Microsoft Xbox One October Update Now Rolling Out With New Features

Microsoft has on Wednesday started rolling out the much-awaited October update for its Xbox One console. The system software update brings features that can be broadly classified into two themes - new Snap and Friends functions, and improvements for TV and video.

With the new Xbox One update, version number 6.2.11653.0 (xb_rel_1410.141009-1809) fre, players can now access Friends, Messages, Game DVR, clock, and battery indicator via the updated Snap feature. The apps on the Snap mode can be accessed by tapping on the Xbox button twice on the controller, detailed last month by Microsoft's Larry Hryb.

Two apps that have been newly-optimised for the Snap mode are Friends Snap App and Messages Snap App, letting users access their friends list, and to open, read and respond to messages respectively. The Friends Snap App additionally lets players "see who's online right now and take actions like send message, invite or join," says Hryb on the Major Nelson website.

Microsoft has also updated the Achievements app, allowing users to see which friends that have unlocked a particular achievement, share achievements with friends along with captions, and a new achievements Snap landing page with a display of achievements on recently played games.

The new Friends section enables users to see 'at a glance' what their friends are doing, staying up-to-date with their current activities, as well as the popular games they are playing. A Gamerscore leaderboard has also been added, to see who has improved their Gamerscore over the last 30 days.

The second theme in the October update focuses on TV and video streaming improvements. The update brings a new Media Player app that brings users the ability to stream content stored on home media servers or other devices that support DLNA. In addition, users would be able to playback mkv files from a USB device or via DLNA after the update.

In addition, the first time Live TV users would see a one-time message prompt after setting up the feature, and would be able to select "On start, go to TV" option for the console. In select markets, Microsoft is also rolling out an improved Live TV setup that will "automatically detect the set-top box connected to the HDMI-In port on your Xbox One."

With the update, users will be able to stream TV to SmartGlass-enabled devices via the Xbox One Digital TV Tuner, using the Xbox SmartGlass app which will offer complete media controls. Also new is Live TV MiniGuide, for those markets where OneGuide is available, displaying details about the TV content that is currently playing.

Hyrb also announced that OneGuide will be launched for Xbox and SmartGlass in 11 new countries - Belgium, Chile, Columbia, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Portugal, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and Russia.

The Internet TV apps, which show TV listings in OneGuide, will work with other Xbox TV features such as channel changing using speech and Miniguide, and will first arrive in Zattoo app. The app is only available in Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Denmark for now.

Other features rolled out include an updated Devices & Accessories page where users can find, assign, and update their Xbox One accessories. Users can also update the firmware for an individual device, and more easily find (or identify) a controller by making it vibrate. Finally, comes the Hide Games & Apps feature for the Xbox One console, which lets users hide items in the "Ready to install" list under My Games & Apps.

Hryb also added that the Redmond-based tech firm will also be rolling out a two-step verification like feature later this month to make users' accounts more secure. Players will be asked to provide an alternate email address or cell phone number that can be used while resetting password of the account. "You'll only need to set this up once per account, and you won't need it every time you sign in," stated Hryb. The changelog can also be seen in the Xbox One Support page.