Xbox One's February system update brings game hubs, TV updates

Xbox One users have something to look forward to in February with three new feature updates coming to the console.

The first, and potentially the biggest, is only available to members of Xbox One's preview program: game hubs will allow users to view a plethora of game-related content in one area, including social media content like leaderboards, top players, and game clips and content. Every single Xbox One game will have a game hub, and can be accessed from the "my games and apps" page by pressing the menu button and selecting "view game hub."

For those with a custom background, added transparency for the home tiles might be February's best update. Microsoft has added increased tile transparency so background images are more easily visible, with the nuance that the transparency of some tiles can't be changed "due to usage rights/restrictions for certain images."

A number of new TV updates are coming to the Xbox One, including many for Xbox OneGuide - its platform which allows you to watch (and customize) live TV through cable or satellite. TV trending has been added, which allows users to see which programs are trending on Xbox - although the feature is currently only available to those residing in the US, UK, and Canada.

Next up is improved TV control which aims to improve compatibility with various devices, including an update to the IR blasting database so users don't have to struggle with their remote.

Finally, Microsoft has announced a "trick play" feature which allows preview members with the Xbox One Digital TV Tuner to see video frames when fast forwarding or rewinding paused TV. Another nuance: it's only currently available to those in supported countries, i.e. the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

A number of other region-specific features and improvements have been announced, including expansion of live TV streaming on Windows Phone and Android to users in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, OneGuide updates in the Netherlands, and the addition of live TV trending data to France, Germany, Brazil, and Mexico.

Check out Microsoft's most recent Xbox One system update here.

Source: Xbox