• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

3

OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

3

OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
TechMicrosoft

Here’s What Xbox One Gamers Will Find in the Console’s New Software

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 12, 2015, 2:58 PM ET
CHINA-US-COMPUTERS-GAMES-INVESTIGATION
A control of a Microsoft's Xbox One game console is pictured in a shop in Shanghai on September 29, 2014. The Xbox One launched in China, the first games console officially released on the mainland after Beijing lifted a ban on the devices, which it had imposed in 2000. AFP PHOTO / JOHANNES EISELE (Photo credit should read JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty Images)Photograph by Johannes Eisele — AFP/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

The tens of millions of people who own an Xbox One are finding a brand-new user interface that Microsoft says, is a “complete transformation” to the way users will interact with the popular console.

This morning, Microsoft started rolling out what it calls the New Xbox One Experience, a fancy term for the new software coming to the console. In a statement to gaming-news outlet Gamespot, Microsoft’s Xbox chief marketing officer Mike Nichols said that the update is possibly “the most significant (software) release” ever offered on a console.

The software previously running on the Xbox One, which was tile-based, similar to the design of Windows 8, which featured several blocks containing apps, and relied heavily on voice gestures from the Kinect sensor that connects to the console, was divisive, to say the least. Some gamers liked the software, while others (including me) thought it lacked intuitive design and made features too hard to find.

“We put fans at the center of everything we do and the New Xbox One Experience is a complete transformation of Xbox One inspired by fan feedback,” says Mike Ybarra, director of program management for Xbox. “We made some big changes to improve how gamers interact with Xbox One, focused on making tasks they do every day faster and easier.”

While that may sound nice, many current and prospective Xbox One owners are still wondering what they’ll get with the new update.

Ybarra issued a blog post on Thursday to shed a bit more light on what consumers will expect to find in the Xbox One update. The overhaul, after all, is a major one, and those who don’t know what to expect may find it jarring to see just how much has changed.

“Our initial findings suggest there have been a number of improvements to functionality and usability,” says Piers Harding-Rolls, director and head of games at market researcher IHS. He added that the software also responds more quickly to user inputs.

At the center of the Xbox One’s new software is Microsoft’s Windows 10. The Windows 10 integration, Ybarra says, is a critical feature that will make the software far more responsive than the previous version and add a level of “versatility” that Microsoft didn’t previously offer. It’s a feature that Harding-Rolls argues, is crucial to improving the overall user experience and making it easier for developers to bring more apps and games to the console.

“For Microsoft, the roll-out of the new system software sees Xbox One come into line with its other Windows 10 devices, which is important in supporting its vision of universal apps and cross-platform integration between console and Windows PC,” he says.

When users boot up the software, they’ll find an entirely new design that, Ybarra says, will make it easier to find everything from games to apps. The new Xbox One homepage has relevant items listed and a new guide feature is now accessible that lets users access their profile and settings.

The new Xbox One software also features a slew of updated social features, including a community section to see what friends are up to on their own devices. Users can also share achievements and game clips via Xbox Live and access a Game Hubs feature to see “news and updates from game developers and the Xbox Live community.”

“It’s expected to completely revamp the console experience with a much more focused intent on pleasurable gaming experiences,” says IBISWorld industry analyst Andrew Alvarez.

The look and feel of the Xbox One platform, in other words, is completely different. But arguably its most sought-after feature is backward compatibility, or the ability to play Xbox 360 games on the Xbox One. Thanks to some modifications under the hood, users will be able to play over 100 Xbox 360 games on their Xbox One—a feature that has been long desired but never delivered, and was one of the reasons the Xbox One is still trailing the PlayStation 4 in total sales.

“Backwards compatibility of select Xbox 360 titles…is a significant value-add to the offer,” Harding-Rolls says.

So, like it or not, the Xbox One is getting a new “experience.” Whether gamers will ultimately like what they find remains to be seen, but industry experts seem to believe that after the rollout is complete and Xbox One owners get their hands on the software, Microsoft may just get a boost.

“Over the long-term, should this update prove to be successful and resonate with consumers, many individuals who have held out from buying a new console could shift toward purchasing an Xbox One rather than a PlayStation 4,” says Alvarez. “Similarly, Xbox loyalists who merely have not purchased an Xbox One because of poor consumer goodwill may be persuaded otherwise after this update.”

Harding-Rolls was a bit more muted in his prediction, but was similarly bullish about the Xbox One’s future.

“I don’t expect the new user experience to impact sales directly, but this, combined with the backwards capability, are likely to improve word of mouth between users and non-users and generally add to the value proposition of the Xbox One,” Harding-Rolls added. “That can only be a positive thing for Microsoft.”

Sign up for Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter about the business of technology.

For a look at one of the Xbox One’s hottest games, Halo 5, check out the following Fortune video:

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Tech

t
AIMarkets
Billionaire Mike Bloomberg warns Trump’s AI ownership plan would make ‘George Orwell blush’
By Eva RoytburgJuly 21, 2026
5 hours ago
U.N. reports Southeast Asia’s criminal networks are using tech to build a global illicit economy
AsiaTech
U.N. reports Southeast Asia’s criminal networks are using tech to build a global illicit economy
By The Associated PressJuly 21, 2026
6 hours ago
Anthropic to pay authors $1.5 billion over pirated books used to train Claude in first major AI copyright settlement
LawAnthropic
Anthropic to pay authors $1.5 billion over pirated books used to train Claude in first major AI copyright settlement
By The Associated PressJuly 21, 2026
6 hours ago
kid lying down on phone
PoliticsSocial Media
Lawmakers say they’re protecting kids—but their age checks are quietly building an ID requirement for the entire internet
By Catherina GioinoJuly 21, 2026
6 hours ago
holland
Arts & EntertainmentMovies
‘The audience is telling the industry something’: even IMAX is stunned by Christopher Nolan’s runaway ‘Odyssey’
By Tatiana SatauaJuly 21, 2026
7 hours ago
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman looking up.
CybersecurityOpenAI
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
By Jeremy Kahn and Emily ForliniJuly 21, 2026
8 hours ago

Most Popular

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
Success
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
Success
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
By Sydney LakeJuly 20, 2026
2 days ago
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
Cybersecurity
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
By Jeremy Kahn and Emily ForliniJuly 21, 2026
8 hours ago
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
AI
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
By Jason MaJuly 18, 2026
3 days ago
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
AI
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
By Eva RoytburgJuly 21, 2026
11 hours ago
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
Success
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
By Emma BurleighJuly 21, 2026
12 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.