Microsoft’s Xbox Live service has connected gamers with other gamers for years. That being said, it hasn’t always done so in the ways that other social networking sites have. With the August Xbox One Update, all that is changing.
Microsoft shared details about the August Xbox One update on Xbox Wire earlier this morning, just a day after it told Xbox One Preview Program members to expect a new update soon. Users can expect a completely retooled Activity Feed in this update. In addition to slimming down the amount of updates that can be seen at one time, Microsoft is surfacing more clips in the Activity Feed and allowing user to comment on, share and heart Activity Feed updates from their friends. A small subset of Xbox one Preview Program members will also find a new Friends area on the Xbox One’s home screen. For the first time, Xbox Live users will be able to drop a status as update to their Xbox Live profile too.
By far, the biggest addition in the August Xbox One Update is the ability for users to purchase games and add-ons from Xbox SmartGlass or Xbox.com. Microsoft says when users purchase content from either they’ll find that piece of content waiting for them on their Xbox One — provided that they’ve left the console’s low-power mode on instead of having the console reboot itself every time it turns on.
Also included in the August Xbox One Update are small quality of life changes. The Xbox One will be able to play back 3D Blue-Ray discs going forward. There’s also a new notification for when a battery in a wireless controller is about to die. Users can disable notifications when they’re watching videos and Brazil, Mexico, Austria and Ireland Xbox One owners can expect the OneGuide to now give them a list of what’s airing on live television.
Like all previous updates, members of the Xbox One Preview Program will get the update over the next few days. Xbox One owners not in the preview program will have to wait until sometime next month, presumably.