Xbox April update brings important changes and a highly requested feature
You now don't need a console to buy games, or sign up to Game Pass
👀 Microsoft has unveiled a range of useful changes to the Xbox app and consoles to further optimize the user experience
📱 One of the most requested of these – to access Game Pass subscriptions and to buy games from the Xbox app – has finally been added
☁️ There are also more games and devices you can stream to
🙌 Microsoft has made the Game Hubs feature public after weeks of testing with insiders
Microsoft has just dropped a host of new changes and optimizations for Xbox consoles, including some exciting app features.
Chief among these are new features integrated into the Xbox App. You now have the ability to purchase games, redeem perks, and sign up to Game Pass without the need for a console or a web browser, which Microsoft says has been one of the most requested features from users.
If you're a Game Pass Ultimate member, you can also now stream selected games that you own via Xbox Cloud Gaming, as well as ones from the Game Pass catalog on your console. This saves you the hassle of downloading and installing them first, if you just want to get straight into the game.
With its 'Stream Your Own Game' service, Microsoft is continuing to add even more games to its library of over 100 playable titles. Recently added titles include everything from Lego Marvel Superheroes to Subnautica 2 and Disney Epic Mickey: Refurbished, with games such as Teardown and Undisputed still to come.
You can now also access the Xbox Remote Play feature from more devices, by visiting xbox.com/remoteplay on any device with a supported web browser, such as supported Samsung Smart TVs, Meta Quest headsets and Amazon Fire devices. You'll also be able to play streamable original Xbox and Xbox 360 games through these means, too.
A small quality of life feature that's been added can be found in the storage tab on Xbox consoles. It’ll now display further recommendations on how you can save space by advising about the removal of duplicate copies, and games you no longer have access to that are just sitting there.
The previously exclusive-to-Insiders Game Hubs feature is also now public, displaying relevant information such as stats, achievements, captures, add-ons and more, all in one place. With it, Microsoft has also introduced a method for players to launch games directly, as opposed to going through the hub menu in the console's personalization settings.
Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.