Xbox's New UI Is Getting Redesigned Due To Community Criticism

Xbox Insiders recently tested an upcoming new design for the UI which subsequently received plenty of criticism for feeling "crowded".

In an Xbox Wire post by Ivy Krislov, the criticisms were noted, and the UI is currently being reworked to address them. Krislov stated that they would be working to balance the accessibility and function to meet the community's requests and to also leave space so that background art could be seen more clearly. The new UI has been removed for Alpha and Alpha-Skip Xbox Insiders while Microsoft works on tweaks and revisions, however the "new Home" custom settings for users have been saved.

The current UI and homepage changes are part of a multi-month experiment initiative that Xbox Insiders have been taking part in since September of last year to create a more "personalized" home experience and address outstanding community requests and criticisms.

One Twitter user and graphics designer, @souls_ninja, shared their concept for a potential redesign back in October that removes a row of icons on the initial home screen leaving more space for the background art to be seen clearly, while also reducing the amount of visual information present at once. The current Xbox UI places ads for Game Pass and new titles on the home screen upon initial loading of the console, and those could theoretically be scaled back slightly to create more space.

Recently, pricing for Xbox Game Pass Family and Friends was spotted via an error on the dashboard, which seems to indicate the subscription plan could be launching soon. It appears that it'll cost $39.95NZD per month, which equates to roughly $25USD/£20GBP, however nothing has been officially confirmed. The Family and Friends subscription gives up to five users access, which could make it a beneficial savings offer if it were to be shared between just a few people.

Regarding upcoming first-party Xbox games, Redfall, Starfield and Forza Motorsport are the next three slated for release, although it's been reported that Avowed and Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 will be coming afterward, with internal plans for both of them to release in 2024. Meanwhile, Perfect Dark and Everwild were noted as not being close, while Playground Games' Fable reboot was referred to as being "miles away".