With August almost over, Microsoft has the latest Xbox update ready for regular users as well as Insiders with fresh features. The newest update carries a play history revamp, controller navigation upgrades for the Xbox PC app, and fresh games for tech like Xbox Play Anywhere and mouse and keyboard support on consoles.
After spending some time with Insiders, cross-device play history is now rolling out for all Xbox platforms, letting users check out what they have been playing across PC, consoles, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. The history can be accessed via the Play history tile on consoles, as well as the Most Recent section in the sidebar on PC.
Next, the Xbox PC app now has more intuitive controller inputs, according to Microsoft, similar to how its consoles offer navigation. This means A selects, B goes back, and Y heads to search. This should be especially helpful for handheld PC users.
"You’ll notice smoother trigger and bumper behavior, faster scrolling, and smarter focus memory between pages. Keyboard navigation also got a boost," continued the company. "Visually, things are cleaner. Focus indicators are clearer, animations are subtle but purposeful, and everything feels more polished."
The company also said over 1,000 games now support its Xbox Play Anywhere initiative, which offers all Xbox versions of games when purchasing for just one platform, with complete cross-progression. Moreover, its Stream Your Own Game program has been updated to have over 450 supported titles, including new games like Mafia: The Old Country.
Next, Xbox and Antstream Arcade’s Retro Classics platform has added Caesar 3, Climber 5, Oystron, Private Eye, Shootin’ Gallery, The Colonel’s Bequest, and Wing War as fresh titles this month, too.
Lastly, mouse and keyboard controls on Xbox consoles have expanded to include titles like Grounded 2, Heretic + Hexen, The First Descendent, War Thunder, Frag Punk, and F1 Manager 2024. Grounded 2 now has touch control support built in for Xbox Cloud Gaming players, too.
As for Xbox Insiders, the company is currently testing its Gaming Copilot AI assistant on the Game Bar and the ability to install third-party storefronts via the Xbox PC app. Even Xbox Cloud Gaming is moving away from being Xbox Game Pass Ultimate-exclusive.