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Am I crazy or does the Xbox one have the worst menu layout ever?

i don't know call me crazy but I really feel this is the best console UI I have ever used. Soon as I turn the system on my tv and receiver both turn on and it starts directly to tv. I grab the controller hit the Xbox button and everything I need is right there in less than a second. I then see if my friends are playing anything if they are I just click on their name and hit join game. If not and I wanna get sucked in to youtube I have my pins set up for everything I want. If I need to buy a game I just quickly hit Xbox button and A and it takes me home and when I scroll over to the store search, memberships and use a code are right there as options. All of it is easily accessed and ready to go.

Edit: just now realized there is a store button right on the quick menu. This makes it even easier
 
Don't entirely get the hate for it. There is delay sometimes and that's no good, has happened to me on other systems but not as much. In terms of ease of use and getting to games that's kinda why they have the pin feature and recently played.

For the things I need it for it does a good job like the sorting feature for games based off space and how much space I have on my hard drive.

A lot of this is just what people are used too but if you are having a problem with finding video games on your Xbox one you are lying to yourself or need help.

Not to say it isn't without it faults but it's the UI I prefer out of ps4 and switch.
 

Nikana

Go Go Neo Rangers!
It really blows my mind to read this thread when people say they want these things front-and-center that are already front-and-center and it makes me really confused on what they do when they turn on their Xbox.

Like legitimately, I do not understand.
 

xabbott

Member
While I would say the home screen is too busy I feel like the UI literally puts everything one button away with the Xbox button on the controller. It's such a massive improvement from anything the system or 360 had.

The OP had some abnormal issue and based a lot of this around that. While I do find the PS4's home screen more appealing I think the sidebar on the XB1 much more useful.
 
The main reason it's not basic as it gets is because of the direction misleads. For example turning my Xbone on I immediately see large ads on the right and smaller icons I want to use on the left. My cursor is on home.

I press to the left to select my Netflix app and a whole other menus pops up with shit all over the place. I press to the right to get out of that menu and I'm navigating the new menu and perplexed. I have to press right twice to get back to where I was, and that's just obtuse. Press right three times on accident cause I button mash and suddenly I'm in mixer menu which who the hell knows what that is and it's officially a clusterfck of a shitshow menu at this point.

Once I'm back to my home screen, I press to the right to get to 'my games and apps' and a whole different section of the menu is up, myganes and apps is gone.

I press the guide button and I'm at a different menu again from all three directions.

There's one simple way to get where I want to go but that's the ONLY way to get there. Down, right, A. There's only one way to get back from the left side menu. Right right. You can't just press right, can't press right right right. Just right right. Not to mention, just to search for games that you want to buy or might already own, you have to hit right right right right down down to get to the search bar. What the hell ms.

Some places if you press b it takes you back to the main screen. Most places, pressing b does fuck all to go back where you were.

It's fine if you like to memorize direction presses for everything you do in sequence, as gamers we do that, but for most ppl this ui is a clusterfuck of side menus and jarring screen replacements that uses 89% blank space on the main menu for some ungodly reason. That is not good ui design fellas.
I'm sorry but you either never used a xbone in your whole life and are basing the behavior out of pictures or videos, or you have a seriously fucked up controller that do strange stuff every time you start the console or try to move the cursor somewhere.

Like for instance, there's absolutely nothing to suggest that you have to press left to open Netflix when you turn the console on.
 

rapid32.5

Member
In my experience Xbox video app works better for videos. I hated xbox layout at first but now I actually like it more than PS4 layout.
 

Wedzi

Banned
After I got used to it I like it, but MS clearly needs to bring in new blood to redesign the interface from the ground up. They've blown up the interface mid generation before but I bet we won't see another large refresh until the next xbox but I hope I'm dead wrong.

Now that One Guide is gone (replaced with an entertainment section), Kinect being super dead, Cortana not really around, getting rid of snap, and with new features like Mixer, Arena, LFG, a new guide being added it's way overdue for a completely new UI.

Here's hoping Project Neon brings the goods for Xbox along with windows 10 at the end of this year but I bet that's more of extra graphical features for Xbox One X and not the overhaul people have been wanting.
 

Dlacy13g

Member
This thread is just a reflection of what GAF has devolved to. Over reaction, super hyperbole responses.

The UI is not perfect but it's far from "worst ever" as some are trying to imply.
 
I own PS4 and Xbox and the X dashboard is not only leaps and bounds ahead of PS4.. It has tons of features I wish were around in the PS4...

It is simply comparing apples to oranges...
 

etta

my hard graphic balls
I have a question for people who think one button click is too difficult for finding their games...

How did you play through Final Fantasy XV?

rz4FAOj.jpg


Or The Witcher 3?

htqfIGl.jpg


Or Fallout 4?

ZwOGgAj.jpg


Or Battlefield 1?

zTk9pUk.jpg


Or Rocket League?

detvbCv.jpg
Final Fantasy and GT games have just simply atrocious menus.
But you raise a good point. I bet you quite a lot of people complaining about this issue have played FF.
 
I tested this out because I've always got time for the bullshit.

Insert USB.
Analog left to My games & apps
Analog down to Apps, select File Explorer
Analog down to USB icon
back out of File Explorer, press start, press Pin to Home

Easy as pie.
 
This thread is just a reflection of what GAF has devolved to. Over reaction, super hyperbole responses.

The UI is not perfect but it's far from "worst ever" as some are trying to imply.

Final Fantasy and GT games have just simply atrocious menus.
But you raise a good point. I bet you quite a lot of people complaining about this issue have played FF.
Yup, the hyperbole over the Xbox UI is not even funny anymore. These threads always lead to people who don't even use their Xbox to drive-by shitpost.
 
I tested this out because I've always got time for the bullshit.

Insert USB.
Analog left to My games & apps
Analog down to Apps, select File Explorer
Analog down to USB icon
back out of File Explorer, press start, press Pin to Home

Easy as pie.
On top of that apps now watch for content on SD card automatically. Both movies and TV and vlc will parse all the videos files you have.
 

Swass

Member
They need a more minimalistic design.. I feel like sensory overload when using the main tabbed screens. The slide out side menu really helps as it reduces the amount of time spent on the interface which is a plus.. and I will not shop in the online store, it is a cluster f, so glad everything can be purchased through their www.
 

Keinning

Member
They need a more minimalistic design.. I feel like sensory overload when using the main tabbed screens. The slide out side menu really helps as it reduces the amount of time spent on the interface which is a plus.. and I will not shop in the online store, it is a cluster f, so glad everything can be purchased through their www.

recently (at least for me) they added a new section on the sidebar showing the DWG games with discount on your local currency so its already an improvement over the store that i like. but yeah, browsing the store on xbox is awful and no one should ever do it, use the website (which isnt that great either but at least its better)
 

Head.spawn

Junior Member
They should for users used to the older UI interations.

"Hey, we moved this here. You no longer have Home Pins front and center and we also made the icon a lot smaller."


Does it make sense to search for things where you're used to seeing them for a while or is that an ancient and outdated philosophy too?

Thing is though, after every single update like that (actually they do one every month detailing all new features or changes), they do indeed put a video, usually with Major Nelson right on Home Screen that details all changes. They also have the "Tips" tile there as well.
 

Kaji AF16

Member
It has evolved significantly from what it was at launch. IMHO it is serviceable, specially after the last revision. There is without a doubt space to improve, but after becoming used to the Xbox interface and general ecosystem, I find it comparatively unconfortable to play on PC -let alone on Playstation.
 

Kovacs

Member
Yup, the hyperbole over the Xbox UI is not even funny anymore. These threads always lead to people who don't even use their Xbox to drive-by shitpost.

If someone has multiple choices and they choose to use the system that they feel is simpler and quicker to use over the other, then their complaints about the UI of system they don't use as frequently are equally valid, if not more given if the UI is a large reason they've stopped using it.

I'm one of those fortunate people that have access to Xbox One, PS4, Switch and PC and of them all the Xbox One has the worst UI by far. I get the argument that the Xbox button is quick for things like party chat etc and it's better than PS4 in that regard, but for everything else it's pretty far behind.
 

jroc74

Phone reception is more important to me than human rights
If someone has multiple choices and they choose to use the system that they feel is simpler and quicker to use over the other, then their complaints about the UI of system they don't use as frequently are equally valid, if not more given if the UI is a large reason they've stopped using it.

I'm one of those fortunate people that have access to Xbox One, PS4, Switch and PC and of them all the Xbox One has the worst UI by far. I get the argument that the Xbox button is quick for things like party chat etc and it's better than PS4 in that regard, but for everything else it's pretty far behind.

I had a PS4 and now have an XBO S.

I agree. Granted updates to the XBO UI have made it better. But overall vs the PS4, its just not as good.
 
If someone has multiple choices and they choose to use the system that they feel is simpler and quicker to use over the other, then their complaints about the UI of system they don't use as frequently are equally valid, if not more given if the UI is a large reason they've stopped using it.

I'm one of those fortunate people that have access to Xbox One, PS4, Switch and PC and of them all the Xbox One has the worst UI by far. I get the argument that the Xbox button is quick for things like party chat etc and it's better than PS4 in that regard, but for everything else it's pretty far behind.

If you avoid Xbox mostly because you don't like the UI, then that's a flimsy reason and I suspect you don't really like Xbox as much as other consoles in the first place.

Not only is it easy to use but it's incredibly easy to learn, as evident from the multiple accounts of people stating kids around them use Xbox without any difficulty. So if you're reluctant to learn something that many people find simple to use, then there must be some level of acknowledgement that the problem could be you, especially with the numerous strengths of Xbox's UI/features.
 
It ain't as bad as people make it out to be.

You're right, it's worse.

Every update seems to take even more backward steps, with core features being hidden behind burden-of-knowledge button presses and convoluted menu systems and submenus.

I'd much rather have a variant of the old 360 UI.
 

Jafku

Member
It was pretty bad back when I first got my xbox. It got better when they introduced the newest iteration and got rid of snap (thank god). Snap was awful
 

wolgoen

Member
I hate the XB1 UI, the same way I'm not a fan of the PS4 UI either.

PS3 was the best, I'm not sure why Sony didn't just use the PS3 XMB UI in the PS4, they kind of did but it hasn't worked as well.
 

Three

Member
Or Rocket League?

detvbCv.jpg


Don't even get me started on RLs menu. I have a portable 720p projector I sometimes play it on. Can't read anything on that thing. There is an option to adjust size but it only goes lower! Who can read that thing at all let alone make it smaller?

Edit: Apologies about the consecutive posts
 
I hate the XB1 UI, the same way I'm not a fan of the PS4 UI either.

PS3 was the best, I'm not sure why Sony didn't just use the PS3 XMB UI in the PS4, they kind of did but it hasn't worked as well.
I always had a hard on for XMB and I only owned a PS3 for a few months in 2016 and I still thought it looked amazing on my TV, and it just flowed so great... simple but so good looking, though everything being buried in lists wasn't great but it worked for games since they all had icons in your library to make it look good.

At the same time, I do genuinely like the Xbox One dashboard. I just hate how they no joke change it like every 5 months. There were like 5 slight but noticeable UI tweaks in 2016, like stop fucking with it. They got it good where it is but I swear they need to stop adjusting it so damn much.

Oh. and I loved the Vita too. Bubbles were great for real and it was amazing on OLED. I wish I owned a PS4 so I could get a better perspective on it's menus but if you can't tell I kinda like all of them except the Wii U.
 

Wildo09

Member
I use the Xbox sometimes at my friend's house and the UI is pretty easy to navigate, don't understand the complaints.
 
I use the Xbox sometimes at my friend's house and the UI is pretty easy to navigate, don't understand the complaints.

Are you sure your friend didn't hold you hostage for weeks until you changed your mind because apparently saying the Xbone UI isn't the worst thing ever means you have Stockholm Syndrome?
 

Fiber

Member
Launch UI was better. Even the fucking fans tells were not.

Bunch of fucking Windows 10 shit.
Everything got dark, black-ish, depressive with it.
 
I use the Xbox sometimes at my friend's house and the UI is pretty easy to navigate, don't understand the complaints.
Stop lying, it's impossible to navigate as a first time user and it's the least intuitive UI design ever in the history of UI designs, liar.
Are you sure your friend didn't hold you hostage for weeks until you changed your mind because apparently saying the Xbone UI isn't the worst thing ever means you have Stockholm Syndrome?
Yeah lol, these Xbox UI threads continue to reach new heights.
 

borges

Banned
The main reason it's not basic as it gets is because of the direction misleads. For example turning my Xbone on I immediately see large ads on the right and smaller icons I want to use on the left. My cursor is on home.

I press to the left to select my Netflix app and a whole other menus pops up with shit all over the place. I press to the right to get out of that menu and I'm navigating the new menu and perplexed. I have to press right twice to get back to where I was, and that's just obtuse. Press right three times on accident cause I button mash and suddenly I'm in mixer menu which who the hell knows what that is and it's officially a clusterfck of a shitshow menu at this point.

Once I'm back to my home screen, I press to the right to get to 'my games and apps' and a whole different section of the menu is up, myganes and apps is gone.

I press the guide button and I'm at a different menu again from all three directions.

There's one simple way to get where I want to go but that's the ONLY way to get there. Down, right, A. There's only one way to get back from the left side menu. Right right. You can't just press right, can't press right right right. Just right right. Not to mention, just to search for games that you want to buy or might already own, you have to hit right right right right down down to get to the search bar. What the hell ms.

Some places if you press b it takes you back to the main screen. Most places, pressing b does fuck all to go back where you were.

It's fine if you like to memorize direction presses for everything you do in sequence, as gamers we do that, but for most ppl this ui is a clusterfuck of side menus and jarring screen replacements that uses 89% blank space on the main menu for some ungodly reason. That is not good ui design fellas.


"...turning my Xbone on I immediately see large ads...." -> Not true

"I press to the left to select my Netflix app and a whole other menus pops up with shit all over the place" -> Not true

"Press right three times on accident cause I button mash and suddenly I'm in mixer menu" -> That combination makes no sense. Even you are not describing what you made accurately, or not true.

"I press to the right to get to 'my games and apps' and a whole different section of the menu is up"-> Not true. Just tested a moment ago on my Xbox.

"I press the guide button and I'm at a different menu again from all three directions. " -> Not true, that never happened, not even in the original UI.

"Some places if you press b it takes you back to the main screen. Most places, pressing b does fuck all to go back where you were. " -> True, but only on store (at least, couldnt verify this on other sections).


"It's fine if you like to memorize direction presses for everything you do in sequence, as gamers we do that, but for most ppl this ui is a clusterfuck"-> My wife (non gamer) has zero issues with UI. My brother (no gamer at all) no issues. My 6yo, also, never had an issue to find things on the UI. 6yo, yes. Think about that ;)
 

Fiber

Member
Anyone else hates also the "blump" sound when navigating?
It's disgusting, it must be soft like switch or ps4 ui. click, click....
 
Sure it was better, it looked not depressive, had colors, the main menu were polished, elegantly designed. Looked Rich & unique.

What you got now? Fucking black-dark colors everywhere.


I can't agree. I think it's a million times better now. I mean the double tap on Xbox button and snap was stupid... I love the new guide and only pressing on the Xbox button once.
 
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