Xbox System Update Drops, Adds Highly Requested Handy New Feature
Topics: Xbox, Xbox Ally, Xbox Game Pass, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PC, Mobile Games
Featured Image Credit: Future Publishing (via Getty Images)
Topics: Xbox, Xbox Ally, Xbox Game Pass, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PC, Mobile Games
Microsoft has deployed the latest Xbox update, and with it comes a handy new feature and improvements that should make keeping track of crossplay games so much easier.
Back in the day, having to connect consoles to the internet and needing post-launch updates was never the norm. Whether it’s SEGA, Nintendo, or the OG PlayStation, we’d simply buy our console, plug it in, insert a game and away we go. Those were good times indeed.
Nowadays, cloud gaming is very much the norm and would have been unthinkable in decades gone by. Cloud gaming has so many benefits, such as being able to play a game on the go, and with our progress also being stored in the cloud, it also means that we can pick up where we left off, no matter where we are in the world!
Microsoft, in particular, has made big strides with cloud gaming and its integration into Xbox Game Pass. We can stream and play games from Xbox Game Pass without even having to download them. Games can be streamed to smart TVs, mobile phones and the new Xbox ROG Ally.
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However, one of the more common complaints with cloud gaming is keeping track of our saves. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve tried to access a cloud save, but I’ve been unsure of how recent that save might be. As such, there have been times when I’ve loaded up the incorrect save, which temporarily pushed back my in-game progress. Thankfully, a recent Xbox update should drastically reduce the chances of that happening again.
As brought to our attention by GameRant, rather than making big improvements to the Xbox Series X/S, January’s update focuses more on the supporting apps, cloud streaming and the handheld ROG Xbox Ally consoles.
My favourite new Xbox feature is the ‘Game Save Sync Indicator’. In a nutshell, this allows gamers to see exactly where a cloud save has been made, marked by a date and time stamp.
The Xbox PC app now fully supports Arm-based Windows 11 PC systems. This makes mobile gaming when using Xbox Game Pass more energy efficient. At the time of writing, about 85% of the game catalogue supports this new feature, with more additions arriving at a later date.
More Smart TVs are now compatible with the Xbox Game Pass streaming capabilities. While we know that some Hisense and V homOS-powered Smart TVs are compatible, Microsoft hasnt released the full list yet.
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Following in the footsteps of Steam Deck “verified” titles, the following games have recently been better optimised for the ROG Xbox Ally consoles (more games will be added over time):
The final new feature of note is that mouse and keyboard support has now been expanded to over 230 titles, with added “touch controls available on cloud” for compatible games. The latest titles with mouse and keyboard support are: