Last year, Microsoft added hundreds of new features to Xbox One thanks to user feedback. This month, Xbox One is receiving another system update with an all-new feature called game hubs, allowing you to share comments and content with your Xbox Live friends, game developers, and other Xbox Live members about your favorite Xbox One game.
Microsoft has also added tile transparency, support for custom backgrounds, and a handful of updates to live TV. This update is live right now, having previously been available for those in the Xbox Preview Program. Fire up your Xbox One and start updating! If you are not seeing the update right away, be patient, it might be a slow rollout. Key improvements of this update are as follows:
- Game hubs
- Custom backgrounds and tile transparency
- OneGuide for the Netherlands: Support for OneGuide will continue in preview for the Netherlands and the missing channels for the Netherlands OneGuide listings will become available over the next few weeks.
- TV trending in OneGuide
- Live TV trending (new countries) – France, Germany, Brazil and Mexico will begin seeing live TV trending data in Xbox OneGuide.
- Improved control of TVs, set-top boxes and audio/video receivers – Xbox One will work even better with more devices. This month’s preview release contains updates to the IR blasting database for new models and addresses issues reported by our fan community.
- “Trick play” with Xbox One Digital TV Tuner – Preview members with the Xbox One Digital TV Tuner in supported countries (UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain) will now be able to see video frames when fast-forwarding or rewinding paused TV on your Xbox One consoles.
- Live TV streaming on Windows Phone and Android – We are continuing the preview of live TV streaming on Windows Phone and Android devices for Xbox One Digital TV Tuner owners in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
Microsoft has also improved the controller experience, making it faster to connect when powering on your controller. The update also provides a number of fixes that address some of the controller disconnect issues reported by Xbox One owners.
To download the update, connect a controller to your Xbox One with a USB cable. Keep any headsets connected to the controller. Connect to Xbox Live. Press the Menu. Go to Settings > Devices & accessories and select the controller. If you have multiple controllers attached, you can select Buzz – which will cause the selected controller to vibrate. Then select Update to download the new firmware to the controller attached via the USB cable, and the screen will show the Updating controller … progress screen. When you see the Controller updated screen, press ‘B’ to go back to the Devices & accessories main page. Reselect the controller. The Firmware version should now be: 1.2.2236.0
