Official_Xbox_Magazine_USA_Issue_202_July_2017

inSider
need To know
Creating
a SCene
Need to know
The Creators Update is here at last! Here are five new
features to celebrate (and one sad departure to mourn)
016
1
tHE HomE scrEEn
WAs rEdEsignEd
For sPEEd
Don’t get us wrong, we loved
the old home screen, especially that
big old window that gave us a live
glimpse of whatever game we were
playing last. That pretty picture came
at a price, however, as the Xbox One
was actually running said game in
emulation, a process that voraciously
gobbled up system resources. Gross.
By throwing away these dainty details,
Microsoft has managed to speed up
the home screen, as well as making it
easier than ever to dive into a Game
Hub, peruse an Achievements list, or
share your captures.
2
Your guidE is noW
smArtEr tHAn EvEr
Sing songs and rejoice,
readers, for the days of
clumsily double-tapping at the Xbox
button are gone. Now, you need to just
simply press the button once to bring
up a new and improved guide, which
will intelligently present you with a
variety of recently used games and
apps, as well as speedy access to your
pinned applications. Summoning the
Guide also makes it a doddle to
capture screenshots and video—
simply tap Y for a screen, or press the
View button to record the last few
minutes of your gameplay.
3
strEAming WitH
BEAm is A drEAm
Twitch may be the dominant
name in the wild world of
videogame streaming, but Microsoft
reckons its own offering could give
the incumbent a run for its money.
Beam is apparently faster and easier
to use than its rivals, and thanks to
the Creators Update, it’s now baked
right into the Xbox One experience,
benefitting from its very own tab
within the redesigned Guide. For a full
tutorial on how to stream your games
over the Beam service, as well as an
introduction to its video and audio
options, mosey on over to p84.
4
AcHiEvEmEnt
Hunting is A lot
morE mAnAgEABlE
The glorious sound of
unlocking an Achievement is one of
the few sources of joy in our wretched
lives, so we’re wailing with delight
at the new Achievement Tracker for
Xbox One. This natty new tool has its
own tab in the upgraded guide, and
lets you see at a glance which feats
you need to beat for whichever game
is whirring in your disc drive. You can
even pin achievements so that they
Above Sad about
Snap? Then you
must’ve been
one of the 23
people who used
the feature on a
regular basis.
show up on screen while you play,
enabling you to keep track of your
progress without pausing the action.
5
microsoFt’s AddEd
nEW AccEssiBilitY
oPtions, too
One oft-overlooked feature of
Microsoft’s latest update is the raft of
accessibility features it introduces to
ensure the Xbox One can be enjoyed
by as many people as humanly
possible. The introduction of Autopilot
lets your Xbox One accept inputs
from two controllers as if they were
one—perfect for gamers who want a
little help, or for players who need to
customize their configuration to play
comfortably. Pre-existing features
such as the Magnifier and the Narrator
have also been spruced up, making
Microsoft’s machine one of the most
accessible gaming gizmos.
6snAP is oFFiciAllY
dEAd And BuriEd
Remember when Microsoft
announced the Xbox One in
2013? Back then, the company
envisioned its new console as an allin-one
entertainment hub—a device
equally well-suited to Downton Abbey
and Dishonored 2. Snap was designed
to facilitate exactly this kind of multitasking,
enabling Xbox One owners to
run a miniature version of certain apps
while playing games or videos in the
main window. The feature was a bit of
a memory hog, however, and now that
Microsoft’s all-in on gaming once
again, it doesn’t make quite as much
sense as it once did. RIP, Snap. n
Update your Xbox One to gain access
to all these new features today
For All THe lATeST xbox newS, viSiT www.GAMeSrAdAr.CoM/oxM
The Official XbOX magazine