Xbox One April update preview to roll out very soon, lots of new improvements on board

Hammad Saleem

Xbox One 1404 update preview

Since the launch of the Xbox One, Microsoft has released two major updates for the Xbox One, one was earlier this month while the other one was released back in February. Now, it has been revealed that the company is already working on yet another update for the Xbox One.

Microsoft also revealed that the “1404 update preview,” or April 2014 update, will run longer than the previous update, and as a matter of fact, it may roll out in multiple previews. The first preview should roll out in the next few days for people enrolled in the Xbox One Update Preview Program soon, according to Microsoft, and they were kind enough to share some of the features that will be a part for the first 1404 preview update for the Xbox One.

As far as the new features are concerned, the preview update will bring several new features on board, including improved audio settings as well as a fix for some Xbox One device management issues, Kinect improvements, game/app saves and updates that allows users to see the progress of the game as well as see which games have been updated, and more. Here’s a complete list of features that will be the part of the April update or 1404 Update Preview:

  • Game and app saves and updates. A game save progress bar will show you the status of your game saves. You will also be able to easily tell what games and apps are being updated or have been updated recently.
  • Friends improvements. Notifications will be added to see when favorites and friends sign in to Xbox Live. This actually was one of the most frequently requested features from the first preview wave and we made it a priority to include it in the April update. Also, friends who are in multiplayer will be identified in the friends list. We’ll also add the ability to view friends’ most popular apps.
  • Blu-ray 50 Hz video output support for content recorded at 50 Hz will resolve video playback issues some Xbox Live members in Europe are experiencing.
  • Kinect voice and motion improvements will continue to fine tune the quality and reliability of Xbox One commands.
  • Improved GameDVR video quality through compression algorithm improvements.
  • Updates to Xbox One device management to address issues controlling TVs, set top boxes, and receivers that our customers have reported.
  • New audio settings to tune how much volume is lowered when Kinect is used in communications.

You will see the update in the next few days if you’re enrolled in the Xbox One Update Preview Program. The rest of us will have to wait until April for the update to roll out. What do you think about the features the company plans to introduce in the next update?