Microsoft Ships October Update for Xbox (Beta) App for Windows 10

As you may know, Microsoft offers a beta version of its Xbox app for Windows 10 alongside the shipping version, providing enthusiasts with a chance to test new features before they’re fully baked. This week, the firm issued its first update for this Xbox (Beta) app, adding a number of excellent new features.

Xbox (Beta) was originally released in September, though the initial release simply mirrored the normal app. This month, Xbox (Beta) picks up the follow new features:

Find friends on Facebook. You can now find your friends from Facebook and add them on Xbox Live too. (Look for the Facebook icon in Suggested Friends and Settings.) More should show up as more people on Facebook link their Facebook and Xbox Live accounts.

Add your voice to Game DVR clips on your PC. If you’re in the Windows Insider program (and are presumably on the latest Windows 10 preview build), you can now add your own voice to your Game DVR clips as you play using a headset. Press WINKEY + Alt + M to beginning recording, or you can enable voice for all gaming sessions in Game bar settings.

In-app Store access. The Store link in the nav menu on the left now opens a Store view in the app instead of opening the Windows Store app. And this view provides access to both Windows 10 and Xbox One games, putting the Games with Gold and Deals with Gold games right up front and center, which is really nice. The Store view also provides a persistent search box, and when you’re viewing an Xbox One game you already own, you can launch it your console by clicking a “Play from console” button.

Easier code redemption. If you receive a code in an Xbox message, you can now redeem it directly by clicking a “Redeem code” link in the message, just as you can already on Xbox One.

You can download Xbox (Beta) for Windows 10 from the Windows Store.