The Xbox home screen, which is common to all current-generation consoles as well as the Xbox One, is one of the features that owners of these consoles often complain about, mainly because the tile design looks like a remnant of the interface that characterized Windows 8: it offers a heavy strain on the eyes and makes it difficult to Entering the games installed on the console. This is exactly what Microsoft hopes to fix with a new design, which some of the beta testers in Xbox Insiders are already invited to get an impression of. During 2023, this design is expected to reach all users.
In the new design, the top row is mostly dedicated to games already installed on the console, where with one click you can immediately start playing them. The division into different areas dedicated to the Game Pass service or certain games is clearer and more uniform in design. The home screen also shows quick shortcuts to the game store, and recommendations for games on Game Pass that may also be of interest to the player, customized. Similar shortcuts also appear for console settings, game library and search, all options now buried under additional menus.
On the less happy news side, it seems that Microsoft is still not ready to exempt Xbox players from ads on the home screen, and one permanent slot on the home page is actually dedicated to an advertising ad. In addition, it is still not possible to freely determine the design of the home screen, as is naturally possible with smart phone devices for example.
Over the next few months, Microsoft plans to collect user feedback on the new design, so there’s still time to influence the final look and features. For those interested, joining the Xbox Insiders group is relatively simple and involves installing an app from the store.