Microsoft has begun the rollout of the November Xbox update, and this one carries some important features like enhanced Discord voice capabilities, sale notifications, upgrades to cloud gaming, and much more. It"s a packed update this month.
Discord Voice officially arrived on Xbox consoles back in September but joining a voice channel required the use of a mobile device or a desktop before transferring the call to a linked console. With the latest update, joining a Discord voice channel is now possible directly from a linked console.
Users can access the feature by heading to "Parties & chats" in the guide and going through the "Discord" option. Discord"s Krisp noise suppression is also enabled by default on Xbox Series X|S consoles, removing any background noises and only transmitting voice communications. This can be disabled in Options of Discord.
Xbox Cloud Gaming users on PC and Mac that use Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome also have an upgrade coming to them in the form of controller rumble. Samsung TVs from 2021 and 2022 are also gaining this feature. Microsoft mentioned its Xbox Wireless Controller and even Sony"s DualShock 4 as suggestions, but any rumble-supporting controller should work here.
Also coming with the update is the ability to purchase gifts straight from a wishlist of another user, as well as notifications for when games on the personal wishlist go on sale. The notifications can be disabled in the Settings > Preferences > Store notifications section.
Users that want to see more details on their console"s power usage, when it is not in use, now have the ability to do so too. Heading to Settings > General > Power options will display Shutdown (energy saving) and Sleep Mode options, as well as their power usage. The default setting has been set to Shutdown, but more customization is available (like inactivity shutdown) inside the "Custom power options" section.
There is a new Captures app in the November update as well, adding "improved viewing, management, and editing" capabilities for recorded clips. Microsoft has also bumped up the bit rate for captures in 720p and 1080p, offering higher playback quality. Clips and screenshots can also be copied to an external drive straight from the app.
Livestreaming from Xbox consoles has been improved too. Microsoft has added the ability to begin Twitch, Lightstream, and Streamlabs streams straight from the console by heading to Capture & share > Live streaming > More options and then Destination to select the platform.
Lastly, Xbox Assist has now become Xbox Support with better navigation support. The "Ask to Join" function can now also be found on user profiles, and a Recommendations section can be found in settings to make sure users are utilizing available Xbox features like HDMI-CEC, correctly setting up audio, or enabling 4K UHD support.