xboxlive
Latest
Xbox chief outlines plans to curb toxic behavior
Xbox head Phil Spencer has laid out some measures to combat some of the more negative aspects that pervade gaming communities such as toxicity and abuse. He wrote in a blog post that "gaming is for everyone" and people everywhere, from all backgrounds and walks of life, "are welcome to play and welcome to all the fun and skill-building that comes with gaming."
Xbox Live will soon connect players on Android, iOS and Switch
You've had a degree of access to Xbox Live beyond Microsoft's platforms for a while, but usually just to chat with friends or see what they're playing -- deeper hooks are reserved for its own games. Soon, though, that support will become more substantial. A Microsoft session at the upcoming Game Developers Conference (noticed by Avers) mentions that Xbox Live will soon have a cross-platform developer kit that integrates the service into Android, iOS and Switch games. You'd have your achievements, clubs, friends list and "more" while on the move, and could pick up on some experiences where you left off.
Xbox One 'black screen' issue prevented consoles from starting up (updated)
We hope you didn't take the day off for an extended Xbox game session. Microsoft has acknowledged widespread reports of Xbox One consoles suddenly failing. In many cases, the systems start up to a black screen that makes them unusable. There have also been issues with sign-ins, title updates and unresponsive Guides.
The Game Awards will stream on more than 40 platforms next month
The end of the year is fast approaching, which means awards season is getting into full swing. The Game Awards takes place December 6th at 9PM ET at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, and this year, it will stream live on more than 40 video platforms.
'All Access' Xbox subscription could bundle games, Live and a console
Microsoft's vision for the Xbox as a service might become clearer in the very near future. Windows Central has heard that Microsoft is prepping a Xbox All Access subscription that would bundle an Xbox One console, Xbox Live Gold and an Xbox Game Pass for a single flat rate on a two-year contract. You'd pay $22 per month if you could get by with an Xbox One S, while 4K fans would pay $35 per month for an Xbox One X. That would be slightly more affordable than paying for everything separately, and you'd own your console when the contract expired.
Discord comes to Xbox for integrated chats
Discord added an SDK to make it easier for friends to jump into each other's games and even added Spotify integration, but the service has stood on its own as a scrappy alternative to much bigger fish like Xbox Live. Which is what makes the company's new collaboration with Microsoft so interesting: Now you can link your Discord profile to your Xbox account, allowing players on Xbox One and PC to share their activity with friends and join games.
Microsoft’s inclusive Xbox avatars could arrive this spring
Microsoft announced last year that it was overhauling its avatar system and while the more diverse and customizable Xbox Live avatars were initially due out last fall, the company has kept us waiting. But a source familiar with Microsoft's Xbox plans has told The Verge that the new system will be available to Xbox Insiders for preview this month and is set for a wider rollout in April.
Xbox party chat launches on Android and iOS
It's now easier to keep up with your Xbox gaming pals when you've ventured beyond the living room. After several weeks of public testing, Microsoft has launched party chat in its Xbox apps for Android and iOS. If you use Xbox Live, you can use this to your fellow party members through voice or text wherever you happen to be. That can be helpful if you want to keep up with an in-game raid while you're rushing home, or if you just want to leave a party channel open as a semi-permanent group chat.
Xbox party chat arrives on iOS in beta
You no longer need an Android phone if you want to join in Xbox party chats when you're away from your console -- Microsoft has introduced party chat to the beta Xbox app for iOS. If you've been accepted into the program (you have to sign up first), you can keep up with your teammates' voice conversations from your iPhone or iPad while you're racing home to join them in a multiplayer match.
Former Xbox Live policy VP Stephen 'StepTo' Toulouse passed away
Stephen "StepTo" Toulouse, a tech vet, humorist and author well known for his role in managing Xbox Live over the years has passed away. His brother Jeff Toulouse tweeted that "It is with heavy hearts that we announce the loss of our brother, Stephen Toulouse, @Stepto, this morning." A Microsoft employee for nearly 18 years, Stephen served as director of Xbox Live policy and enforcement until early 2012 and helped shape the company's response to issues online communities are still struggling to deal with.
Xbox Live update makes co-op live streams a reality
Xbox Live keeps adding and updating features in response to its multiplayer community. Last year, the service added support for "clubs" along with improved friend-finding options. According to Xbox Live's Major Nelson, Live users will get a host of new tweaks today as Microsoft's gaming division adds quite a few new features to its console and mobile apps, including custom Gamerpics, the ability to stream your games with up to three friends and a way to tie a single controller to your login to make it easier to sign in and play. The Xbox mobile apps get a few additions as well, including new ways to look for groups and to browse the titles in your Game Pass subscription, and users can now create their own Killer Instinct tournaments.
Xbox's new avatar options include prosthetics and a baby bump
Haven't given your Xbox Live avatar much thought lately? Neither have I, and that's probably why Microsoft is taking action on that front. Yesterday the company announced that the avatar system will get a major overhaul sometime in fall 2017.
Xbox's Netflix-style game service is available for everyone
Microsoft has kept its promise to add more backwards compatibility to the Xbox One, enabling owners to play select Xbox 360 titles on the new machine. But it's the console's Game Pass that shows the most promise: A Netflix-style monthly subscription service giving access to old and new games. While Xbox Live Gold members got early access last week, Game Pass is now live for anyone with an Xbox One.
Xbox's Game Pass offers 100 titles starting June 1st
Remember when we told you that Microsoft was launching its own Netflix-style subscription service for games? Well, thanks to Danny McBride, we now know that it's coming to an Xbox One near you on June 1st. As we reported previously, Xbox Game Pass will set you back $10/£8 a month, allowing users to download anything they wish from a library of over 100 Xbox 360 and Xbox One titles. The initial lineup looks fine, if unremarkable, featuring the likes of Halo 5: Guardians, Payday 2, NBA 2K16 and Soul Calibur II. While we know a handful of other titles coming to the service, the vast majority of the 100 plus game library still remains unknown.
Nintendo Switch still uses friend codes for some reason
As recently as January, we were told that Nintendo's awful friend code system for finding and adding buddies for multiplayer games would be no more. That made us hope a better system for adding Switch contacts was on the way. Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime even told CNET, "There are no friend codes within what we're doing." It turns out that's not true at all, as the company revealed that friend codes are very much alive and well.
Indie devs can publish on Xbox without Microsoft's help
It wasn't too long ago that Microsoft released an update that turned every Xbox One into a software development kit. Now, hobbyist developers will have a platform for publishing their wares on the console. It's called the Xbox Live Creator's Program.
Twitch will let you change your username every two months
Starting today, you can change your Twitch username. What's more, you can do it every 60 days, and, seemingly as a shot at Microsoft and Xbox Live, it won't cost you a dime to swap from "FluffyJungle9991" to something a that's easier to commit to memory.
Microsoft's Twitch competitor, Beam, gets a major update
Microsoft said it was about to supercharge Beam, and it's quickly following through on that promise. After a few weeks of beta testing, the livestreaming service's big 2.0 overhaul is now available to everyone. The most conspicuous change is what you'll see the moment you hop in. There's a revamped home page that can feature multiple streams and show more info about a broadcaster's communities. Also, you'll notice a revamped, HTML5-only player that touts better video-on-demand controls, playback at higher bitrates (up to 10Mbps) and higher resolutions (1440p at 60 frames per second, anyone?). However, some of the biggest improvements are under the hood.
Windows 10 is about to get a high-performance Game Mode
Microsoft made a big fuss out of the Windows 10 Creators Update's gaming features, and it's nearly ready to start delivering on them... including some that have remained mysterious. The company has revealed that it'll start trotting out a largely unknown Windows 10 Game Mode as part of Insider previews "this week." The improvement won't be fully functional until later releases, but Microsoft has at last shed some light on what it is: it'll fine-tune your PC to speed up gaming performance. This mode should help both legacy Windows games (Win32) and modern titles (UWP), so you won't have to be picky about what you're playing to notice a difference. You should "soon" hear a lot more about how it works, Microsoft says.
Microsoft updates Beam streaming to better compete with Twitch
Microsoft is getting its newly-acquired Beam livestreaming service ready for Xbox and Windows with a big new update rolling out today in beta. Beam's low-latency tech lets you rapidly interact with your favorite streamers, and even play along, compared to the more passive Twitch experience. It's improved the already-quick latency by five times, increased the max bitrate to 10 Mbps and now supports 60 FPS render speeds at up to 2,560 x 1,440 resolution.
