Ah, HERE'S A Proper Look At The Xbox One's UI & Dashboard


Recommended Posts

Ah, HERE'S A Proper Look At The Xbox One's UI & Dashboard

 

 

Microsoft's own video showing the Xbox One's dashboard and user interface was disappointing, because being so heavily staged, it didn't give us an idea of how it actually performed in the real world. This real video, on the other hand, is just perfect.

 

Shot in the middle of a round of Killer Instinct by Gameon Daily, it focuses mainly on how the system's menu and other apps can "snap" in on top of your gameplay, but also shows the user returning to the main menu as well.

 

Looks fast! And, when you simply must resort to GameFAQs, incredibly useful as well.

 

Source: Kotaku

  • Like 3

Fixes my biggest beaf with the 360.. the slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww dashboard / app / navigation experience in and out of content and games.

 

Looking forward to it. Hope we see more announcements and i'd really love to hear about app support. (want my Plex app! hehe)

hmm...looks fast and fluid.. but pointless.  If I am playing a game.. I don't pause it to surf the net.. or to talk on skype.   To each their own I guess.

Fixes my biggest beaf with the 360.. the slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww dashboard / app / navigation experience in and out of content and games.

 

Looking forward to it. Hope we see more announcements and i'd really love to hear about app support. (want my Plex app! hehe)

 

Hopefully it fixes my second biggest beef about the dashboard on 360, the fact it's so blurry and low res. When I saw the PlayStation dashboard running at my friends house, my first thought was how crisp and sharp it all was. 

Hopefully it fixes my second biggest beef about the dashboard on 360, the fact it's so blurry and low res. When I saw the PlayStation dashboard running at my friends house, my first thought was how crisp and sharp it all was. 

This is blurry and low res?  :huh:  (click for full size)

original.jpg

All writing on the dashboard to me looks so blurry and fuzzy around the edges, same for things like those A and Y symbols. 

 

The Xbox Guide especially looks blurred and low res to me. 

 

Fix your monitor. Also, I don't know what PS3 dashboard you are using but its entire UI design language is centered around silly blurring and glowing effects.

  • Like 1

hmm...looks fast and fluid.. but pointless.  If I am playing a game.. I don't pause it to surf the net.. or to talk on skype.   To each their own I guess.

 

 

I think your focusing too much on the apps they switched to.  I'm right with you in saying that I wont be using Skype while I'm gaming, but I think the idea itself could be very useful to me in terms of improving my gaming experience. 

 

I'll give you a couple of examples:

 

The Machinima guys will have an app on the X1 at launch that ties into whatever game you are playing and can offer you access to game tips, etc for that game.  The demo they showed had it off to the side and you could pause gameplay to check out a quick video and then pop right back into playing.  In a related idea, I could see myself pulling up IE for say a Gamefaqs guide to reference something.  Being able to quick switch between this stuff makes that possible in a way that was far to inconvenient this gen.

 

The second example I would give relates to music playback.  I find myself wanting to listen to my own music for some games and the idea of being able to switch to say the Xbox music app or snap it to the side in order to switch tracks, pick a new playlist, etc, is a step up from the way its handled on the 360.

 

I just think that with the right app, there are useful scenarios for users that add something to the experience.

 

Overall, the vid did show it was fast and fluid, allowing gameplay to keep running even when using an app. The fact that you can return to the dash without leaving the game is pretty slick, a big step up functionality wise from the 360.

is it me or are the seconds on the game counter really slow? i looks like every two or three seconds = 1 second in game? or is it lag?

 

 

I see the same here. I would suspect, that it's either a bug in the game or a deliberate feature (sorta like how the minutes fly by in a 2x4 min Fifa game).

Just having the option to jump from a running game to the dashboard and to do something else and then jump back into the game like I never left is a big, really big, improvement.   Also being able to snap something to the side to help with your game could be interesting.  Like a map with the location of items marked on it in games like Assassins Creed etc, just look to the side to see the map instead of having to make me look at either my phone or my tablet.

Hopefully it fixes my second biggest beef about the dashboard on 360, the fact it's so blurry and low res. When I saw the PlayStation dashboard running at my friends house, my first thought was how crisp and sharp it all was. 

 

No blurring or low res here. Could be to do with what connectors you're using etc.

I think your focusing too much on the apps they switched to.  I'm right with you in saying that I wont be using Skype while I'm gaming, but I think the idea itself could be very useful to me in terms of improving my gaming experience. 

 

I'll give you a couple of examples:

 

The Machinima guys will have an app on the X1 at launch that ties into whatever game you are playing and can offer you access to game tips, etc for that game.  The demo they showed had it off to the side and you could pause gameplay to check out a quick video and then pop right back into playing.  In a related idea, I could see myself pulling up IE for say a Gamefaqs guide to reference something.  Being able to quick switch between this stuff makes that possible in a way that was far to inconvenient this gen.

 

The second example I would give relates to music playback.  I find myself wanting to listen to my own music for some games and the idea of being able to switch to say the Xbox music app or snap it to the side in order to switch tracks, pick a new playlist, etc, is a step up from the way its handled on the 360.

 

I just think that with the right app, there are useful scenarios for users that add something to the experience.

 

Overall, the vid did show it was fast and fluid, allowing gameplay to keep running even when using an app. The fact that you can return to the dash without leaving the game is pretty slick, a big step up functionality wise from the 360.

I assume the game would pause.. if not then you would die if in middle of zombie horde.   Also, most games have maps visibile, overlays etc.  As I say it's a cool concept, and works well for what it does, and there may be cases where it is useful.

The speed at which it transitions to the menu is certainly impressive and one of the strengths of consoles over PCs. However, the functionality demonstrated was terrible. There's little point being able to use websites pinned to the side when everything they display is heavily truncated and not even slightly optimised for the display area. Even Bing, which should be optimised for mobile devices and therefore suitable for narrow widths, was virtually unusable - the logo was cut-off, the navigation was small and cut-off, the page required the user to scroll horizontally and vertically to use, etc. Further, the game's aspect ratio wasn't maintained - it was compressed along the horizontal axis, which could have been avoided by implementing a letter box.

 

Very unimpressed.

The speed at which it transitions to the menu is certainly impressive and one of the strengths of consoles over PCs. However, the functionality demonstrated was terrible. There's little point being able to use websites pinned to the side when everything they display is heavily truncated and not even slightly optimised for the display area. Even Bing, which should be optimised for mobile devices and therefore suitable for narrow widths, was virtually unusable - the logo was cut-off, the navigation was small and cut-off, the page required the user to scroll horizontally and vertically to use, etc. Further, the game's aspect ratio wasn't maintained - it was compressed along the horizontal axis, which could have been avoided by implementing a letter box.

 

Very unimpressed.

game aspect ratio is up to the dev. They can pause, letterbox or squish game when in snap.

game aspect ratio is up to the dev. They can pause, letterbox or squish game when in snap.

Fair enough, I was just basing my opinion on the video shown. I really dislike it when the aspect ratio is messed with.

Hopefully it fixes my second biggest beef about the dashboard on 360, the fact it's so blurry and low res. When I saw the PlayStation dashboard running at my friends house, my first thought was how crisp and sharp it all was. 

 

you must have a bad 360 but I use my 360 on HDMI at 1080p with clarity on a JVC 42" screen. were you drinking perhaps? things get blurry when one drinks...

hmm...looks fast and fluid.. but pointless.  If I am playing a game.. I don't pause it to surf the net.. or to talk on skype.   To each their own I guess.

Are you saying that you have never had a call come in during a game?  Ever?

 

I can't say that - and I don't own a console.

Hopefully it fixes my second biggest beef about the dashboard on 360, the fact it's so blurry and low res. When I saw the PlayStation dashboard running at my friends house, my first thought was how crisp and sharp it all was. 

 

If its blurry and low res, it's your tv probably.  Make sure its not in cinema mode, has the correct resolution and color depth selected.

Are you saying that you have never had a call come in during a game?  Ever?

 

I can't say that - and I don't own a console.

I've never had someone call me on skype while playing a game no.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • After I installed KB5095093, the volume on my ARM laptop won't go above 20%. It's stuck on the hearing protection level, which is pretty much useless if you want to listen to anything. I rolled back.
    • Amazon Prime Day slashes Samsung's newest Galaxy Watch Ultra by 45 percent by Karthik Mudaliar Samsung’s flagship Android smartwatch has received one of its steepest Prime Day cuts. Amazon has dropped the 2025 Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra in Titanium Blue to $357.24, saving buyers around $292 from its $649.99 list price. That's a 45 percent discount (purchase link below). The 47mm Galaxy Watch Ultra uses a titanium casing and a 1.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 480 x 480 and peak brightness of 3,000 nits. It includes LTE connectivity, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, NFC, and dual-frequency L1+L5 GPS for more accurate outdoor route tracking. The 2025 model has 64GB of storage, a 590mAh battery, sapphire crystal glass, 10ATM water resistance, IP68 protection, and MIL-STD-810H durability testing. Its health and fitness tools include heart rate monitoring, sleep coaching, Energy Score, Running Coach, body composition analysis, temperature sensing, and ECG support, where available. This model is best suited to Android users who regularly run, hike, cycle, or train outdoors and want cellular access without carrying a phone. The larger battery, rugged construction, bright display, and dedicated Quick Button also make it a stronger option than Samsung’s regular Galaxy Watch models for extended workouts and demanding environments. Grab the Titanium Blue Galaxy Watch Ultra before the Prime Day price resets: Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025) [Sold and Shipped by Amazon] Good to know This Amazon deal is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Google begins rolling out its post-Epic Play Store billing model next week by Karthik Mudaliar Google has confirmed that its redesigned Play Store billing and fee structure will take effect on June 30, 2026, in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Economic Area. The changes will let eligible developers offer their own payment systems or send users to an external website for purchases, while separating Google’s platform service fee from the cost of using Google Play Billing. The rollout puts concrete dates and detailed rate cards behind the broader Android policy overhaul Google announced in March. That announcement followed a proposed settlement with Epic Games intended to resolve their long-running disputes over app distribution and payments, although the U.S. portion of the agreement still requires court approval. Under the new billing choice program, developers selling digital content or services can display an alternative payment option alongside Google Play Billing. They may also direct users to their own websites to complete a purchase. Developers can use Google’s standard payment-choice screen or design one that complies with the company’s user-interface rules. Choosing another payment processor does not eliminate Google’s cut altogether. The company will continue charging a service fee for transactions associated with apps distributed through Google Play, regardless of whether payment is handled by Google, an alternative provider, or a developer’s website. Google argues that this fee covers the value and infrastructure provided by Android and the Play Store. For developers earning up to $1 million annually, the service fee will generally be 10 percent. That rate also applies to auto-renewing subscriptions. When Google Play Billing is used in the U.S., U.K., or EEA, Google will add a separate 5 percent billing fee, and developers processing payments elsewhere will not pay that additional charge. This means Google’s familiar flat 30 percent commission is disappearing, but developers will not necessarily see a dramatic reduction on every transaction. An in-app purchase from an existing user processed through Google Play Billing can still reach a combined 30 percent. The biggest savings are likely to come from subscriptions, smaller developers covered by the $1 million tier, and companies able to move customers to their own payment infrastructure. Google is also offering lower rates through its Apps Experience and revamped Games Level Up programs. Apps and games that satisfy the company’s requirements can qualify for 15 percent service fees on new-install transactions and 20 percent on existing-install transactions. The criteria include performance and reliability standards, support for additional Android device categories, and selected platform features. Those program rates are scheduled to become available in the initial markets and Australia on September 30. For consumers, the immediate effect will depend on whether developers adopt alternative payments and pass any savings on through lower prices. For developers, however, June 30 begins a more flexible but considerably more complicated Play Store economy in which distribution, billing, install dates, revenue thresholds, and program participation can each affect Google’s final cut. Google is also separately developing a Registered App Stores program designed to simplify the installation of qualifying third-party stores. That initiative is expected to arrive with a major Android release later in 2026 and will launch outside the U.S. first. Google says the rest of the world will receive the changes by September 30, 2027, although billing rates for markets outside the US, UK, and EEA have not yet been announced.
    • 38% off a super insane price is still an INSANE price.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Dedicated
      Scoobystu earned a badge
      Dedicated
    • First Post
      Tom Schmidt earned a badge
      First Post
    • One Month Later
      D0nn13 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Rookie
      +ChiefOfNeo went up a rank
      Rookie
    • One Year In
      Tom Schmidt earned a badge
      One Year In
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      463
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      177
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      124
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      81
    5. 5
      Xenon
      76
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!