Xbox One May Update Adds Discord, Video Optimization, and Tons More

The much talked about update announced earlier this year for Xbox One has finally arrived for all platform users. Microsoft has revealed a ton of new features that have come available for Xbox players, including the highly coveted addition of the team chat client, Discord. In addition for more ways to interact with friends, high video refresh rates have also been implemented, as well as a few other ways to create a better play experience on the Xbox One.

Everything in the most recent update is aimed towards a smoother gaming experience, and the team at Microsoft is also actively looking for feedback. The “feature-packed” update is one of many slated for this year, so let’s get started on what’s new starting with Discord!

Connect with Gamers Across Xbox Live and Discord

According to Microsoft: 

“In response to your feedback, you now have the option to link your Discord account to your Xbox account, making it easier than ever to see what your friends are playing. Starting from the Discord app on PC or on a mobile device, you will see an option to link your Xbox account with your Discord account through the Connections tab under User Settings. Click on the Xbox Live option and sign in to your account. After enabling permission, your accounts will be linked. Starting from your Xbox One, open the Account Settings menu and select “Linked social accounts.” Here, you will see a new option for linking your Discord account. Once you receive your unique code from Xbox, open the Discord app and insert the code within the Connections tab. After following these few simple steps, your accounts will be linked and your Xbox Live presence will be shared across Discord, enabling friends and users in your same Discord servers to see what you are playing on Xbox Live.”

120Hz Video Refresh Rate

“Console owners already enjoy variable refresh rates, the option of 1440p resolution, and auto low latency mode (read more about that here).  In this update, we’re adding support for additional panel refresh rates. Gamers using monitors and televisions that support a 120Hz refresh rate can now turn on 120Hz support for 1080p and 1440p output resolutions on Xbox One S and Xbox One X. This high refresh rate option means you can now take full advantage of displays with 120Hz capabilities. High refresh rate support can provide a smoother gaming experience and lower latency on some displays, and games may benefit from reduced tearing and stuttering via 120Hz output.”

Clip Trimming

“With the April Xbox Update, we added a new sharing feature that helps gamers upload their captured screenshots and videos directly to Twitter. Now, sharing is getting even quicker! With the May update, you can trim your recent game captures directly from the Guide, so you won’t need to switch to Upload Studio to make a quick cut to your saved clips.”

Improved Family Settings

“Xbox One continues to help parents keep their families safe with updates to family settings. We’re adding a “Details” page where parents can easily find and manage all family settings on Xbox One. Parents will easily be able to tell which family and content settings are set up and configured. Important settings that are turned off or require attention will be flagged for parents, as well. Some settings, such as activity reports and Screen Time Limits, can only be accessed through the web: We’ll identify those settings and provide links where parents can easily set them up.”

Additional Features

New Intuitive Button Commands

‘Some of the button commands throughout the dashboard are being refreshed for easier navigation. For example, you can now use the “View” button on Home to edit the order of blocks or reorder items within Groups.  Pressing the “View” button on the main tab of the Guide will also now display additional capture options. Note: If you group your collections in My Games & Apps by letter, you will now need to select a letter to view all groups.”

Improvements to the Xbox Accessories App

“The Xbox Accessories app has been modernized to make it easier to navigate, and to look and feel more consistent with the rest of the Xbox One dashboard.”

And that’s it! You can learn more about what else is new and what’s on the way from the official Microsoft blog right here.