Some late news for you on this rather hot Friday night as Microsoft has announced what will be coming to the Xbox One this August, including 3D support for Blu Rays, remote purchasing of content on Xbox.com and Smartglass. There’s actually a whole, rather substantial list of improvements, which you can peruse below.
- Activity feed updates: We’re adding new ways for you to interact with friends in the activity feed. The interface will change to a single column scrolling list that is longer and includes more content. We’ll add the ability to post text to your feed, and to “like” and comment on feed items. You can share game clips and anything else in the feed with friends either publically (to your activity feed) or privately (as an attachment to a message).You’ll also be notified when anyone likes, comments on or shares your items. Each user will get a personal feed on their profile, so you can see what specific friends have been up to. And, with SmartGlass, you can see what your friends have shared to their activity feed and “like” specific posts (additional activity feed support coming in future SmartGlass updates).
- Expanded Friends area on Home: Right from Home, see what’s going on with your friends. Stay up-to-date with their current activity, the top trending games your friends are playing, and a leaderboard to see who has been working the hardest on their Gamerscore. We’re doing an extended preview on this, rolling it into the early access preview this month to a subset of our preview audience so we can refine it until it’s ready for the entire Xbox One market.
- Mobile purchase: One of the most requested features on Xbox Feedback. Using Xbox SmartGlass or on Xbox.com, you can remotely purchase games and Add-on content. No more waiting to begin downloading when you get home – if your console is set to automatically take updates, your console will begin downloading your purchase.
- Low battery notification: You asked for it, now a notification will pop up when your controller battery is getting low.
- Disable notifications during video: Adding the ability to turn off notifications based feedback we heard from you.
- Enabling 3D Blu-ray: An update to the Blu-ray player app will enable 3D Blu-ray functionality on Xbox One.
- OneGuide in Brazil, Mexico, Austria and Ireland: Live TV listings can be configured for four new countries as part of this month’s Preview program. And now there is an OneGuide Issue Reporter available under the TV & OneGuide settings, Troubleshooting section.
- Last seen time in Friends list: Direct from Xbox Feedback, the friends list will now show how long it’s been since a friend has been online. For example, “Last seen 20m ago: Forza Motorsport 5.”
Source: Major Nelson’s Blog
Kennykazey
3D blurays, ey? Expect Sony to follow shortly.
ron_mcphatty
And so they should, as the owners of a film production company that’s put out stacks of 3D films. DLNA next?
Tanster
Not only that but they were a founding member of the Blu Ray Disk Association (MS weren’t) and released the technology first yet still can’t enable this on PS4.
I have always been a huge Sony fan so this news does grate a bit!!!
a inferior race
I’m starting to wish that I had bought an xbone instead of a ps4 now as Sony just don’t seem to be improving in comparison to MS
Stefan L
I’m a big fan of Microsoft’s monthly updates. Some are more important than others and there’s generally some really trivial sounding tweaks on the list, but there’s constant progress on these things. It’s been a few months now since the PS4’s last meaningful update, and some of the flaws are really starting to grate.
DividSmythe
Nice update. Notifications off only in video is a great idea. I can see my xbone be my default Now TV player and all catch up TV players when their out. I hate seeing notifications during films. I also like the friends list update. Is far better than the app. It’s the best update yet.
TSBonyman
Sounds like a good solid update, it’s fair to say that Sony are playing catch-up at this point.
Chris
Playing? I’m not sure they’re even in the same game.
Phizzy
I don’t think it’s fair to say Sony are playing catch-up when half the items on this list are already part of the PS4 OS.
lambchop
That’s exactly what I was thinking…..
turokhan
Wrong. PS3 has 3D bluray support, PS4 hasn’t even thought about until M$ announced they will support it. What’s all that about??
TBO its a joke that these next gen consoles have less features than there predecessors.