Xbox has revamped the Games & Apps library with a new interface
Shiny and chrome.
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What you need to know
The Xbox dashboard has seen a few interesting updates in recent times, most notably perhaps the inclusion ofDiscord as part of the Xbox Insider Program. This latest Xbox Insider Alpha Ring build has issued some notable changes to the Games & Apps section, which is typically where you go to browse all of your installed content and available games for download.
The new interface revamps the “Full Library” section of the dashboard, which was admittedly a little cluttered in the previous incarnation. Now, it sports a speedy tabbed interface with horizontal labels for different pools of content, separating “Owned games” that you’ve purchased outright from libraries likeXbox Game Passor EA Play.
Each tab section has a design with specific features for that pool of content in mind. For example, the full “owned games” list doesn’t exactly need to show you “recent additions” or “leaving soon” filters, which is exactly what the Xbox Game Pass tab has instead. You still get the regular filters as previous, with the ability to change the sizes of the tiles to fit more content on a single screen.
Right now, the tabs are as follows:
To speculate, Microsoft may have built this streamlined section to incorporate other future gaming subscription pools into the library. Recently, Ubisoft+ assets were discovered byAggiornamenti Lumiaon Twitter in Xbox’s back-end. It lends further fuel to earlier rumors that Microsoft may be exploring a partnership with the Assassin’s Creed publisher, in a collaboration that could be similar to what Xbox Game Pass has with EA Play. Ubisoft+ is already available as a separate service on PC, but can also be purchased as part of PlayStation Plus and even Amazon’s nascent streaming service Luna.
Increasingly, it seems like subscription services are going to be an important part of AAA publisher revenue streams, and the change to the Xbox Games & Apps library is most likely designed to accommodate that. Xbox has been hard at work adding features and content to its ownXbox Game Pass service, with a Friends & Familyplan just over the horizon.
The new Xbox Games & Apps library is available now as part of the Xbox Insider Program, and will likely roll out to the general public in the coming weeks.
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Jez Corden is the Executive Editor at Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by tea. Follow onTwitter (X)andThreads, and listen to hisXB2 Podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!
