[Update 2] Xbox Live's Major Nelson announced last night that April's Xbox One update will start rolling out to gamers now.
There's a good chance the update has already made its way to you, so be sure to power on that console of yours and take advantage of all the new improvements, each of which have been detailed below.
[Update 1] In addition to an improved Blu-ray player app, which will soon boast 50Hz video output for content recorded at 50Hz, April's Xbox One update will include a firmware update for both its controller and headset adapter. This will improve the wireless connection and remove audio static for each respective device.
On top of that, Microsoft has confirmed that a silent reboot option will be added. For those that want to turn automatic updates on via the Instant On mode, the console will automatically update and then return to standby mode, negating the need for the user to power on the console after an update.
[Original] Xbox One is getting a system update next month, bringing with it a number of noteworthy improvements including fixes for Kinect, game recording quality, and friend notifications.
According to Microsoft's update preview program (via NeoGAF) the following changes will be rolled out in the April update:
- Game and app saves and updates. A game save progress bar will show you the status of your game saves. You will also be able to easily tell what games and apps are being updated or have been updated recently.
- Friends improvements. Notifications will be added to see when favorites and friends sign in to Xbox Live. This actually was one of the most frequently requested features from the first preview wave and we made it a priority to include it in the April update. Also, friends who are in multiplayer will be identified in the friends list. We’ll also add the ability to view friends’ most popular apps.
- Blu-ray 50 Hz video output support for content recorded at 50 Hz will resolve video playback issues some Xbox Live members in Europe are experiencing.
- Kinect voice and motion improvements will continue to fine tune the quality and reliability of Xbox One commands.
- Improved GameDVR video quality through compression algorithm improvements.
- Updates to Xbox One device management to address issues controlling TVs, set top boxes, and receivers that our customers have reported.
- New audio settings to tune how much volume is lowered when Kinect is used in communications.
Microsoft has yet to provide a specific release date for the update, so stay tuned for more information.
