One constant with the user interface for the Xbox One family gaming consoles is that it changes pretty frequently. Originally released in November 2013 running a version of Windows 8, the New Xbox One Experience launched less than two years later in November 2015, running Windows 10.
Indeed, the Xbox One UI has received several overhauls, and there's another one on the way, Microsoft announced today. First of all, it's getting rid of the familiar tabbed experience (the tabs are actually called Twists), and replacing the tabs with buttons.
You'll see buttons for Xbox Game Pass, Mixer, Xbox Community, and the Microsoft Store, and Microsoft promises that you'll be able to access these "quicker than ever". It's unclear how navigating to buttons and clicking them is faster than tapping the bumpers on your controller to toggle between tabs.
Hopefully, this will also result in some performance improvements, since it will all be based on a single screen.
Microsoft also announced that it's killing off the ability to use Cortana through a headset on your Xbox. It says that it's moving away from the on-console experience and moving toward a cloud experience. That means that while you won't be able to talk directly to your Xbox, you'll be able to control it through any other Cortana device, such as the Harman Kardon Invoke speaker, your PC, or the iOS and Android mobile apps.
The new Dashboard experience is rolling out to some Insiders today. 50% of Insiders on the Preview Alpha ring will get it with today's build, which is build 18362.6049, as well as 50% of Skip Ahead Insiders in build 18363.7046. The changes to Cortana will be in a Skip Ahead build this week, since that's not going to be generaly available until this fall.
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