Microsoft starts testing “Surprise Me” button with Xbox Insiders

2 min. read

Published on November 12, 2019

published on November 12, 2019

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Ahead of its hotly anticipated console release next year, Microsoft is slowly reenvisioning the way its gamers will regularly interact with the dashboard.

Today, Xbox Insiders will get a chance to test out some new changes to the Xbox One Home screen that include a new way to customize tiles and a new “Surprise Me” button that will surface recommendations on games to play.

Hey Alpha Skip-Ahead, users! You may notice some changes to the Xbox One Home, Guide, and your Collection Surprise me button soon on your console.

— Xbox Insider (@xboxinsider) November 11, 2019

Customizing your Home dashboard gets a little easier for Alpha Skip-Ahead! Pressing the View button on your Xbox One controller brings up a screen with more info to help setup your Home the way you like it. pic.twitter.com/JsIGwOFhL8

— Xbox Insider (@xboxinsider) November 11, 2019

The Surprise me button in Alpha Skip-Ahead users' Collections, located in the upper right of My Games & Apps, can help determine what to play next! Use it today. pic.twitter.com/R8QWi9aTCN

— Xbox Insider (@xboxinsider) November 11, 2019

Back in July of this year (2019), the Xbox team began testing a new dashboard look and flow with users opting into its Alpha and Skip Ahead release builds. The new dashboard is a bit more streamlined than the one that showed up with the original release of the Xbox One.

The UX team working on the reinvented dashboard applied emphasis on “dynamic content” surfacing in the UI while allowing for more customization of the home screen, allowing users to quickly access specific menus.

Today’s additions look to continue the theme of quick access by enabling new ways for users to set up their Home more their liking.

The new additions should be rolling out to Alpha and Skip Ahead beta testers through today pending a new download on an Xbox One console.

Kareem Anderson

Networking & Security Specialist

Kareem is a journalist from the bay area, now living in Florida. His passion for technology and content creation drives are unmatched, driving him to create well-researched articles and incredible YouTube videos. He is always on the lookout for everything new about Microsoft, focusing on making easy-to-understand content and breaking down complex topics related to networking, Azure, cloud computing, and security.