Xbox consoles – from the Xbox One Ones of Day One to the X Series – are getting a new software update that adds some features and removes others. The Xbox Accessories app for PC, as well as new and old consoles, will have a patch that adds compatibility with Microsoft’s new Xbox Wireless Headset, so that players can access all available audio controls and even the brightness of their lights.
One feature that is disappearing is the live TV listings on OneGuide, which has been part of the Xbox One since it launched. Microsoft’s aspirations to control TV via the Xbox One’s HDMI pass-through didn’t work, and watching live TV isn’t as important as before, so this feature will join Windows Media Center and WebTV in the great beyond. OneGuide itself will remain to watch TV through the HDMI input or the additional tuner, but without the programming of what will air and where.
However, the big addition that is relevant to current players is a new set of alternators for backwards compatible titles. They will allow players to enable or disable Auto HDR and FPS Boost on a per-game basis, in order to have them only when there is a real benefit and they do not adversely affect the experience. Automatic HDR is very easy to discover, but it can be more annoying than it is worth, while increasing FPS can increase the frame rate to 30, 60 or even 120 fps in certain games.
Minor adjustments include the return of Achievements to the Xbox mobile app and improvements to “My games and apps” that more clearly explain which parts you need to install if you don’t want to install all possible items for a given title.