Today, Microsoft announced that the Fall Update (or Fall Creators Update on Windows) is available for the Xbox One family of gaming consoles. As with all feature updates, it contains quite a bit.
One of the big features is a redesigned Dashboard. You"ll find Fluent Design elements throughout the OS, and on the home screen, you can add new content blocks. These allow you to give games, friends, Xbox Live Gold, Xbox Game Pass, and more, their own spot in the menu.
There"s a new light theme as well, so if you"re tired of that dark background, you can finally change it. Game Hubs allow you to easily find things like friend activities, leaderboards, LFG posts, and more, and you can now have up to 40 pins on your dashboard.
The Guide has also seen a significant redesign, and you can swipe through the different menus by pressing the bumpers on your controller. That"s not all though; here"s what else is new in the Guide:
When you bring up Guide while in an active party or broadcast, Guide will automatically open the party or broadcast section by default for faster access to controls.
New “Friends in games” flyout informs you of friends playing the same game.
Game invites will show up in the Multiplayer tab of the Guide.
The new Tournaments section in the Multiplayer tab of the Guide provides a quick portal into the official and community tournaments that you’ve joined. Enjoy more Xbox Arena tournament options with the addition of new titles.
Among the new features for everyone, there are also some that make it easier to move to the Xbox One X, which brings support for 4K gaming. Naturally, that means that your games will require additional assets for better graphics.
And of course, there are Mixer improvements. A big one is that you"ll now be able to stream in 1080p, if your bandwidth supports it, and GameDVR can now capture 4K/HDR screenshots and game clips, something that you"ll definitely want if you"ve got an Xbox One X coming your way. You"ll now also be able to use a USB webcam to broadcast yourself on Mixer or make Skype calls, so you no longer need a Kinect.
As mentioned earlier, this is a major update, and it"s been in preview since August. But as of today, you no longer need to be an Insider to get it.