Software King of the World Microsoft is testing a redesigned Xbox PC app that it claims launches up to 60 per cent faster, leaving gamers less time staring at the loading screen.
According to Xbox Wire, the update started reaching Xbox Insiders on 5 November. Microsoft claims pages such as Home, Store and Game Pass load up to 50 per cent faster, while windows within the application open up to 65 per cent faster.
These are Vole’s own test results, and the company warns that improvements vary by device and internet connection. It has not promised that everyone will get the biggest gains.
The library gets simpler navigation and revised filters, with more ways to organise games. Friends and social features move into the main navigation, making it easier to start a chat or join a party without wandering around the interface.
Search now covers games, including installed titles and add-ons, alongside people. Microsoft has refreshed the game cards and settings pages, with changes to the Home screen and animations.
Getting into a launcher quickly ought to be a fairly basic requirement for a gaming service, but the claimed improvements are substantial enough to welcome. They concern the application itself, so nobody should expect their games to run 60 per cent faster.
Meanwhile, Microsoft is extending its redesigned cloud gaming website to more players automatically over the next few weeks. A new Library tab brings together owned games available for streaming and titles accessible through Game Pass.
The web interface makes better use of larger screens and offers dark and light modes, plus five high-contrast options. Refreshed navigation is beginning to reach cloud gaming apps on supported televisions and VR headsets.
The PC application remains an Insider release, with no general-release date announced.
