A couple of days ago, Microsoft rolled out an Xbox system update for Alpha Insiders, introducing an updated controller firmware and a bunch of bug fixes. It now appears that the company is working on significantly cutting down on boot times for Xbox Series X|S consoles.
The Verge reports that the latest Xbox Insider builds have reduced the cold boot startup time on Microsoft"s latest consoles by roughly five seconds. This has been done by shortening the boot up animation so it takes four seconds instead of nine seconds, as confirmed by Microsoft.
That said, gamers can only leverage from the shorter animation if they set their consoles to Energy Saver mode instead of Standby mode. If you"re unclear what Energy Saver mode is, it basically means that the console is fully powered off instead of being in a standby state. What this means is that it might take you longer to jump into a game compared to Standby mode, the console will also not update when switched off, but it will also be better for the environment and your electricity bills.
Microsoft"s latest improvements in cold boot times makes Energy Saver mode a more viable option for gamers. Overall, the time between pressing the button and the cold boot to complete has been reduced from 20 seconds to 15 seconds, which is a 25% improvement. It"s unclear when this benefit will become generally available but it will likely be a very welcome change for people who use Energy Saver mode.