Microsoft today announced the Xbox September Update, bringing new improvements to PC gaming, Xbox apps, consoles, and more. The Xbox mobile experience is getting a significant change, as Microsoft is merging the Xbox Game Pass mobile app into the existing Xbox mobile app. Going forward, the updated Xbox app will allow you to play and install games on your console, access game captures, chat with other gamers, receive notifications on friend requests, rewards, and even manage your Game Pass membership.
Instead of forcing users to have two separate apps, Microsoft is simplifying the experience by bringing the features from the separate Xbox Game Pass app into the Xbox app. This updated Xbox mobile app will be available for Xbox beta members initially and later for everyone else. Because of this change, Microsoft will not deliver any further updates to the Xbox Game Pass app, and it will not be available for download starting in November.
Through this new Game Pass integration, the new Xbox mobile app will allow you to explore Game Pass and manage your membership. You can browse the entire Game Pass catalog, get alerts for new games coming to the service, and view and claim Perks in the case of an Ultimate subscription. Also, Game Pass Ultimate members can stream select games through Xbox Cloud Gaming on their iOS or Android devices via xbox.com/play using a supported web browser.
On the PC side, Microsoft is rolling out the Game Bar Compact Mode for all users. On smaller screens and Windows handhelds, using this new compact mode in Game Bar, you can view recently played games and access game launchers and other utilities. Compact Mode is also optimized to work with an Xbox controller, allowing you to quickly switch between widgets with the left and right bumpers (LB/RB).
On the console side, Microsoft now allows gamers to pre-download game updates so that they can start playing as soon as the update goes live. This new option can be enabled from My Games & Apps > Manage > Updates. This feature is not supported by all game titles, but popular ones including Sea of Thieves, Minecraft, and Cassette Beasts already support pre-downloading of updates.
These updates enhance the overall Xbox experience, making it more convenient for gamers to access their games, manage their subscriptions, and stay up-to-date with the latest content.
Source: Microsoft
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