Much like Windows Insiders, Microsoft introduced the Xbox Insiders Program, allowing Xbox owners to test early builds of the Xbox dashboard experience before it’s released to the general public. For those that have gotten their hands on an Xbox One X today, you can test out early builds as part of the Xbox Insiders Program. In order to activate your Xbox One X (or any Xbox console) for Xbox Update Preview builds, the process takes just 5 steps, as noted by Xbox Wire:
- Sign in on your new console.
- Launch the Guide (press the Xbox button), navigate to My games & apps > Ready to Install and install the Xbox Insider Hub app.
- Launch the Xbox Insider Hub and navigate to Insider content > Xbox One Update Preview.
- Select Join or Manage.
- Choose the desired Preview group (i.e. Xbox One Update Preview Omega) from the list and select Done.
Just yesterday, Xbox released a new update for Preview Beta Insiders. One of the most notable changes in the update was specifically for Xbox One X Enhanced Games:
“You can now check whether a specific game has downloaded Xbox One X assets from Games & Apps. To do this, navigate to Games & Apps > Games, place the focus over an Xbox One X Enhanced game, press the Menu button, and select Manage game. In the Manage game menu you’ll see Xbox One X Assets: Installed if Xbox One X Enhanced content has been installed.”
You’ll still need to satisfy the requirements for access to the different “rings” of the preview program, as outlined in the Xbox Insider Program FAQ:
The current Xbox One Update Preview rings are:
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Alpha – Open on an “invite only” basis and receives updates at the earliest point in the preview window.
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Beta – Open to Xbox Insiders with a Program tenure of 3 or more months and an Xbox Insider XP Level of 4 or higher. This ring receives updates shortly after Alpha.
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Delta – Open to any Xbox Insider with a tenure of 1 or more months that has reached Xbox Insider Level 2 or higher. Depending on certain edge cases where further attention is required from Alpha or Beta rings, Delta Insiders may receive system updates before Beta, though this is not a common scenario. Additionally, while early system updates are not guaranteed across the Delta ring, all Delta Insiders will receive the update prior to GA.
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Omega – Open to anyone and receives system updates shortly before the GA (General Availability) release.
You can sign up all of your Xbox One consoles to a specific ring level and opting out of the program is quick and easy too. All you need to do is go to Settings > Manage devices to unenroll from the program. Although once your console is registered for Xbox One Update Preview builds, you will be prompted to download a system update, depending on if there is a new system update available in the Preview group you chose for your Xbox console.
