Xbox players will receive a fairly comprehensive update to the console dashboard UI that could bring countless benefits to Xbox Game Pass.
In recent years, the way Xbox operates as a company can be said to have changed radically, with the popular Xbox Game Pass service changing the way players play and receive games with unprecedented success. While Xbox Game Pass has grown exponentially recently, Microsoft is certainly still looking for ways to grow and promote the platform.
Recently, Xbox began experimenting with a new look for the core dashboard UI for Xbox consoles, with the goal of improving accessibility for players for the games they love. With that in mind, when it releases in 2023, Microsoft could use the new Xbox UI to further enhance the appeal of the Game Pass service.
The success of the Xbox Game Pass service
Xbox Game Pass was first launched in 2017 as a monthly subscription service that gives subscribers full access to an attractive roster of games. As the service grows and evolves, many additional perks and benefits are added. Now, the service is popular with fans because of its value for money. Today, the service is divided into console or PC subscriptions at the lowest prices, or players can combine both with the popular Game Pass Ultimate subscription tier at a higher price. With Game Pass Ultimate, subscribers also have access to EA Play games, Day One Game Pass, cloud gaming across a variety of devices, and more in-game perks and benefits.
Recently, Microsoft announced plans to launch Xbox Game Pass's Friends and Family subscription tier, which means that up to five players will soon be able to enjoy Game Pass Ultimate for a monthly fee. Considering that the Game Pass service reportedly has over 30 million active users, the platform has revolutionized the way Xbox operates, and this factor is likely to appear in Microsoft's plans to update the Xbox dashboard UI.
New Xbox user interface
While Xbox's core dashboard user interface has remained largely unchanged for some time, Microsoft recently revealed plans for some interesting changes to it. The proposed new Xbox UI update seems to focus primarily on making entry into the game easier and instantaneous, with early previews of the update adding a new "jump back" section for the "Quick Resume" title that players recently played.
The new Xbox UI update also seems to add a quick-access tile for My Games & Apps and the Store, a feature fans have been wanting. The screenshots of the new update seem to be related to Xbox Game Pass, but the new update's ability to boost the popularity of the subscription service may go far beyond that.
For example, new updates may introduce a game tile for Xbox Games Studios' game versions on the first day of their release, and these games can be played through Game Pass as the first-day release. Microsoft's cloud gaming system allows Game Pass subscribers to instantly play these games without downloading, while a location on the dashboard dedicated to these games brings more attention to some Game Pass games.
In addition to this, consistent and ever-changing locations showcasing different Game Pass games will further pique the curiosity of non-subscribers, which could lead to the enticing benefits of the Game Pass service for a new wave of Xbox users. While the new Xbox UI update may seem fairly basic on the surface, it may provide Xbox Game Pass with benefits much more than it does now.