Microsoft Unveils The New Main Menu for Xbox Series X|S

Microsoft announces extensive changes to the design of the so-called “Home Experience” for Xbox consoles. Over the coming months, the Series X and Series S dashboard will be visually closer to the Xbox TV app. A first insider update will be released later today.

As Ivy Krislov, Xbox Experiences Product Manager, confirms in a new blog post, Microsoft is now starting a multi-month series of experiments to find out how to customize the home screen of the Xbox Series X|S while listening to trends and the wishes of the players can be accommodated.

Xbox Insiders in the Alpha Skip-Ahead Ring will be the first users to experience the new home screen dashboard. According to the random principle, the new start screen is to be rolled out starting today with “changes to the layout, design, and usability”. The split image is reminiscent of the Xbox app for smart TVs.

Tiles remain the linchpin of the dashboard

For the first preview update, a new “Jump back in” row is introduced, providing quick access to recently played games and apps. In addition, system apps such as settings, the Microsoft Store, the search, and the overview for “My games & apps” can be reached more quickly via their own home screen tiles. In the lower part of the dashboard, Microsoft also integrates curated categories and recommendations that are intended to be tailored to the gaming preferences of Xbox Series X|S users.

In general, the Redmond company wants to offer consistent design and visual recognition features with updated layouts to keep the start screen familiar even for long-time Xbox players. Serious visual changes, such as when switching from Windows 10 to Windows 11, are therefore not to be expected.

Availability for all players

The update will take time: “We know it will take time to get this right, so we will be rolling it out slowly and making improvements as we go along. We look forward to, with your help, bringing this new one to life in 2023 to introduce better home experiences,” says Krislov.