Xbox November update brings color filters, audio tweaks, and accessibility tags

Accessibility features lead the Xbox November update, which is rolling out alongside the official console-wide launch of Xbox Cloud gaming.

Xbox Cloud gaming has been trialed in various forms of early access, and as Xbox announced today, it's now available in 25 regions (with Brazil "coming soon" according to vice president and head of product Catherine Gluckstein) on Xbox One and Xbox Series X | S through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. This update comes just three weeks after early Xbox Insider testing for a feature that lets Xbox One users play new-gen games.

The actual system update is headlined by improved color filters designed to help users with color blindness or color vision deficiencies, as well as the accessibility store tags announced at a recent showcase. These enable developers to denote if their games offer features like adjustable difficulty, color options, and remappable controls. The Microsoft Store currently supports 20 accessibility tags, with over 325 games already using them.

This month's update also makes some adjustments to the Game Pass sign-up and audio control menus, with the former more clearly differentiating subscription tiers and the latter emphasizing "relevant settings." Xbox controllers got a bit of love, too, particularly older models. The latest controller firmware brings pre-Xbox Series X | S controllers up to speed with the new ones, delivering "better cross-device connectivity and reduced latency," according to principal program manager Jonathan Hildebrandt.

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.