The increase in gamers jumping onto their Xbox One consoles while self-isolating during the global COVID-19 pandemic shouldn’t come as a surprise to that many people but what is unexpected is the fact that Microsoft’s had to (via WC) deactivate the ability to upload custom images for use as gamerpics due to the increase in usage.
“As people look to gaming for social connection,” the official note reads, “we’re seeing record numbers across Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Live, and Mixer. To streamline moderation and ensure the best experience for our community, we’re making small adjustments. We’ve temporarily turned off the ability to upload custom gamerpics, club pics, and club backgrounds.”
Thankfully it seems that this temporary limitation isn’t due to a strain on the Xbox servers but rather a need for more people to moderate what images are uploaded. The Xbox Support page also states that refunds have been delayed for 72 or more hours though it’s unclear if this is due to the pandemic or not.
The larger than usual number of people jumping online all of a sudden has resulted in a variety of digital services making adjustments to deal with the extra internet traffic. Mixer, Twitch, and YouTube have all limited the resolution of their videos and Disney+ was forced to launch in several European regions last week without the option for 4K. Interestingly, Mixer also added a new Education category to cater to those learning from home while in self-isolation.
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