Here Is Why Windows 10 Will Improve Xbox One

With the recent news coming directly from Phil Spencer’s twitter that preview members will (possibly) be getting early access to Windows 10 on Xbox One coming as soon as September, I figured now is as good a time as any to let everyone know just what will change when the new user interface arrives. So let’s take a look at the big improvements Windows 10 will bring to your Xbox One!

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More Responsive Menus

As a general improvement, and something fans have been asking after for a long time, the user interface (or UI) is going to get a massive overhaul. Phil Spencer has assured us that the collective want for a faster messaging service and friends list has been heard and is one of the priorities when Windows 10 launches for Xbox One this fall. This changes is to be expected as Microsoft try to move the Xbox closer and closer in line with Windows, making the Xbox console almost a budget PC/gaming machine with access to everything you can do on your pc, right on your Xbox.

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DirectX 12 Enhancements

Another huge thing for Microsoft and Xbox, and something they surely hear no end of is the fact that the Playstation 4 outpaces the Xbox One in terms of raw power. Sure the Xbox has a few tricks up it’s sleeve when it comes to things like Microsoft’s seemingly unlimited cloud services and the SRAM built into the console, but it is really hard to develop multi-platform games that make use of this technology. This is because the PS4 and Xbox One have different archetypes and are different to develop for if you use all of their resources and it’s easier for the developer to develop using resources common to both platforms. DirectX 12 may be a turning point for Xbox, possibly pulling the console up to Playstation levels of performance, leaving everyone on a level playing field to experience games the way they should be.

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Seamless Connectivity Between PC and Xbox

I started to talk about the connectivity between the PC and Xbox in the responsive menus paragraph, but I thought it was such a cool feature that it deserved it’s own heading. The connectivity between PC and Xbox is going to be huge when it comes to having access to your friends lists and messages, as well as your games, wherever you are. If you’re on the way home from school or work and need to organise a team or a group for an activity later on, you’ve got smartglass right there to sort it out. If you’re in another part of your house on the computer and your friend invites you to a party, you can accept and talk to them while they’re on the console and you’re on the computer. That’s pretty awesome and it doesn’t stop there. There are so many other useful little things that will be helpful over time like being able to edit your game DVR clips while on your computer and checking out your friends recent games and purchasing your own games on the go.

In addition to this, the player-bases for Xbox One and Windows 10 games are going to be combined meaning games like Halo and Fable could have huge numbers of active players when this goes live. We could be looking at some serious longevity for big games if developers decide to take advantage of this feature!

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People down-talk the effectiveness of Windows 10 on consoles, saying that it won’t make a difference at all and PS4 is still better. While this may be true from some perspectives, things like the bigger player-base and connectivity to your phone and PC is going to be huge, and shouldn’t be snuffed at. Make sure you keep your eyes on Phil Spencer’s twitter to hear more about Windows 10 on Xbox One! This could be huge!

What do you guys think? Is Windows 10 the game-changer we’ve been wanting? Let us know your thoughts down below!