Here, we talk a little bit about what the Fall Xbox One update offers, and how to install it on your Xbox One right now. We’ve also got an article on PS4 system updates if that’s more of your kind of thing.
Xbox One update: What’s new?
Each Xbox update brings improvements and new features to the Xbox One’s operating system. The fall update is no different, and in fact brings one of the biggest changes to the software in recent history. There’s a heavy emphasis on personalisation with the fall Xbox update. The much more modular Home screen offers the ability to add customisable blocks providing quick access to things like your favourite Xbox games, friends, groups and more.
There’s also more choice when it comes to the colour scheme of the user interface, offering new light and high-contrast options alongside the dark colour scheme utilised by the company until now. It’s not just customisation that makes the Fall update so great: there’s a handful of new features that help improve the overall Xbox experience. This includes a new feature for when you’ve left your console idle that’ll provide time-sensitive notifications in a way that’ll be visible from far away, hoping to catch your attention while texting or stuffing your face with food. It’ll also rearrange your notifications if you haven’t turned your console on for a while, providing you with all the most important notifications/activities that you’ve missed first. The guide has once again been positioned horizontally and allows quick access to different sections via the controller bumpers or left thumbstick and d-pad. It provides access to Sign-in, Achievements, Parties, Friends, Home, Messages, Broadcasts and a new Action Centre. It performs in a similar way to how it used to, but is now much quicker to browse and switch sections.
There are, of course, other changes to the operating system that should make the upgrade to the Xbox One X easier. The update provides an easy way for gamers to transfer games to the Xbox One X either via an external drive or via your home network. There’s also an option for Xbox One owners to download the 4K content for certain games prior to buying the console, allowing gamers to play in native 4K as soon as the titles have transferred. Streamers might be interested to know that the update also brings a heavier focus on Microsoft Mixer, the company’s livestreaming platform. There’s a new Mixer tab in the dashboard that’ll display popular livestreams that you can watch, and it should be easier to set up and initiate Mixer broadcasts while in-game too.
Backwards compatibility
Days after the software update went live, backwards compatibility with a limited number of original Xbox games appeared on Xbox One consoles. Once the update is installed, simply head to Microsoft’s “Games on demand” section of the Xbox marketplace and browse from the collection. Games include the likes of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Neowave: The King of Fighters, Prince of Persia, Red Faction 2, BloodRayne 2, and Dead to Rights, and start at £9.99. But what if you’ve still got the original game disc at home? Don’t worry, as Microsoft has confirmed that original discs will work with backwards compatibility. The Fall update is a huge update for the Xbox One that has gone through several rounds of testing before release, and fixes some of the biggest complaints about the software. Carry on reading to find out how to install the update on your Xbox One right now.
How to update Xbox software
So, how do you get access to the latest, and possibly greatest, Xbox software update? If your console is set to receive automatic updates, chances are that you’ll already have it installed when you turn it on. By default, updates are downloaded and installed when the console isn’t in use to reduce the impact that the update process has on the overall Xbox One experience. If it isn’t set to receive automatic updates, here’s what to do: If you didn’t have the feature enabled and want to download the update right now, simply follow these instructions: Your Xbox One should then proceed to download and install the Xbox One fall update, ready for you to play with your friends. Lewis Painter is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor. Our resident Apple expert, Lewis covers everything from iPhone to AirPods, plus a range of smartphones, tablets, laptops and gaming hardware. You’ll also find him on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.
