Microsoft is planning to revamp the Xbox One dashboard once again, just two years after the latest redesign changed the Xbox Guide and allowed users to pin various content blocks on the Home section. The new dashboard will roll out to all Xbox One users later this Fall, and Microsoft said that the version that is rolling out to select Xbox Insiders today is still experimental.
First of all, you’ll see that the top navigation bar has been replaced by four buttons for accessing the Microsoft Store, the Xbox Game Pass catalog, Mixer, and Xbox Community. The “ads” are still there in a new Discover section, right below your most recently used games and apps.
This new experimental dashboard will roll out to a subset of Xbox Insiders in the Alpha and Alpha Skip Ahead rings today. Microsoft says that will listen to feedback and make some changes before it rolls out to all Xbox One owners later this fall.
In addition to the redesigned dashboard, Microsoft also announced some upcoming changes to voice commands on Xbox One. In short, Microsoft is removing the built-in Cortana assistant from the Xbox One, redirecting users to the Xbox skill for Cortana and Alexa on other devices.
Xbox and are moving away from on-console experiences to cloud-based assistant experiences. This means you can no longer talk to Cortana via your headset. However, you can use the Xbox Skill for Cortana via the Cortana app on iOS, Android, and Windows or via Harmon Kardon Invoke speaker to power your Xbox One, adjust volume, launch games and apps, capture screenshots, and more —just as you can do with Alexa-enabled devices today. We’ll also continue to improve the Xbox Skill across supported digital assistants and continue expanding our Xbox voice capabilities in the future based on fan feedback.
These change are rolling out today to Xbox Insiders on the Alpha Skip Ahead ring, and they will be part of the next major Xbox One update coming this Fall. The new console streaming feature that Microsoft announced at E3 2019 is also expected to ship later this year, but Microsoft hasn’t discussed it today.
