Xbox Series X is getting another awesome feature that will be completely overlooked

Microsoft is fixing one of the biggest issues with modern gaming in a new Xbox update

(Credit: Microsoft)

• 🆕 A new Xbox Series X feature is available to Insiders now

• 👏 It’ll let you install game updates before they release

• 😮 It means you might never have to wait for an update again

• 😢 It’s yet another great Xbox feature that will get little to no attention

Microsoft may be finding a way to shoot itself in the foot at every opportunity recently, but it’s just quietly revealed a new Xbox Series X feature that addresses one of the biggest problems with modern-day gaming: waiting for updates.

The sad thing is, it’ll probably go completely under the radar for the majority of people. Microsoft doesn’t do a great job at highlighting the strengths of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, with game-changing features like Quick Resume barely known to anyone who doesn’t already own the console.

Quick Resume lets you suspend and resume several titles, meaning you can switch between games almost instantly and return to where you left off in a moment’s notice. It’s one of the most next-gen features I’ve used, and something that I miss whenever I’m playing on PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch.

Microsoft also doesn’t talk much about Auto HDR, FPS Boost, Dolby Vision and Atmos gaming support and the controller’s long overlooked Impulse Triggers, which all help to differentiate the Xbox Series X and S from the PS5. Again, it’s unlikley that many consumers will even know they exist.

But the new Xbox Series X feature called ‘Update Pre-Download’ should be celebrated. It lets supported games download updates days before they are scheduled to release, so you can jjump in and start playing right when the update goes live. No more waiting around.

To enable ‘Update Pre-Download’, go to ‘My games & apps’ > ‘Manage’ > ‘Updates’. The first title to enable this feature is the Sea of Thieves Insider program, which should make testing new additions to Rare’s popular pirate live service game much smoother than before.

You might be thinking that the Xbox consoles already pre-installs game updates, and they do if your console is rest mode and you’ve recently played that game. However, you still have to wait for the update to actually release before that happens, and that can often occur when you’re playing a title or when the console isn’t in rest mode. Ultimately, it means you tend to find yourself sitting around and twiddling your thumbs as the update installs.

The new ‘Update Pre-Download’ feature could potentially make it so you’re never waiting for an update to install again, which would be a revolutionary quality of life feature that other consoles can’t offer.

But alas, it’s likely that few people will notice. While Sony continues to hammer on about the uniqueness of the DualSense controller and its proprietary 3D audio with every new release, Microsoft is unlikely to shout about this latest innovation from the rooftops, when it really should.

The ‘Update Pre-Download’ feature is rolling out to Alpha Xbox Insiders now, but expect it to roll out globally in the coming months once its been thoroughly vetted.

Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.