Microsoft has been talking quite a bit lately about its’ upcoming dashboard UI update. One of the details about this refresh that just became available is that it will feature the removal of a function that is one of the more original functions on any console out right now.

Microsoft’s Mike Ybarra confirmed on Twitter that the Xbox One dashboard will soon not have the Snap function any longer. Ybarra said the removal is so that the dashboard will, “improve multitasking, reduce memory use, improve overall speed, and free up resources going forward for bigger things.”

The bigger things have not been made clear yet but there has been some talk about a kind of picture in picture feature. This would be an interesting replacement for a function that allowed people to see their game play alongside a period of time when another app was running. We’ll just have to wait and see if picture in picture is indeed a new addition.

A new firmware update for the Xbox One is available which prepares your console for the UI update coming this fall. That’s the Windows 10 experience optimized for Xbox One and purports to increase the speed of the interface substantially along with adding a ton new features.

The new UI is still a ways off but the firmware update does bring in a fix for issues with Party Chat. So that’s something.

Other updates due to arrive in the fall for Xbox One include backwards compatibility for Xbox 360 titles, including the ability to access Xbox 360 Games With Gold titles on your Xbox One. That increases the range of free offerings on the console by a substantial margin.

For more information on the Xbox One fall update and how it will improve your experience, head here. Stay tuned for more information on the same in the meantime, including a release date for the new update.

The PlayStation 4 UI has received its fair share of compliments and complaints since launch. While it is a very large improvement over the PS3’s interface, some still feel that it could use a few more features. One Reddit user decided to create some mock-ups of what the PS4 UI could look like with a few changes. Check them out below.

The most obvious change here is clumping together the games and apps you have in one Library and giving you the chance to hide the ones you don’t often use. You could always sort these out though, with options for displaying hidden apps and games.

The other net addition here is for a Games folder. You can also choose to move games to this folder or pin them to your home screen for easy access. This is a good way to get everything organized.

Finally, you have the Internet Browser section which consists of different Live Tile-like squares. Options for deleting apps that you don’t use would be available, along with Library tiles showing your more recent games. Other options include what you were viewing last on your browser, which PS Shows you were viewing last, etc.

What do you think of the above mock-ups and do you have any of your own changes to recommend? Let us know in the comments.

Industry insider Pete Dodd revealed some interesting information via Twitter. After all the leaks and rumours regarding Xbox One exclusives like Halo 5 and Halo 2 Anniversary, Dodd said that we won’t be seeing games running at 60 FPS and 1080p resolution any time soon.

Dodd first talked about the UI and stated that, “I talked to so many devs who said the UI was a mess. They did a great job pulling it together.” This was the case even though, “It crashed a lot of debug units right up till launch. System launched…Stable UI.”

He also made sure to clarify that when it comes to graphics, “Cloud won’t help with rendering. Not for half a decade at minimum. As for 1080p/60fps – not anytime soon but tools will improve.” When asked if freeing up the GPU for more usage – as indicated by an 8 percent gain in usage for developers – helps, Dodd stated, “A little. Card is still weak. Worst decision they made making the box. Kinect is expensive so they went with a cheap gpu.”

Dodd did say that the problem isn’t the amount of RAM, as indicated by a user who believes the console should have had 12 GB DDR3 RAM to compete with the PS4’s 8 GB GDDR5 RAM. “The problem isn’t the amount, it’s the speed. Plenty of room to store 1080p textures, just not enough speed or power to output it.”

What are your thoughts on the same? Let us know in the comments below.

Sony announced that prior to the release of the PlayStation 4 in Europe it would be disabling certain features on the PlayStation Network in order to minimize the server load it would face. One of these features included “What’s New” that showcased different notifications including what your friends were doing, the Trophies they unlocked, etc.

That feature is now live on PSN in Europe, so European players can now benefit from seeing what their friends are currently busy with. Given that the PlayStation 4 was an enormous success in Europe, selling more than 250,000 units in the first 48 hours of its launch and thus becoming the fastest selling console in UK history, it seems this strategy paid off in the end.

The PS4 lifetime sales managed to outpace that of the Wii U, which has been on sale for a year. This meant that Knack outsold Super Mario 3D World, which caused former BigBig Studios employee Kenny Linder to criticize Nintendo for releasing it so close to the launch of the PS4 and Xbox One.

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The PlayStation 4 is less than a day away from launch in North America, but issues have been popping up left and right. One user reported his console being bricked, requiring a removal of the HDD and re-insertion to fix it. Now another user has uploaded a video which shows the UI overlapping within the interface. Check it out above.

While it’s advised to check your HDMI cable, what’s seen in this video seemingly goes beyond that. A leaderboard-type of screen can be seen overlapping on a Trophy screen. Would that be possible if it were an HDMI problem? It may also be a GPU issue, with the user stating that within one hour of receiving the console from Taco Bell, the GPU has failed. This follows other complaints from those who have received their consoles as prizes but are facing issues.

Hopefully Sony can look into these issues sooner rather than later. But it couldn’t have come at a worse time, as the PS4 will launch on November 15th in the United States. What are your thoughts on the same? Let us know below.

There will also be changes in overall system menus, which will be smaller thus making game art more prominent, and accessing menus takes a simple button press. You’ll also be able to remotely queue games for download and there will be support for USB storage devices.

What about OUYA 2.0, which promised an overhaul of the interface and which was expected to release in 2014? This appears to be different from that so stay tuned for more details. Does this make the console more appealing to you or does the OUYA still have a ways to go? Let us know below.

How did the hardware and launch line-up fare? Head here to find out multiple publications’ opinions on the same, including the best launch title of the lot. The PlayStation 4 will be out in North America on Friday, with a European launch on November 29th. Stay tuned for more details.

We also get to see how easily one can switch between users without much trouble, and how programs like Bing can easily be switched to in the middle of gameplay. Interestingly, it’s not as awkward as it sounded the first time around. Kinect works fairly well in voice recognition and executing commands quickly as well.

The Xbox One will be launching on November 22nd in 13 territories across the world. Will you be picking one up on launch day or will you hold off till later? Let us know below in the comments.

The interface revealed in the video has been described as “old firmware” by Linder. Since then, there have been changes as seen with the new Library option, added in version 1.5. As of now, Linder isn’t sure if this for games or images and videos, since the videos recorder don’t appear in the library folder. It has been described as being a dev kit occurrence where they possibly appear elsewhere, but regardless, Linder believes games will be in the Library menu due to the left-to-right list option shown in the video becoming hard to use after a while.

Linder also confirmed that the dev kit firmware is different from the retail version and that more info would be available in the coming weeks about what the Library has (and how you’ll be able to access multimedia and video recordings). At this point, it’s just unknown.

On the interface being described as light, Linder pointed out that firmware 1.5 is light but also very fast to use. You’ll be able to leave and re-enter your current game fluidly and apparently, in an instant.

When a user mentioned a screen like the above, which showcases an option rich interface, it was revealed that this information comes up when you select one of the games from the left-to-right navigation menu. By pressing X or down, you’ll go to a lower level of the dynamic menu which showcases info about the game, its background and game music along with trophies, trailers and more. You can start the game from this menu. All the Options are located in the top row according to Linder.

The interface is divided into three levels: the top section is apparently the PS3 XMB where you can choose between Friends, Profile and Settings along with other options; the middle one has icons of different games, What’s New, the Library and Store; the bottom-most level is brought up when you select a game, which showcases the above information.

Jumping between is done via button presses and described as light and quick. Interestingly, it’s a lag-free experience when you’re in-between gameplay and runs at 60 FPS. The “relaxing music” has already been confirmed and as mentioned previously, can be turned off if you wish.

As for why there hasn’t been an official UI walkthrough video, with only 11 days till the PS4’s launch in North America, and requests for Linder to make his own with certain details blacked out, he responded that, “If I worked at Sony still I’d be pushing the crap out of them for SOMEONE to do a full tour of the OS but sadly that’s not the case. I think if I did that at work myself I would be in a shit storm from where I work now and Sony. Has anyone asked Holly at Access about an OS tour? Those guys seem pretty decent and would at least give an indication of when it might happen!”

The PlayStation 4 will be launching on November 15th in North America and November 29th in Europe. What are your thoughts on the current UI showcased in the dev kit and what the commercial retail release will contain? Let us know below.