Microsoft released the second part of the Anniversary Update for the Xbox One today, calling it the Holiday Update. Version 1610 contains a number of new features - such as Clubs, Looking for Group, and Arena - but there's also a major update coming to the Xbox App.
The changes that Microsoft outlined are for the Windows 10 version of the app, but you'll find that some of the features are also available on other platforms where the Xbox App is available, being iOS and Android. Here's what's new for Windows 10 PCs and phones:
Clubs on Xbox Live: Clubs are gamer-created and managed groups that can help you meet people and grow communities of gamers who love the same things you do. Anyone can join or create a Club, and you’ll probably see a Club for just about everything. As a Club member, you’ll be able to set up parties, play games, share content, and easily communicate using voice and text chat with the Club across Xbox One and the Xbox app on Windows 10. Check out our tutorial video on Clubs here.
Looking for Group on Xbox Live: Looking for Group (LFG) helps you quickly find other players that you want to game with. You can use LFG to help complete daily quests, Achievement hunt or even get a group together to annihilate hordes of the Swarm and DeeBees in Gears of War 4. Quick and easy. Whether you’re playing on Xbox One or Windows 10 PC, you can quickly find other gamers to play with on Xbox Live. Check out our tutorial video on LFG here.
Achievement Rarity: Achievement Rarity helps you discover just how unique an Achievement is among players of a given game. When you earn a rare Achievement, you’ll get a special notification and diamond icon highlighting it. Unlock one today and let us know how you like the new animation!
Group Messaging on Xbox Live: Group Messaging helps you coordinate and keep in touch with your friends and fellow gamers by sending a single group message to everyone in a single conversation. Group Messaging works across Xbox One and the Xbox app on Windows 10.
Gamerscore Leaderboard: We’ve improved the Gamerscore Leaderboard on Xbox One and the Xbox app on Windows 10 devices. The Leaderboard now resets at the beginning of each month instead of displaying results for a 30-day rolling period, meaning you and your friends will have a clean slate to compete against one another at the start of each month! You can keep an eye on the Gamerscore Leaderboard through the Achievements tab in your profile.
There is no update available for the iOS app just yet, but you'll find one for the Android app. While it doesn't contain everything that you'll see on Windows 10, there is a subset of features available for now:
Join Xbox Live Clubs to interact with like-minded gamers
Use Looking for Group (LFG) to find a party to play a game
Stay connected with multi-user conversations in Group Messaging
Bug fixes
Next up for the Xbox One would be Redstone 2 - which is now known as the Creators Update - and next for the app would be the features that coincide with the system update.
If you want to get early access to some features, the Xbox One Preview Program is now the Xbox Insider Program, and anyone can sign up. New members won't get system update previews just yet., but you'll still get game and app previews.
You can download Xbox for Windows here, Android here, and iOS here.
Update: Mike Ybarra has confirmed that the iOS app will be updated soon:
