Starting today, XBOX Insiders can begin trying out a new set of console features designed to give players more choice, more control, and easier ways to stay connected to the games and communities they love. Whether personalizing how a console starts up, customizing how you show up, finding games and achievements faster, or helping cloud gaming and party chat work more seamlessly in the background, these updates are designed to help players spend less time navigating and more time playing.
Power On, Your Way
Players have always made XBOX their own, now they have even more ways to personalize the experience. Earlier this year, XBOX Insiders got a first look at the new startup animation that welcomes players when they power on their console. Starting today, players can choose which startup animation they see, with options spanning from XBOX One through the latest generation. Whether revisiting a favorite era or celebrating their XBOX journey, players can select the experience that feels right for them. This new setting can be found under Settings > System > Startup, where players can also still choose whether the animation plays with sound or not.
Customize Your Showcase
Personalization doesn’t stop at startup. Last month, we gave players more insight into badges they’ve earned. Starting today, XBOX Insiders have more control over how those badges are showcased, with the ability to feature up to five badges in their profile card showcase and hide individual badges from their public profile.
More Ways to Find Your Stuff
Getting back to the games and achievements that matter most should be simple. Starting today, XBOX Insiders can use a new local search feature to quickly find specific games and achievements within large lists.
Available in My games & apps, official club achievement lists, and profile achievement history, local search works alongside existing filters and sorting options to help players find what they’re looking for faster.
Improved Remote Play Experience
Game from more places with even better streaming quality. With XBOX Remote Play, players can stream from their XBOX consoles to PCs, phones, TVs, and other devices. Now, XBOX Insiders in Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha on XBOX Series X|S can preview higher-quality XBOX Remote Play streaming, with support for up to 1440p resolution and increased video bitrates for sharper visuals and smoother gameplay on supported devices.
Because Remote Play uses the XBOX console you already own, it’s available as a benefit to all XBOX players with no additional subscription needed. During the testing period, some devices may not yet offer separate streaming settings for XBOX Cloud Gaming and Remote Play. If your streaming quality is set to Auto, Remote Play will automatically select the highest resolution and bitrate your device and network connection can support, regardless of the resolution shown in the setting.
If you’re already using Remote Play, make sure your console’s Display resolution is set to 1440p or 4K UHD in Settings > General > TV & display options to take advantage of these improvements. Otherwise, learn more about Remote Play here.
Continue Downloading While You Play On Cloud
Since June, XBOX Insiders have had the ability to stream a game while it installs or updates. Starting today, downloads can continue in the background while players stream when network conditions allow, helping reduce wait times and keep gameplay uninterrupted. XBOX Series X|S players will see the biggest gains.
Players can find this setting under Settings > Cloud gaming > Streaming preferences and turn it off at any time. As with all Insider features, feedback is welcome.
Speak More Clearly In Chat
Great conversations start with being heard. Starting today, XBOX Insiders on Xbox Series X|S can test Voice Clarity, an enhanced audio experience that helps reduce everyday background noise, making it easier for players to stay connected and communicate clearly with friends and teammates.
Voice Clarity will be enabled by default in party chat and in most games released since 2020. Players can manage this setting at Settings > General > Volume & audio output > Additional options.
Party Improvements (Help Us Test!)
As we continue to improve how players connect with friends, XBOX Insiders can help test updates designed to enhance the reliability and security of parties. These changes happen behind the scenes, but your feedback will help us ensure everything is working as expected. If you notice anything unusual, please submit feedback.
How to Get XBOX Insider Support and Share Your Feedback
Thanks to XBOX Insiders for all of the feedback. You can also visit aka.ms/XBOXplayervoice to share what you think.
If you’re an XBOX Insider looking for support, please join our community on the XBOX Insider subreddit. Official XBOX staff, moderators, and fellow XBOX Insiders are there to help. We recommend adding to threads with the same topic before posting a brand new one. This helps us support you the best we can!
If you aren’t part of the XBOX Insider Program yet and want to help create the future of XBOX and get early access to new features, join the Program today by downloading the XBOX Insider Hub for XBOX Series X|S & XBOX One or Windows PC. For more information on the XBOX Insider Program, follow us on Twitter at @XBOXInsider and keep an eye on this blog for all the latest news.
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For more information: follow us on X/Twitter at @XboxInsider and this blog for announcements and more. And feel free to interact with the community on the XBOX Insider SubReddit.
