Microsoft is continuing its ongoing efforts to introduce more features to Xbox and test them through its Insider program. A brand-new update has been released for Xbox consoles linked to Insider accounts that brings in some new UI elements that give players more options across various actions like sharing gameplay moments, tracking Achievement progress, and managing libraries, among other things.
Kicking things off, Xbox Insiders will now be able to record their voice chat as part of game captures. The feature is available to users in the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring, and provides options for each player in a party to decide whether their voice can be captured. For non-party multiplayer sessions, users can also include the game’s own chat audio in captures.
Alpha Skip-Ahead users can now also better sort their Achievement history thanks to the inclusion of more options like sorting by name, completion percentage, Gamerscore earned, and number of Achievements unlocked. These will be available alongside the “last played” view, and will offer ascending and descending order options.
Cloud saves are getting enhancements, with Insider players getting the option to restore previously synced cloud save files directly from an Xbox console. It is worth noting that games need to support this feature individually, and the testing will start out with Forza Horizon 6. The feature, which also includes the ability to browse through available cloud save versions, will be released to more players next week.
Finally, the update has increased the limit on how many games can be added to wishlists up to 1,000. This feature has been released for all Xbox players. “Whether you’re building a backlog, keeping an eye on future launches, or waiting for the right time to jump in, you’ll now have plenty of room to organize the games you don’t want to miss.”
The latest round of feature testing comes just a couple of weeks after Xbox had kicked off testing for its ad-supported cloud streaming service. Available to Xbox Insiders, the new tier of the service will have session limits of one hour across all supported devices and regions, and players will get served with advertisements before their play session begins. It is also worth noting that players need to own the games they want to stream, since the service is going to be entirely separate from the cloud streaming option available to Game Pass subscribers.
“Advertising has existed in gaming for decades, from in-game placements to free-to-play models,” explained the company. “But it hasn’t always been built with the player in mind. When done well, advertising can help lower the cost of access. It creates another way for players to get into games without an upfront streaming purchase and expands audiences through new ways to play.”
The supported games list for the ad-supported cloud streaming tier includes a host of 2026 releases, like Forza Horizon 6 and 007 First Light. Several older titles are also available from across the Xbox catalog. There has been no confirmation yet on when this ad-supported tier will be rolled out to general users.
