Yesterday, Microsoft announced that group chat, previously available only to Xbox Live Gold members, will soon be free for all Xbox players. The company revealed the novelty in a tweet with phrases like “Alpha”, “Alpha Skip-Ahead” and “flighting”. Meanwhile, a accompanying blog post had a sequence of numbers: 2104-210323-0000. What the hell does all this mean?
The short version is that it’s all a lot of references to the course Xbox Insider Program, which allows Xbox users to test the next features before they are made available to the general population. Earlier this month, for example, the allowed program some members suspend games while other games are being downloaded, which can significantly increase download speeds. In some cases, members may even see upcoming games.
This is not everything. In January, Microsoft announced (as part of a turnaround on a proposal to drastically increase the Xbox Live fee) that at some point this year the Xbox Live Gold subscription will no longer be needed to play free-to-play games, reversing a years precedent.
This latest release of Xbox Insider kicks off, lifting that restriction for players in the Alpha and “Alpha Skip-Ahead” layers of the program. Soon, Beta and lower level members will also be able to play Fifteen days, a free game, without paying for a monthly subscription to Xbox Live Gold. Microsoft has not yet said when this change will be implemented in the player base in general.
Okay, I’m on it. How do I sign up?
Easy: turn on your Xbox. Go to the store. Open the search function and type “insider”. Download the Xbox Insider Bundle app, launch it and click the “sign in” button. (It’s the only one.) That’s it. You are in!
G / O Media can receive a commission
So, how does it work?
Xbox Insider offers benefits based on a tiered system. There are five levels, three of which you can actually reach:
- Omega: this is the initial level. You will receive updates shortly before they go live to the general player base – still with early access, but without the bragging rights and the shiny VIP polish.
- Delta: After being part of the program for at least one month, you will be eligible to reach Delta level, as long as you have also reached Xbox Insider XP level two. (Yes, like a video game, Xbox Insider has levels. I agree. It is annoying.) You are guaranteed to receive updates before the general player base. In some cases, when updates require extra testing, you can get them before people in the Alpha and Beta layers. Extravagant.
- Beta: If you have been on the Xbox Insider program for three months and have reached level five, you will be eligible for Beta level. These people get access to updates right after those at the Alpha level.
The ultra-exclusive Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead levels are for guests only. Do not worry.
You will not automatically jump between layers when you unlock them. After reaching a new level, go to the “Previews” tab, click on “Xbox update preview”, open the “information” submenu, and click on “Manage”. This should bring up a list of all the layers you have unlocked. (Note: this method is also the way for you to choose to exit the program. Just follow these steps and click on “exit preview”.)
One more thing: you don’t have to start from scratch if you switch consoles. How Xbox saves data, The status of Xbox Insider will follow your account. After opening the application on your new machine, you will have access to everything you had access to on your old machine.
Why wouldn’t I level up automatically?
Evasive layers offer early access to new features, which is very good, but these features have generally undergone less testing at this point and are therefore at a greater risk of bugs. By giving you the option to change the level, you will have control over the risk of finding bugs or experimenting with Xbox features in an unfinished state.
How do I level up?
In the Xbox Insider app, navigate to the “Activities” tab. You will see a series of short surveys, each of which will give you a piece of XP to answer multiple-choice questions. One of these activities is the “weekly pulse”, which requires answering a serious puzzle. This week? “When was the last time you filed a bug report?” That’s 5 easy XP.
You even earn experience points by completing the tutorial, which is called – I’m not serious – “My First Mission”. It consists of two questions. You will receive 10 XP for going through it, a task that will take 17 seconds.
It takes 20 XP to reach level two. Rank Delta, here I come!
Yes, yes, good for you. How much will it cost me?
Zero dollars. Come on, you’re essentially testing product updates for Microsoft, and that’s to say nothingdata you are providing with each completed questionnaire. If anything, you should be receiving paid out.