New Features in Preview for Windows 10 and Xbox

Take a closer look at what’s coming to Xbox on Windows 10 with this month's Xbox app preview and Windows Insider updates from the Windows team.

Xbox keeps getting better with more new features coming to preview this month for both Xbox One consoles and the Xbox app on Windows 10. We’re making the Xbox app more social, while also giving you more control over your Xbox experience. Also, this month we are delivering several new fan-requested features to the Xbox One console and Xbox One SmartGlass.

Xbox on Windows 10

Game DVR for PC games – The Game bar lets you record game clips of your favorite Windows games.

Screenshots – Take screenshots of Windows PC games by pressing Windows + Alt + PrtScr. Just as with Game DVR, you can also do this by clicking the “Screenshot” button on the Game bar.

Live Tiles – The Xbox tile on your Windows 10 start menu now welcomes you back, showing off your gamerpic and letting you know when you have new messages and activity alerts.

Avatar app – A new app is available in the Windows Store to customize your Xbox avatar’s appearance and outfit your avatar with a vast collection of items.

User profile – You can see another gamer’s bio, location, reputation, tenure, and other information in the more info page, including their animated avatar.

Real name sharing – Similar to the features we brought you in the March update on Xbox One, you can now choose to share your real name on the Xbox app with all of your friends or with everybody.

In addition to keeping you connected to your games and friends, we’re giving you even more control over the Xbox experience on Windows 10.

Xbox One Now Playing and media controls – The games and apps you’ve used most recently on your Xbox One are now displayed when you connect the Xbox app to your console. You can also use the Xbox app to pause, fast forward and rewind.

Live TV streaming and PIP (picture in picture) support – For preview members with an Xbox One Digital TV Tuner (in 16 European countries and Australia) or a Hauppauge 955Q TV Tuner (available in the U.S. or Canada) attached to their Xbox One, you can now stream live TV within your home from your Xbox One to Windows 10 PC running the Xbox app.

Xbox controller drivers – The drivers for Xbox controllers are now included with Windows 10, so you no longer have to download and install controller drivers on Windows 10.

The Xbox app will automatically update to the April preview version when it becomes available in the Windows Store. Once you receive the update, your version number should be 4.4.9014.0 or higher. You can verify the version number of the Xbox app in Settings.

• Xbox One and SmartGlass updates

The Xbox team continues to work hard to bring the many fan-requested features on the Xbox Feedback site to Xbox One and Xbox One SmartGlass, with the following items being available to preview members this month:

Over-the-air TV for the U.S. and Canada – Earlier this month, we announced the preview for an Over-the-Air Tuner for the U.S. and Canada.

Power on and off from Xbox One SmartGlass – The beta versions of the Xbox One SmartGlass apps for Windows, Windows Phone and Android will be updated to let you turn your Xbox One on and off.

Wireless Display app – Try the Wireless Display app to cast photos stored on your phone to your Xbox One, or to stream non-protected video content from your PC to your Xbox.

User-selectable power mode – Select your preferred power mode, either Instant-on or Energy-saving mode.

Voice messages – The ability to send and receive voice messages from the Xbox One messages app continues in preview this month.

Larry Hryb, Xbox Live's Major Nelson and Richard Irving from the Xbox engineering team discuss upcoming updates for Xbox One, the Xbox App on Windows 10 and Xbox Smartglass. Updates include Game DVR, user profile updates and real name sharing for the Xbox App on Windows 10.