Xbox May Have Just Solved A Major Annoyance About Huge Game Updates
Microsoft has rolled out a new update for Xbox Insiders, introducing a range of features that could significantly improve the user experience. Among the changes are updates to Gamertags, but the standout feature allows players to use cloud gaming to play updating titles, effectively addressing a long-standing issue for console users.
As detailed in an Xbox Wire post, this update introduces a solution to a common problem: when a game is updating on a console, it becomes temporarily unplayable. This can be particularly frustrating for large, high-fidelity AAA titles, which often require extended download times. Now, if a game is part of the Game Pass catalog and the user has a subscription, they can launch the game via cloud gaming while the update downloads in the background.
For users with sufficient internet bandwidth, this feature is a game-changer. It demonstrates that Microsoft is still investing in cloud gaming, even as it shifts focus back to console development, such as the upcoming Project Helix.
Other updates are also coming to Xbox Insiders. For example, game hubs for Xbox 360 titles will now display achievements, and a wishlist option will be added to game cards for titles users don’t own. These changes, while minor, address features that many users found surprising were missing.
In 2019, Microsoft limited Gamertags to a maximum of 12 characters. Now, seven years later, the company has increased the limit to 15 characters. This change may finally give users the chance to update their Gamertags, with some considering changing theirs after many years of use.
Xbox Insiders who are part of the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring are the first to experience these updates. The changes will gradually roll out to other Insider tiers and eventually reach all Xbox Series X|S owners.
