Xbox Insider Program: Update Release Notes and Discussion

As we barrel towards a new generation of consoles, updates to the Xbox One are coming in hot.

Please feel free to link and post the newest update(s) if it hasn’t been posted yet.

Bigger updates, like the new store, will still be their own thread.

This is a place to discuss features/issues of the current builds as well as all the information provided by the Xbox Preview Program Team.

Links to keep handy:

Xbox Insider Homepage:

https://news.xbox.com/en-us/xboxinsider/

Xbox Insider Subreddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/xboxinsiders/

Project Manager for Xbox Insiders:

https://twitter.com/WorkWombatman

Xbox Insider Twitter:

https://twitter.com/xboxinsider

Current Build

1 Like

Hey Xbox Insiders! We have a new Xbox One update preview coming to the Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha ring. It’s important we note that some updates made in these preview OS builds include background improvements that ensure a quality and stable build for Xbox One.

We continue to post these release notes, even when the noticeable changes to the UI are minimal, so you’re aware when updates are coming to your device. Details can be found below!

System Update Details:

  • OS version released: RS_XBOX_RELEASE_2008\19041.4050.200801-0000
  • Available : 2 p.m. PT – August 3, 2020
  • Mandatory : 3 a.m. PT – August 4, 2020

Fixes Implemented

Thanks to the hard work of Xbox engineers, we are happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented for this build:

Clubs

  • Fixed an issue where chat would be stuck in a connecting state.

Home

  • Fixed an issue where some artwork would not load for games on dashboard.

Guide

  • Additional fixes to address issues with users being unable to join/create parties or being disconnected when accessing the Guide.
  • Fixes to address issues with Guide performance such as freezing and not launching when pressing the Xbox button.

System

  • Various updates to properly reflect local languages across the console
    • Note: Users participating in Preview may see “odd” text across the console, for more information go here.

Known Issues

We understand some issues have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes. These items aren’t being ignored, but it will take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution.

We’re still tracking these known issues:

Audio

  • Users who have Dolby Atmos enabled and console display settings set to 120hz with 36 bits per pixel (12-bit) are experiencing loss of Dolby Atmos audio in some situations.
    • Workaround : Disable 120hz or set Video Fidelity to 30 bits per pixel (10-bit) or lower.
  • Some users have reported that Dolby Atmos for Headphones audio setting changes when the console is rebooted/updated.
    • Note: If you attempt to set the audio to Dolby Atmos for Headphones and see a message advising you to launch the Dolby Access App, please file feedback before launching the app.

Game DVR

  • Some users have reported that clips are being recorded without audio. We are aware and investigating.
    • Note: When reporting the issue, please be sure to include details about what resolution, length, and game you were trying to record.

Guide

  • Some users have reported that the audio mixer cannot be used to adjust chat/game audio levels.

My Games & Apps

  • We’ve received reports of users being unable to edit or create Groups. We are aware of the issue and investigating.
  • Users have reported seeing black tiles instead of game artwork when browsing their collection.
    • Note: We are still investigating the issue, please report the issue again from the console if you have done so with a prior update and are still seeing this behavior.
  • Some titles in collection may appear with a “trial” tag incorrectly in collection.

System

  • Users may see the four new languages (Hungarian, Czech, Slovak and Greek) available as options for the keyboard. While they can be selected, they are non-functional at this time.

Profile Color

  • Sometimes users may encounter the incorrect Profile color when powering on the console.
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Can’t wait to test out this new store update coming soon, it looks so good.

They better give me the new store on Aug 5th or I’ll riot!

2 Likes

Saw some more of the new UI working its way in to the guide recently. Got 100% achievements on The Touryst and the achievement tab had some new swanky graphics on it rather than just the old “congratulations” message. Everything was broken though as the buttons overlapped the image and you couldn’t select anything, but still cool to see it starting to appear.

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Yea, they’ve been slowly adding things over the last month or so. I saw a bunch of the new graphics in the Friends tab a couple weeks ago.

What about the dashboard home screen will that be getting an update also ?

Yeah I’ve also noticed those brief flashes when you first load friends, saying no friends available but with a new graphic.

Wondering if there’s going to be any big changes to any systems or if it’s mainly going to be performance and UI changes.

I’d really like them to revisit achievements. Would like them to steal the trophy system of splitting out DLC from the main game. Plus I’m sure they can think of other cool things they could add to it.

Would also love Discord integration with the party chat system.

Jez Corden is implying that the UI will be refreshed to have a similar feel to the new store. Little pieces of that change have been popping up here and there but no timeframe yet on when that update will be coming down.

2 Likes

I want this new build as soon as possible. The new store is looking so cool!!

Amazing design and new features! Can’t wait To try it! Does Anyone know if the light mode will be available too?

Hey Xbox Insiders! We have a new Xbox One update preview coming to the Beta and Delta ring. It’s important we note that some updates made in these preview OS builds include background improvements that ensure a quality and stable build for Xbox One.

We continue to post these release notes, even when the noticeable changes to the UI are minimal, so you’re aware when updates are coming to your device. Details can be found below!

System Update Details:

  • OS version released: RS_XBOX_RELEASE_2008\19041.4050.200801-0000
  • Available : 2 p.m. PT – August 4, 2020
  • Mandatory : 3 a.m. PT – August 5, 2020

New Features and Experiences

We have exciting news! Beta and Delta users can expect something new coming to their Xbox One update preview.

Settings

  • A new, simplified setting is available in Devices & connections > Remote features . Remote features allow you to connect to your Xbox anytime from your mobile device to install new games, play games from your console using Xbox remote play, or turn on and control your console.
  • Console Streaming will now be referred to as Xbox remote play. You will start to see this name change reflected in various experiences on console and mobile in the coming weeks.

Fixes Implemented

Thanks to the hard work of Xbox engineers, we are happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented for this build:

Clubs

  • Fixed an issue where chat would be stuck in a connecting state.

Home

  • Fixed an issue where some artwork would not load for games on dashboard.

Guide

  • Additional fixes to address issues with users being unable to join/create parties or being disconnected when accessing the Guide.
  • Fixes to address issues with Guide performance such as freezing and not launching when pressing the Xbox button.

System

  • Various updates to properly reflect local languages across the console
    • Note: Users participating in Preview may see “odd” text across the console, for more information go here.

Known Issues

We understand some issues have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes. These items aren’t being ignored, but it will take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution.

We’re still tracking these known issues:

Audio

  • Users who have Dolby Atmos enabled and console display settings set to 120hz with 36 bits per pixel (12-bit) are experiencing loss of Dolby Atmos audio in some situations.
    • Workaround : Disable 120hz or set Video Fidelity to 30 bits per pixel (10-bit) or lower.
  • Some users have reported that Dolby Atmos for Headphones audio setting changes when the console is rebooted/updated.
    • Note: If you attempt to set the audio to Dolby Atmos for Headphones and see a message advising you to launch the Dolby Access App, please file feedback before launching the app.

Game DVR

  • Some users have reported that clips are being recorded without audio. We are aware and investigating.
    • Note: When reporting the issue, please be sure to include details about what resolution, length, and game you were trying to record.

Guide

  • Some users have reported that the audio mixer cannot be used to adjust chat/game audio levels.

My Games & Apps

  • We’ve received reports of users being unable to edit or create Groups. We are aware of the issue and investigating.
  • Users have reported seeing black tiles instead of game artwork when browsing their collection.
    • Note: We are still investigating the issue, please report the issue again from the console if you have done so with a prior update and are still seeing this behavior.
  • Some titles in collection may appear with a “trial” tag incorrectly in collection.

System

  • Users may see the four new languages (Hungarian, Czech, Slovak and Greek) available as options for the keyboard. While they can be selected, they are non-functional at this time.

Profile Color

  • Sometimes users may encounter the incorrect Profile color when powering on the console.

Is the new store enabled yet for anyone?

Hey Xbox Insiders! We have a new Xbox One update preview coming to the Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha ring. It’s important we note that some updates made in these preview OS builds include background improvements that ensure a quality and stable build for Xbox One.

We continue to post these release notes, even when the noticeable changes to the UI are minimal, so you’re aware when updates are coming to your device. Details can be found below!

System Update Details:

  • OS version released: RS_XBOX_RELEASE_2008\19041.4067.200804-0000
  • Available : 2 p.m. PT – August 5, 2020
  • Mandatory : 3 a.m. PT – August 6, 2020

New Features and Experiences

We have exciting news! Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha users can expect something new coming to their Xbox One update preview.

Introducing the Game Activity tab!

The Xbox team is ready to preview a new experience that makes it easier to discover game related activities around the game you are currently playing or the last game you played. We want users to know what is happening around their favorite games, hunt for achievements, and discover new ways to engage with liked minded gamers. With this goal in mind, while this feature is active, a random subset of users in Preview will now see the Game Activity tab in place of the Achievement tab, which includes:

  • Achievements : Achievements are here to stay! Your top option on the tab is still the list of Achievements for the game you are playing or your most recently played game. We have added new sorting and filtering options to the list.
    • Notice the new shortcut to turn the Achievement Tracker On/Off
    • You can view the list of your Recent Achievements in your notifications. From the Home tab in the Guide, scroll down and select the notification bell icon to see them.
    • You will find your next achievements and the monthly Gamerscore leaderboard by selecting your Profile in the Guide, then scroll down past “My subscriptions” to locate both options.
    • Of course, you can still find and compare your achievement history, Gamerscore leaderboard, and Game Pass quest progress on your Profile.
  • Friends playing : See which friends are playing, or have played, this game.
  • Looking for group : See LFG posts for this game to find new people to play with.
  • Events : See Suggested Events that are happening in-game or access the ones you have expressed interest in!
  • Official club : Check out updates from developers and see posts from the Xbox Live community.

We want to gather initial feedback and analyze usage to evaluate these changes, and adjusting this experience based on your reports. Achievements are a pillar of the Xbox ecosystem, and we want to support them alongside promoting different ways to engage with your favorite games!

New Store Experience

We’ll be rolling this update out gradually, so if you’re an Xbox Insider, you may begin to see the new Microsoft Store on Xbox starting today. The experience will be available for more Insiders over time before it rolls out to all users this fall. If you encounter any issues, please submit feedback via Report a problem under Category > Apps and Subcategory > Microsoft Store. For more information on the new Store experience, read the blog post here.

A few things to note:

  • The new Store will only be available to a random subset of users located in the US, UK, Canada (English only) and Germany for the initial release to Preview.
  • Some functionality with the new Store Experience is not working at this time, you can read more information under the “Known Issues” section of this post.
  • Users should report all unexpected behavior in the New Store Experience on the console via Report a problem. In addition, If a user encounters an issue that requires billing/payment assistance, they should still contact Support for assistance in resolving these issues.

Happening now

  • We are previewing this new experience to a random subset of users and as a result it may appear in the People area of the Guide or at the top of the Friends list; some users may not have access to Happening now in either area and this is expected behavior.
  • Happening now brings forward friends that are joinable in parties or in games making it easier to jump into activities with others. The version of Happening now in the People area of the Guide combines friends who are together so you can easily see groups of friends that are with each other.
  • For friends that are in joinable games, happening now introduces a new companion feature called “Ask to join”. Jumping straight into a game uninvited with a friend can feel awkward or that it might disrupt them. The ask to join feature provides a way to reach out to the person playing and let them know you are interested in playing with them. If so, the “Request to join” they receive as a notification gives them a quick way to reply with an invite to the game.

Fixes Implemented

Thanks to the hard work of Xbox engineers, we are happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented for this build:

Groups

  • Fixed an issue where users were unable to add/edit Groups across the dashboard.

System

  • Various updates to properly reflect local languages across the console
    • Note: Users participating in Preview may see “odd” text across the console, for more information go here.

New issues we’re investigating:

Guide

  • Some users have reported that the Friends tab no longer shows the number of players online in the icon. We are aware and investigating.

Home

  • Users may see their Most Recent games/apps not displaying correctly on the dashboard.

New Store Experience

  • Some titles may display a “Not currently available” message on the product page and will be unavailable to purchase
    • Note: Users can use the Microsoft Store on the web or Windows to complete purchases for these items.
  • Users will not be able to use the “gifting” option for both Xbox 360 and original Xbox titles at this time.
  • Users will not be able to use the “Build a bundle” functionality at this time
    • Workaround: Create the bundle via the Microsoft Store on the web or Windows.
  • Xbox Design Lab customization is not currently supported.
    • Workaround: Use the Microsoft Store on the web or Windows to purchase.

Known Issues

We understand some issues have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes. These items aren’t being ignored, but it will take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution.

We’re still tracking these known issues:

Audio

  • Users who have Dolby Atmos enabled and console display settings set to 120hz with 36 bits per pixel (12-bit) are experiencing loss of Dolby Atmos audio in some situations.
    • Workaround : Disable 120hz or set Video Fidelity to 30 bits per pixel (10-bit) or lower.
  • Some users have reported that Dolby Atmos for Headphones audio setting changes when the console is rebooted/updated.
    • Note: If you attempt to set the audio to Dolby Atmos for Headphones and see a message advising you to launch the Dolby Access App, please file feedback before launching the app.

Game DVR

  • Some users have reported that clips are being recorded without audio. We are aware and investigating.
    • Note: When reporting the issue, please be sure to include details about what resolution, length, and game you were trying to record.

Guide

  • Some users have reported that the audio mixer cannot be used to adjust chat/game audio levels.

My Games & Apps

  • We’ve received reports of users being unable to edit or create Groups. We are aware of the issue and investigating.
  • Users have reported seeing black tiles instead of game artwork when browsing their collection.
    • Note: We are still investigating the issue, please report the issue again from the console if you have done so with a prior update and are still seeing this behavior.
  • Some titles in collection may appear with a “trial” tag incorrectly in collection.

System

  • Users may see the four new languages (Hungarian, Czech, Slovak and Greek) available as options for the keyboard. While they can be selected, they are non-functional at this time.

Profile Color

  • Sometimes users may encounter the incorrect Profile color when powering on the console.
2 Likes

Pretty big update it seems. Need to see more on this Game Activity tab. As an Achievement junkie it irks me a bit that it seems they’re burying them behind an extra click.

I’m hoping I’m one of the random users getting the new store. I get why they don’t roll it out to everyone all at once but damn is it annoying when you’re not one of the people selected.

1 Like

599 MB update is live for the chance of getting the new store.

Can’t wait for the new store. The logo itself changed some updates back perhaps to coincide with Windows 10 logo/icon updates.

Achievements are a pillar of the Xbox ecosystem, and we want to support them alongside promoting different ways to engage with your favorite games!

This makes me so happy! That’s the right way to try to improve your ecosystem, not cutting content from the competition.

I’m looking at it now and im not sure how I feel about next achievement being moved under the profile section of the guide, it just seems out of place.