If you're a beta tester enrolled in the Xbox Insider program, your Xbox One just got a bunch of new features. Microsoft has added digital gifting, new options for when/if you transition to Xbox One X, and more. The company has even made it so you can hide games you haven't earned Achievements for from your profile, allowing you to cover your shame (it's okay, we've all got backlogs). Let's break it all down:
Digital gifting brings real joy
Let's say you've really enjoyed an Xbox One digital game like Cuphead, and know your friend would enjoy it too. Since there's currently no way to obtain a physical copy, you can't just waltz into a store, buy the game, and hand it over. Instead, you would have to purchase a currency card for your friend, have them add that to their account, have them search for and purchase the game on the Xbox Store, and then they would be able to enjoy your suggestion. But really, that's a lot of work for a gift.
With the new update, all that hassle is gone. A new "buy as gift" option has been added for digital goods - which includes not only select games, but some DLC, Xbox Live Gold subscriptions, and Xbox Game Pass access as well. So if we went back to the Cuphead example, you could just go to the Xbox Store from your own console, choose the "buy as gift" option, then enter your friend's Gamertag or email, and you're done.
Technically this feature isn't tied to the November update, and is just being enabled at the same time as the patch is rolling out to Xbox Insiders. Hopefully this means it will roll out to the rest of us sooner rather than later. If you want to see the rules on what can and can't be gifted, check out the full details.
Xbox One X transitions made easier
Just like your game saves, an Xbox One's settings will now be saved to Microsoft's servers. This means that when you get a new console (like, say, that fancy new Xbox One X), you can just transfer your preferences and feel right at home. This includes TV and OneGuide settings, so you won't have to reprogram your new console to recognize your cable box or favorite channels if you use it to watch TV.
You can also use the Xbox app for iOS and Android to fiddle with your Xbox One X while it's busy installing a day one update. It's not clear what said day one update contains, but it sounds like it could take some time if Microsoft is enabling you to tweak settings via your phone.
Hide your (lack of) Achievements
Not all games are created equal, and sometimes you end up trying one you don't like or aren't very good at. That's okay! But it's still a little embarrassing to have those games show up on your profile. Thankfully, the update will allow you to hide games you haven't yet earned any Achievements for from both public and personal view of your profile.
While this can be useful for hiding your shame (you'll embarrass me no more, Super Time Force!), it can also be used to sort through the clutter of your games. I personally have at least half a dozen demos and betas that still show up on my profile, even though they don't have any Achievements and they've long since been uninstalled from my system. I look forward to getting rid of 'em.
Those aren't the only features coming to Xbox One as part of this update, so check out the official page for more details.
