Xbox One Software Update Rolling Out: Background Music and More

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The Windows 10 Anniversary Update isn't slated to arrive until Tuesday, but it would appear to have come early for Xbox One users. Microsoft is calling it the August Update.

The company has detailed the Update on a Support page. The release date is listed as July 29, 2016, which is today. Microsoft has also released an introductory video today:


​​Cortana available in the U.S. and UK


  • Talk to Cortana on your Xbox One with your headset or Kinect. To start, just say "Hey Cortana" or launch the Cortana app. If you're not sure what to say, try "Hey Cortana, what can I say?"

  • If you're using Kinect, turn on your console by saying, "Hey Cortana, Xbox on."


Background music


  • Music apps will now be able to play music in the background. In an app that supports background music, just start some music. You'll be able to switch to other apps and games while the music plays.

  • After starting your music: To play, pause, skip, and adjust music volume from anywhere, double-tap the Xbox button to open the guide, choose Multitasking, then select your music controls.

  • The app must support background music. An updated Pandora app in the U.S. is the first app to support background music—and more are coming soon.


My games & apps


  • Your stuff is closer. From Home, move right and select My games & apps.

  • In My games & apps, there are new sorting options.

  • "Ready to Install" has its own area, so you can quickly find the games and apps you've purchased but haven't installed.

  • Game and app updates will show up in their own area, when available.

  • The queue area now tells you what's been recently installed in addition to what's in your queue.


Language & location settings


  • You can now choose your location separately from your system language. To change your language and location, double-tap the Xbox button to open the guide, select Settings > All settings, then choose System > Language & location.

  • All languages aren't available for all locations. When you choose a language that isn't usually associated with your location, most of the system will be in your chosen language, but you may see a mix of languages in areas like Store or online content.


Top PC games on Xbox Live


  • Top PC games now have game hubs on Xbox Live. Whether you're on PC, Xbox, or mobile, you'll see what PC games your friends are playing, share PC game clips and screenshots, and message friends on Xbox Live. On Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs, you can join a party chat with your friends no matter what they're doing.


New Store


  • Xbox Store and the Windows Store have come together, making the shopping experience more streamlined. From Home, move right to Store to start browsing all content.

  • Preorders now get charged closer to game launch instead of at time of purchase. You can also cancel and change your payment option for preorders anytime at account.microsoft.com.

  • Customers in the U.S., Switzerland, Norway, Italy, Germany, and Finland can now use mobile operator billing to make purchases. Customers in China can now use China Union Pay.


Find Facebook friends


  • Find friends from Facebook by linking your Facebook and Xbox Live accounts. In the guide, go to theFriends tab, then choose Friends > Suggestions. Select Find Facebook friends and follow the steps. Your Facebook friends that have done the same will start showing up in your suggestions.


Control automatic sharing


  • You can now choose to automatically share your achievements, screenshots, and game clips to your activity feed. To change your sharing settings, go to Settings > Preferences > Activity feed.



Posted:
Related Forum: Xbox Forum

Source: http://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-publishes-details-of-xbox-one-august-update-says-it039s-rolling-out-today

Comments

"Xbox One Software Update Rolling Out: Background Music and More" :: Login/Create an Account :: 27 comments

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MASTER589419Posted:

the background music is pointless coz you can't use mediaplayer

DanielPosted:

I cannot wait for this update to drop I have been waiting for this Background Music for a long time.

Tactical_Luck_GamingPosted:

I got the update and I'm irritated, "supported" apps for background music, currently is only a shit app called cast to listen to podcasts. They better hurry their ass up and make Pandora and Groove apps usable with this, the whole point I was waiting for this shit is so I could listen to MY music not a shit podcast playlist.

DaemonAllwardt69mePosted:

CrawziAU I want the 360 gamerpics back
same i want my anime girl pic back =(((

GrandmaArchyPosted:

-Zed
Halo There's no way to use a USB for music like on the 360?


Along with that, MKV video formats are also no longer supported on the Xbox One, the last update before this one seems to have taken that file format out of the media players functionality.


mkv files are still supported. I tested 3 mkv files, 2 of them didn't work and got an error message saying the format wasn't supported, and the third played a while, then it got the same error, but the video restarted and played awhile and got the same error multiple times. Then I went back to my PC to test out if the files worked there, and they did. Then I went back to my Xbox One and all the 3 mkv files worked again with no errors.

While I tested this, I had 3 mp4 files inside the USB too, 2 of them wouldn't play at all with the same error that the format wasn't supported, not before I went to the PC to test that they worked, and not after either. So it seems that the bug that files doesn't work on Xbox One can happen with any video format, I have no idea what causes the bug with some files or how the bug gets fixed with some files, it's just random.

GrandmaArchyPosted:

Halo There's no way to use a USB for music like on the 360?


They have planned to add that after a while.

CrawziAUPosted:

I want the 360 gamerpics back

SupervisorPosted:

I cannot wait for this new update!

its_rainy_8Posted:

I pray Microsoft can buy the rights to use Spotify on xbox one. Theres probably more Spotify users than pandora

bsmPosted:

Hopefully my external hard drive still works once this update goes through.. Didn't work at all in the preview update