Another October gone, and as it stands there’s a certain software update that Microsoft has on the horizon for the Xbox One. The company has taken to calling this new Xbox One software update, The New Xbox One Experience. Its pedestrian name undersells its many wondrous features. We’re talking questions you have about many of those features in Ask The En for November.
If you have questions about the New Xbox One Experience or anything included in the update, send them my way at tpope@the-en.com and on Xbox Live, gamertag HarlemS. Don’t hesitate to reach out to the site on Twitter or Facebook either. We wouldn’t mind fielding your questions about Microsoft’s new smartphones or the company’s Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book too.
Xbox One Backwards Compatibility Game Line-Up
Q. Which games will we get to play with Xbox One Backwards Compatibility?
A. Put simply, we’re not sure yet. Microsoft plans to announce the entire line-up of games on November 9th, days before Xbox One Backwards Compatibility goes live. We do know that Microsoft will post the list here.
What is the New Xbox One Experience?
Q. Hey Travis, what’s the new Xbox One Experience? What does it do.
A. The New Xbox One Experience is a top-to-bottom remake of the software that powers most of the Xbox One today. The way you snap apps or choose a television show to watch, the way you start a party or look at what your friends are doing, all of that is changing.
I know that sounds scary, but it’s not. Microsoft says that it focused heavily minimizing the amount of time it takes to do some of the most popular tasks on Xbox Live. Game Hubs are just a button press away, for example. (Games Hubs, something akin to profile pages for each title, aren’t new.) The OneGuide and Store are accessible without going into different apps or giving a voice command too. A new Guide lets you adjust chat settings, send friend invites and create parties from anywhere.
I’ve had the New Xbox One Experience running on my office Xbox One for sometime. I think users are going to love the new design – provided they are not obsessed with Pins, which have moved to the bottom of the Home area.
Does Live TV Improve in the New Xbox One Experience
Q. Does Live TV get any love with this new Xbox One Experience?
A. Yes, Microsoft has redesigned the OneGuide, integrating the old Live TV app and the OneGuide into a single app. That alone takes away some of the confusion. My favorite feature of the new OneGuide is its ability to show what’s airing on television while giving me a breakdown of what’s coming on with the fullscreen television listing.
It’s worth noting that OneGuide is only part Live TV. Video apps have always fed content into the OneGuide for easy browsing; those apps and Live TV listings surface on the Xbox Dashboard now, without diving into different apps.
How Do You Change Your Xbox Live Avatar on Windows?
Q. How do you change your Xbox Live Avatar on Windows 10? Every time I try to change mine it only lets me add pictures of Master Chief.
A. So you’re using the Xbox app on Windows 10, this is easy then. First, open the Xbox app and navigate to your profile. Then change your gamerpic so that it’s showing your avatar instead of a gamerpic. Hit Customize. Then hit Save. A button on the left lets you switch between a picture of your Avatar or a gamerpic. Don’t forget to download the Xbox Avatars app to dress your digital recreation.
The Xbox Wireless Adapter, is it good?
Q. You have any hands-on time with the Xbox Wireless Adapter yet?
A. Is the Xbox Wireless Adapter good? I haven’t the slightest idea – yet. Microsoft only released the Xbox Wireless Adapter on October 27th. I went looking for one, but couldn’t find it in a store. We’ll review the adapter sometime in the next few weeks, I’m a bit anxious to try playing an action game on my Surface Pro 4 without connecting the Xbox Wireless Controller with a microUSB cable.
See you in a few weeks with more of your questions!
