14 DAY TRIAL // The Xbox One is getting ready to receive another major firmware update, set to be delivered on Friday, January 19, which will introduce some new features that should make the overall console experience more social.
Mike Ybarra, the director of programming working on the platform, says users can now arrange the pins on the Home page however they see fit and access them while they are offline, during which time the Activity feed will signal when gamers have new items that should retain one's attention.
The Avatar Store is now live, giving players a chance to pick up a variety of content, some of it free, for their virtual representations and to see a preview before they commit to any one item.
Microsoft adds, "Xbox News is a one-stop source for all the latest information about new hardware, console updates, game releases, tournaments like the Halo World Championship, breaking entertainment content, and more."
A Gamerscore leaderboard allows players to compare with friends both in total acquired points and to see how they have evolved over a 30-day period, and Microsoft is bringing back the ability to hide items from the ready-to-install list, allowing users to deal with trials, betas and other miscellaneous titles.
The new February firmware update for the Xbox One is also making it easier to access Twitch streams for owned video games, and the suggested friends list is getting improvements to make it more useful.
Microsoft is also making the Chatpad X1 and X2 keys programmable, and an update for the Accessories app means that there are more customization options than before for the Xbox Elite Wireless controller.
Trending items are also getting an improvement in the update, making it easier for gamers to discover videos, screenshots, achievements and the activity of other players.
The Windows 10 Xbox One app is also getting an update
The Compact mode is expanded with more options and information so that users can more easily keep track of Xbox One related activity while dealing with other issues on their PC.
Microsoft has pledged to deliver monthly firmware updates for its home console, all of them based on the feedback that the community has been offering and requests for new functionality coming from the user base.
At the moment, the Xbox One needs all the help it can get when it comes to the sales competition with the PlayStation 4, with the Microsoft device hovering, according to third-party sources, around the 20 million units sold mark.
According to Microsoft, the strategy for 2016 will be to introduce more interesting bundles that feature the Xbox One and to show off the power of the device via exclusive releases, like the coming Quantum Break.
Some fans were unhappy to hear that the new Remedy title is also coming to the PC, but the company says that this is just a way to make sure that the gaming ecosystem built around Windows 10 is strengthened.
There are currently no plans from either Microsoft or Sony to introduce a price cut for their home consoles this year.
