Microsoft is now rolling out its July update for its Xbox One consoles with a number of new features and improvements.
In the July Xbox update, perhaps the most interesting change that users will get is a new feature that allows gamers to start new games that are downloading a lot faster. The feature is called “FastStart,” and it prioritizes the files a game requires to start playing while the rest of the files continue to download in the background.
FastStart requires an internet connection of at least 20Mbps, and initially, it’ll be available only for a small number of games available on Xbox Game Pass. However, over time, more games will be added to the list.
Although Xbox already offers a similar feature, FastStart will be an extension to the ready to start feature that allows users to start games before they’re downloaded. According to the company, using this new feature users will be able to jump into a game twice as fast.
Groups in Pins
Starting with the July 2018 update, the Xbox dashboard is introducing “Groups” for Pins. Using Groups, you can create collections of anything available in the My Games & Apps. You can rename, organize, order, and add Groups to Home.
Groups will show up in My Games & Apps, Home, and Guide, and it’s a feature that syncs across Xbox consoles.
Search
This release also delivers search improvements. Now, you can press the “Y” button anywhere to bring up a search interface for apps, games, settings, and more.
Mixer
If you use Mixer, the update enables full mouse and keyboard support for PC users, including Share Controller Key Bindings.
In addition, support for multi-touch has been added, and there’s a new per-channel leaderboard to list those users who have contributed during the share controller session.
Also, streamers can now use the webcam in full screen while broadcasting. While in this mode, game audio will be muted allowing you to talk with your audience.
Finally, you’ll also notice some improvements in the broadcast video quality and performance.
The July 2018 system update for Xbox is rolling out to everyone now for Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Xbox One X. The new release will install automatically, but you can always force the update going to Settings > System > Console info & updates > Update console and click Start update.
