Microsoft is starting to test new Xbox Home UI changes that will eventually arrive for everyone in 2023. The changes will include layout and design changes to make it easier to find Xbox games and apps or navigation in areas such as the settings interface. Microsoft will be running a variety of Xbox Home experiences over the next few months before launching its new Xbox Home UI in 2023.
“We know that the Xbox homepage is where our gamers spend the most time, and it’s a very personal space,” says Ivy Krislov, senior product manager responsible for Xbox experiences. “We also know we can always listen and learn how we can do better here while keeping your experience fast and familiar. With that, we’re kicking off a series of multi-month experiments to learn how to create a more personalized home screen experience and address some of the top trends and fan requests.
A random subset of Xbox Insiders in the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring will have access to some of the Xbox Home experiences this week. The first round of preview updates includes a new “rollback” row at the top of Xbox Home that includes the usual recently played games and apps. You’ll notice (in the screenshot above) that there’s no longer a larger thumbnail for the most recently used app or game, and the interface looks a lot more like Microsoft’s Xbox TV app.
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This Xbox TV app also has a top search function and quick access to settings – Microsoft is bringing both to the main user interface of its Xbox Home console. There’s even a pinned tile for accessing the Microsoft Store alongside the usual “My games & apps” tile. Unfortunately, the ad tile still exists and is pinned to the Xbox home screen.
When you scroll down, Microsoft will show categories and recommendations organized by the games you’re playing, and there should be a more consistent design with improved layouts.
Xbox users have been asking Microsoft to redesign its Xbox Home interface for months, with suggestions to focus on showing more live wallpapers, removing ads, and offering more customization for the on-screen display. Xbox home. This redesign doesn’t address all of that yet, but there are months left for other tweaks that could make it much more customizable.
Personally, I’d like to be able to fully customize the Xbox Home UI, freely pin apps and games, and remove the static tiles that Microsoft forces everyone to have. I can fully customize my iPhone home screen and move apps, games and widgets wherever I want, so why not allow something similar on Xbox?
“We want to make sure this experience is the best it can be, and we know it will take time to get it right, so we’ll be rolling it out slowly and iterating through the process,” says Krislov. . “With your input, we look forward to launching this new and better hospitality experience in 2023.”
Update, Sept. 8 11:20 a.m. ET: Article updated to note that testers will have access on September 9, not today as an early copy of Microsoft’s blog post had stated.