there. I'm all-in on the Groove Music app now. Especially since Forza Horizon 3 will have a Groove Station that will use your playlists, which will take me back to the good ol' OG Xbox days of having Rallisport Challenge 2 blast a random Audioslave song at the start of every race. (I'll be painting a Lancer up appropriately to cruise around virtual Australia for maximum nostalgia.) I've got half a mind to pay the $9.99/month for the Groove Music Pass just out of appreciation that the ability to have background music is back and works.
The ability to set your language different than your country doesn't really affect me as a 'Merican in 'Merica, but is a useful (and needed) deal for displaced duders. As I alluded to earlier, the My Games & Apps section updates are pretty great, with my only complaint there being the fixed location of the button to get you there. The store updates are pretty hit-and-miss. I do like the layout and that they've consolidated games, music, video, et al. in one tab, but the clutter within each section is silly. It shouldn't pull up phone apps and other shit that isn't even for the Xbox, and things like having two Groove Music apps are redundant and confusing.
If I could, I'd alter my earlier vote of "I like it in general but there are rough edges (buggy apps)" to "I really like it", based on them getting Groove background music to work quicker (and better) than expected and Cortana showing noticeable progress of late. I fully expect them to clean up the store a bit and allow the My Games and Apps button to be pinned elsewhere in the coming months. Overall, I really love how well they've supported the console and tweaked it based on feedback, and this is yet another quality example of that. I'd probably give Phil Spencer a hug if I ever saw him.
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