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[LukasTaves]

I have to winder if that's their goal but they are just rolling it out slowly? Because for all the times customizable was talked about, there are limited areas that are customizable, and ehat you can add to them are also very limited (no apps able to be added to the home outside of pins?).

I hope so, but honestly doesn't feel like they are moving towards that, just visually and not functionally, which is where the live tiles really shine.

It's weird, because it's a solved problem. They have one of if not the best start screen paradigm of any platform with the live tiles, going from something completely different to mimicking the grid of icons, and on a controller it would be way easier to add the features they want to add like exploding/interactive live tiles given the extra inputs compared to touch.

 

[Gek54]

Are fans not upset at the ads front and center? Ms vowed to never do that again yet it seems central


Does MS ever explain WHY it changes the design so damn often? I dont get it.

Do you have a link on that vow? That needs to be brought to attention.

The Ads are now especially agregious.

 

[RoKKeR]

Man, reactions seem overwhelmingly negative. Hopefully that means they will implement some serious changes. I happen to quite like the current iteration of the Xbox Dashboard and would be fine with small refinements to that.

 

[Alx]

I loved everything about this update but the home screen.

I suppose they have plans for more stuff on the home screen, because leaving the upper half of it empty makes no sense.

 

[Vince DiCola]

The thing is, I like the current UI as it is today.
The ONLY improvements I can see in this new UI are that it's a bit faster and a bit more customisable.
The removal of pins, moving notifications and making it more of a chore to get to what you want is bonkers to me.
I don't care about ads but suggested friends and clubs? I couldn't give a shit mate, I make friends with players I like not because my console suggests them. Same goes for clubs but to a slightly lesser degree

 

[Orca]

Man, reactions seem overwhelmingly negative. Hopefully that means they will implement some serious changes. I happen to quite like the current iteration of the Xbox Dashboard and would be fine with small refinements to that.

Reactions are overwhelmingly negative any time anything changes lol

The thing is, I like the current UI as it is today.
The ONLY improvements I can see in this new UK are that it's a bit faster and a bit more customisable.
The removal of pins, moving notifications and making it more of a chore to get to what you want is bonkers to me.
I don't care about ads but suggested friends and clubs? I couldn't give a shit mate, I make friends with players I like not because my console suggests them. Same goes for clubs but to a slightly lesser degree

There are less pins, but now you can take the games you play the most and add them to home so you get more info on them. It's a tradeoff, but it's not like there's suddenly NO pins either...there's still a ton to use.

Suggested friends/clubs will be changing out for other things, according to one of the Xbox guys on Twitter. Those boxes aren't set in stone and will be used in different ways.

 

[shawnoftheshred]

I hope so, but honestly doesn't feel like they are moving towards that, just visually and not functionally, which is where the live tiles really shine.

It's weird, because it's a solved problem. They have one of if not the best start screen paradigm of any platform with the live tiles, going from something completely different to mimicking the grid of icons, and on a controller it would be way easier to add the features they want to add like exploding/interactive live tiles given the extra inputs compared to touch.

I haven't used that start screen, but from the sounds of it, it would be largely what I want from my start screen: control over what gets shown.

 

[backflip10019]

Looks unnecessary. The current UI is very solid.

 

[RoKKeR]

Reactions are overwhelmingly negative any time anything changes lol

Eh, to a certain extent yes, but not at this level. The previous iteration was generally met with positivity.

 

[Vince DiCola]

Reactions are overwhelmingly negative any time anything changes lol



There are less pins, but now you can take the games you play the most and add them to home so you get more info on them. It's a tradeoff, but it's not like there's suddenly NO pins either...there's still a ton to use.

Suggested friends/clubs will be changing out for other things, according to one of the Xbox guys on Twitter. Those boxes aren't set in stone and will be used in different ways.

That's something I guess. I knew that not all my pins were going away but we've been asking for more for ages so to remove some is just dumb imo.

I'm usually very positive when it comes to the UI on Xbox and I really like the current one but this forthcoming UI change isn't what I'd hoped for.
If it's happening then I'll get used to it, I always do but I do not like it

 

[Herp Derpington]

Lol. Sony's UI has been better than the Xbox UI from Day 1, and continues to be better. They have no reason to make changes.

Bullshit. I have a very prominent psnow ad on my main menu I can't get rid of. Tell me how that's an improvement.

 

[VectorVictor]

So you make the home page more customized by removing half of my Pins? What the fuck MS?

I'm thinking (hoping, really) that we'll see the ability to create pin folders. Would make sense then why they shrunk the limit back down, all things considered.

 

[VincentMatts]

Because I don't think he does listen to be honest. This preview programme has been going on for years and it's always one step forward two or three back. Even things like Upload Studio, I expected them to be bettering Sony in that regard but Share Factory is more slicker experience imo.

Nothing personal, im just not a fan of what he does for Xbox. What I should of said in my previous post is, is there anyone else to send it to who at least might recognise it.

They literally choose what to work on based on votes the features demanded get on their site. Thats how they prioritize which features come next. These were the most demanded, they just completely fucked up the layout and feel in the process.

 

[VectorVictor]

Bullshit. I have a very prominent psnow ad on my main menu I can't get rid of. Tell me how that's an improvement.

Because Sony ads come from a place of love and compassion for gamers, whereas Microsoft ads are simply money grabs that will ruin the industry.

Or something like that.

 

[Zvonimir Boban]

The thing is, I like the current UI as it is today.
The ONLY improvements I can see in this new UK are that it's a bit faster and a bit more customisable.
The removal of pins, moving notifications and making it more of a chore to get to what you want is bonkers to me.
I don't care about ads but suggested friends and clubs? I couldn't give a shit mate, I make friends with players I like not because my console suggests them. Same goes for clubs but to a slightly lesser degree

The only thing I like about the preview dash is the ability to add blocks to the home page. Right now you can't add clubs but I'm sure its coming and that will be a nice addition.

Everything else though? Really don't like it. Activity feed looks ugly and cluttered, removing the vertical guide means everything takes longer to get to the information or features I need. I play online a lot and this just provides added layers of frustration because of the extra button presses needed for everything.

I haven't felt this disappointed in the xbone dash since launch day and at least then I still had some optimism because you knew it would be improved upon. This one is more frustrating because they've taken a really good dashboard and gone backwards in almost every respect.

 

[Herp Derpington]

Because Sony ads come from a place of love and compassion for gamers, whereas Microsoft ads are simply money grabs that will ruin the industry.

Or something like that.

That's the thing that frustrates me about people. Both systems have issues with their UI and both could stand to improve. Sony is just as guilty of it as MS is. I get having personal preferences and all but at least be honest with yourself. I know it stems from purchasing justification and irrational tribalism but at some point you just have to grow up and accept and give criticism of both companies. Sony has plenty wrong with their UI and pretending they don't does nothing but make whoever makes that claim irrelevant to the conversation.

 

[Caayn]

Lol. Sony's UI has been better than the Xbox UI from Day 1, and continues to be better. They have no reason to make changes.

Continues to improve like how they neutered the notification center? Forcing adds for entertainment apps before showing the actual entertainment apps I've got installed. Like how I've got a giant ad for PS+ on the home screen? They added folders but I can't add all junk to a folder. I can't uninstall Playroom even without me having a PS camera. I can't delete the PS Now app. Etc.

PS4's UI is cleaner but it's not necessarily constantly improving or better.

 

[etta]

Lol. Sony's UI has been better than the Xbox UI from Day 1, and continues to be better. They have no reason to make changes.

Come on mang PS4 dashboard is very barebones, not nearly as many things happening as on the Xbox dashboard.

 

[VincentMatts]

Come on mang PS4 dashboard is very barebones, not nearly as many things happening as on the Xbox dashboard.

And still slows down to a crawl when you use it while a game is running. But forget that, its perfect!

 

[mike4001_]

So sent feedback regarding "Home sucks"

I wrote that basically all we want to show home is

1) Recently played games/apps
2) Pins

The guide is OK for me. I get there is now mostly a button press more to do, but the upside is that everything is now instant. So I am fine with the tradeoff.

 

[Jeff Freecss]

So sent feedback regarding "Home sucks"

I wrote that basically all we want to show home is

1) Recently played games/apps
2) Pins

The guide is OK for me. I get there is now mostly a button press more to do, but the upside is that everything is now instant. So I am fine with the tradeoff.

I would also like to see which of my friends are online. Some latest gaming new will be great, too.

 

[phantasmic_glaive]

Come on mang PS4 dashboard is very barebones, not nearly as many things happening as on the Xbox dashboard.

Uhh... that's a good thing, lol.

Because Sony ads come from a place of love and compassion for gamers, whereas Microsoft ads are simply money grabs that will ruin the industry.

Or something like that.

It's not an ad, it's the app. I'd rather put up with that than a damn slim Jim ad.

Anyway, when is this rolling out to all members? I'd deal with ads if it's running faster.

 

[Head.spawn]

It's not an ad, it's the app. I'd rather put up with that than a damn slim Jim ad.

Anyway, when is this rolling out to all members? I'd deal with ads if it's running faster.

If it's an app I should be able to remove it. I don't want or need it. Opinions though.

This is a Fall update.

Uhh... that's a good thing, lol.

That sounds like a definitive opinion.

 

[VectorVictor]

That's the thing that frustrates me about people. Both systems have issues with their UI and both could stand to improve. Sony is just as guilty of it as MS is. I get having personal preferences and all but at least be honest with yourself. I know it stems from purchasing justification and irrational tribalism but at some point you just have to grow up and accept and give criticism of both companies. Sony has plenty wrong with their UI and pretending they don't does nothing but make whoever makes that claim irrelevant to the conversation.

Agreed. And as much butthurt and consternation as there is in this thread about this update...at least Microsoft is trying to improve things instead of resting on its laurels, which seems to get lost in these discussions.

 

[Bsigg12]

Uhh... that's a good thing, lol.



It's not an ad, it's the app. I'd rather put up with that than a damn slim Jim ad.

Anyway, when is this rolling out to all members? I'd deal with ads if it's running faster.

October/November.

 

[Synth]

Uhh... that's a good thing, lol.

That's subjective really. If you appreciate much of the extended functionality the Xbox dashboards tend to make visible (especially regarding community features), then its not a good thing for them to either be absent or buried under layers of plain-text menus.

 

[Steelyuhas]

I wish they would detail their rollout for more of the features of the 1710 update. I'm guessing we won't get anything significant until Gamescom to go with Xbox One X news.

We'll probably here about the other 1710 features the day they rollout to the members of the Alpha ring, that's pretty much how they do it now.

 

[VectorVictor]

It's not an ad, it's the app. I'd rather put up with that than a damn slim Jim ad.

Anyway, when is this rolling out to all members? I'd deal with ads if it's running faster.

If it's an app, then why can't we delete it or move it into a folder so we don't see it again C'mon, just be honest with yourself--it's an ad. It's not nearly as bad as the folder-splitting ads in the app folder on the PS4--at least Microsoft hasn't bothered to split our pins with ads, though now that I mentioned it...

...and the update is only in the Alpha ring for users that signed up for Microsoft's Insider app/program. Anyone can get the app and join, but priority in those Alpha/Beta phases is determined by longevity and participation in the program IIRC, so you may not get it right away if you sign up today.

 

[shawnoftheshred]

There are less pins, but now you can take the games you play the most and add them to home so you get more info on them. It's a tradeoff, but it's not like there's suddenly NO pins either...there's still a ton to use.

I did this for Injustice 2, my most played game at the moment, and was really disappointed with it.

It takes up a full screen of real estate, but none of what it displayed was useful to me beyond launching the game. A suggested friend, a clip uploaded by someone I don't know, an achievement I've unlocked, etc. The only info I'd find useful for a game like this is:
- are my friends playing it currently
- is Netherrealm or one of my followed pro players currently streaming it on twitch
- is there new DLC that I don't yet own

So, in theory, I'm down with the block system. But based on how many times it was presented as part of a customizable and personal addition to the dashboard, the fact that I can't customize the block to feature things like that makes me not even want it as a home block. I can get everything I want from that space out of a single pin.

So I'm hoping that both the home screen tiles (as you suggest) and the tiles within blocks become considerably more customizable so that I can actually use the new features.

 

[FZW]

So sent feedback regarding "Home sucks"

I wrote that basically all we want to show home is

1) Recently played games/apps
2) Pins

The guide is OK for me. I get there is now mostly a button press more to do, but the upside is that everything is now instant. So I am fine with the tradeoff.

I love that you can add games to your home now. It's better than pins imo. Currently i add the game I'm playing mostly for easy access. I just wish we can add things like clubs there too.

 

[shawnoftheshred]

I love that you can add games to your home now. It's better than pins imo. Currently i add the game I'm playing mostly for easy access. I just wish we can add things like clubs there too.

If the home page was fully customizable in terms of what shows up, interestingly, I don't think I'd even need a most recent tile (let alone 3-4). I'd probably just organize my tiles thematically and make sure that the stuff I am currently using is among them.

 

[Synth]

I just wish we can add things like clubs there too.

Wait, you can't?

That's like, the single most obviously useful thing you could pin.

 

[Jaguar Victory]

Major Nelson commented on the Reddit threads and forwarded the info to the appropriate people. Hopefully things get worked out before it goes live in gen pop.

 

[shawnoftheshred]

Wait, you can't?

That's like, the single most obviously useful thing you could pin.

As far as I can tell, you also can't add app blocks to the home either - which again, to me, is among the content I would most want to see broken out. Netflix - newly added releases, my latest "Continue Watching," or something from "My List" would encourage me to, at a glance, without launching the app, engage with it again. Same goes for Twitch - if there was a block I could add that would just show which of my followed channels were broadcasting, that is something I would find useful. As it stands, being mostly games/friends and Games With Gold, it tends to be information I don't find useful or information I would rather find through other means than a full screen of real estate.

 

[Colbert]

Major Nelson commented on the Reddit threads and forwarded the info to the appropriate people. Hopefully things get worked out before it goes live in gen pop.

I honestly doubt they will make big changes. The UI is set from a design standpoint. Redoing it would take too much time. They need to release alongside the Xbox One X.

 

[Orca]

I did this for Injustice 2, my most played game at the moment, and was really disappointed with it.

It takes up a full screen of real estate, but none of what it displayed was useful to me beyond launching the game. A suggested friend, a clip uploaded by someone I don't know, an achievement I've unlocked, etc. The only info I'd find useful for a game like this is:
- are my friends playing it currently
- is Netherrealm or one of my followed pro players currently streaming it on twitch
- is there new DLC that I don't yet own

So, in theory, I'm down with the block system. But based on how many times it was presented as part of a customizable and personal addition to the dashboard, the fact that I can't customize the block to feature things like that makes me not even want it as a home block. I can get everything I want from that space out of a single pin.

So I'm hoping that both the home screen tiles (as you suggest) and the tiles within blocks become considerably more customizable so that I can actually use the new features.

When it's out you'll see developers/publishers using it better I'd imagine. The blocks alongside the game could include news of DLC, tournaments, double-XP weekends, etc... I think it's supposed to show if friends are playing right now, but maybe that's not in yet.

 

[watership]

Eh, to a certain extent yes, but not at this level. The previous iteration was generally met with positivity.

Previous iteration wasn't hugely different in UI layout. This is. Change is bad. Change is good. etc.

 

[shawnoftheshred]

When it's out you'll see developers/publishers using it better I'd imagine. The blocks alongside the game could include news of DLC, tournaments, double-XP weekends, etc... I think it's supposed to show if friends are playing right now, but maybe that's not in yet.

That'd be my hope, but also, I'm pessimistic based on how similar features have been used to date. I'm "following" games on X1 and find that developers are generally not very good at staying up to date outside of a few. When I check the feeds of my favourite games they are often a few DLCs behind or just posting random things like "what's your favourite weapon in the Division, let us know!" Many, many of them have just posted a few things around launch and then completely abandoned them.

I like the idea in theory, but I just am not convinced that, based on what we're seeing now and how developers have performed in the past, it's going to be as lively and active as I would want. It feels like one of those "wouldn't it be great if..." that'll quickly fall off. As someone else put it, it feels a bit like the dashboard was based around people saying "here are some great features no one's using" and then building it around pulling them into greater focus, instead of listening to what the community is *actually* using because it's what they want from their dash? I think we could get around this if it was way more customizable (again, being able to pull specific twitch feeds or focus on specific friends playing/not playing the games, etc.) rather than leave it up to algorithms and developers manually adding content they haven't been good at doing.

Basically, if it's going to be customizable, I hope it's VERY customizable.

 

[CookTrain]

When it's out you'll see developers/publishers using it better I'd imagine. The blocks alongside the game could include news of DLC, tournaments, double-XP weekends, etc... I think it's supposed to show if friends are playing right now, but maybe that's not in yet.

You mean like the Prominence Poker block on the current dashboard that has inexplicably been Halo 5 for the past few months?

That system is already in place and gets... various levels of use.

 

[borges]

As I mentioned in my previous recap, biggest problem with this update is the Start Screen, which looks like more as a placeholder than a finished section.
This update is quite awesome in other areas, though: Responsiveness, gloss effect, horizontal navigation on the menu bar, to mention some.

 

[Chip N Chance]

Its bad on most of the changes. The store and media area is all largely the same, but the home screen is a buggy mess with functionality taken out. I now have less pins, less recent apps, and suggested stuff on the home row that couldn't be more irrelevant to me. The guide seems better, but again lacks little things. Theres no ui to tell me how to capture footage. Theres also no recent activity feed with notifications and achievement pops. This is the first time where i say that they may have fucked up in redesigning it. They have all been great steps forward, but this seems like it was made by a different company.

 

[borges]

Other than that, this whole backslash demonstrate how useful are the preview / alpha programs. You can get direct feedback from users months before you release a new iteration of a product.
Having these feedback at the end of November would have been a real issue.

 

[mike4001_]

I love that you can add games to your home now. It's better than pins imo. Currently i add the game I'm playing mostly for easy access. I just wish we can add things like clubs there too.

Why don't you use a Pin ?

 

[Stevey]

So this hasnt hit the preview beta yet?

 

[Raide]

So this hasnt hit the preview beta yet?

Alpha only at this point. Unless you opt into it, they won't be releasing it in this state.

 

[LukasTaves]

I haven't used that start screen, but from the sounds of it, it would be largely what I want from my start screen: control over what gets shown.

You can literally pin anything, specific people, direct links to specific settings or sections inside an app. Live tiles are also great for showing info, so instead of having a library shortcut and another one showing download progress a single live tile would rotate showing stuqff like updates, remaining space, if there's dlc remains and so on.

Also, it would fill really well with their design, they could have the same dock/drawer they used to had on the right to show the ads, and one or two customizable tiles, and let the users completely chose the main layout with their tiles for everything

 

[Chris1]

Wait, you can't?

That's like, the single most obviously useful thing you could pin.

You can't force a mixer stream with pinning clubs. I can't say I'm surprised that you're not able to

 

[Okami Haundo]

Everyone is talking about the Home screen design and I don't see mention of the improvements to "My games and apps". Has anyone had a chance to play around with this yet? I'm interested in your feedback! That screen needed some major speed/organization improvements IMO.

 

[Colbert]

Everyone is talking about the Home screen design and I don't see mention of the improvements to "My games and apps". Has anyone had a chance to play around with this yet? I'm interested in your feedback! That screen needed some major speed/organization improvements IMO.

Don't you know the rules on the internet? First bitch about everything and then use all the fancy new features you like quietly!

 

[FUNKNOWN iXi]

Man, reactions seem overwhelmingly negative. Hopefully that means they will implement some serious changes. I happen to quite like the current iteration of the Xbox Dashboard and would be fine with small refinements to that.

The current dash we have now is perfect in terms of functionality and placement imo. This new home screen and guide menu seem like a step back.

I'm curious if these changes were brought on by so many people complaining about the current UI when it's always transparent how little those people used their Xbox.