The Xbox One UI has come a long way from the original confusing, bloated mess that Microsoft released with the console three years ago. Today, it’s mostly pleasant to use, and intuitive to figure out where things are- although some relics of the old UI still remain. These include the Guide Menu, which requires multiple button presses to get anything done, and the Snap Mode, which is never universally supported, and which seems to take away more utility from the player than it gives them.
According to a rumor on Windows Central, both of these may be about to get very significant revamps- the Guide Menu apparently is being reworked to provide instant access to recently used apps, features, and softwares, and also to display pins. All of this is being done to reduce the number of steps it takes to get anything done.
And what of the Snap Mode? Well, according to this rumor, it’s being removed entirely. It’s a relic of the old Xbox One UI, based on Windows 8, when Kinect was necessary to navigate the UI. It’s suboptimal to try and get Snap to work on a controller, and it’s not even properly supported – UWP apps don’t support it on Xbox One – all of which might be reasons as to why Microsoft are taking it away.
On my part, I say bring it. The Xbox One UI has come a long way, but still has a long way to go. If jettisoning legacy features that make no sense is what it takes to make the UI less convoluted, then by all means, Microsoft should go ahead.
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