If you’ve been refreshing your Xbox One settings to see if the Xbox One August update has hit your console, Microsoft’s “Major Nelson” has some info you’ll be pleased to hear. The Xbox One August Update is now rolling out to all owners of the next-gen console. If your unit hasn’t been hit yet, it will be soon.
Previously the Xbox One August Update had only been made available to participants in Microsoft’s Preview program. Xbox One updates often take place earlier in the month rather than later, leading some hopeful gamers thinking Microsoft had held the Xbox One August update to incorporate features announced at Gamescom.
Alas, those new features — highlighted by support for a rather extensive list of media types — didn’t make the cut this time around. However, they are scheduled to make an update later this fall.
The most significant update for most Xbox One owners this month is support for mobile purchases. With this new feature, gamers can use their Xbox SmartGlass app or Xbox.com to remotely purchase full games and/or add-on content. If you’ve configured your Xbox One to receive automatic updates, the console will begin downloading your purchase immediately.
One of the Xbox One August update features I’m personally most geeked about is the support for Blu-ray 3D. At long last, the Xbox One has Blu-ray 3D playback, allowing me to essentially mothball the PS3.
Other new features include a popup notification when your controller battery is low, the the ability to turn-off notifications during video playback, and an update to the Activity Feed interface that makes it longer and shows content.
In addition to the visual changes to the Activity Feed, Microsoft has also added the ability to post text to your Feed and “like” and comment on specific Feed items. You can also share game clips — and anything else in the feed — with friends either publicly or privately. For those who like affirmation, the update will also notify you when anyone likes, comments on or shares your items.
You can watch the video below for a full rundown of the Xbox One August update features as presented by Major Nelson. After you watch it, let us know what you’re most excited by — or wish Microsoft would’ve included but failed to — in the comments section below.
