Xbox has announced that it will be sending out a new wave of invitations for the exclusive Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead rings soon. These preview rings allow Insiders to try out the latest features before anyone else and provide important feedback to the Xbox team. Microsoft doesn’t disclose how it invites people into these rings, but there are a few things you can do to improve your chances of being invited.
Here’s an outline of each of the rings, according to Microsoft:
- Alpha Skip-Ahead – An invite only ring that receives preview builds of a future Xbox OS release
- “Future” release means these builds may not be released to the public for some time. In other words, this will be a preview of a release after the next public release. As such, Alpha Skip-Ahead may contain different features than other rings
- Alpha – An invite-only ring that receives preview builds of the next upcoming Xbox OS release
- This is a preview version of the next OS that will be released to the public
- Alpha receives a pre-release version of the next build before any other ring
- Alpha may have features different than both Alpha Skip-Ahead and at times other Xbox Update Preview rings
To be invited to the Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead rings, you must provide high-quality submitted feedback, participate in Quests and surveys, join playtests, and be enthusiastic about testing. If you haven’t become an Insider yet but want to get into these rings, your best bet is to join in the Xbox Insider Programme (FAQ) and start working your way through the Omega, Delta, and Beta rings. If you don’t make it this time, Microsoft will send out invites to the invite-only rings in the future that you can participate in.
Should you receive an invitation, you can join the rings by following these instructions:
- Launch the Xbox Insider Hub on your Xbox console
- Select Previews
- Select Xbox Update Preview
- Select Manage
- Choose the Alpha or Alpha Skip-Ahead ring, then select Done
- Download and install the required console update
If you do get an invitation and can’t make your mind up whether you want to join, think fast! The space for each ring is limited and places will be handed out on a first come basis.