Xbox One February 2015 System Update is Now Available

Several weeks back I previewed the February 2015 System Update for Xbox One. But that update is now generally available, providing a number of useful new features to everyone using Microsoft’s latest video game console.

Microsoft usually releases new system updates for Xbox One every month, but this is the first system update of 2015, according to the software giant.

Here’s a rundown of what’s new. It’s a long list.

Controller improvements – Via a separate firmware update—in other words, this isn’t technically part of the February update—the Xbox One controller is being updated with Quick Connect functionality, so it will take two seconds to connect vs. four or five seconds previously, and some stability improvements. Upgrading the firmware on the controller isn’t exactly automatic or obvious, so check out my article Xbox One Controller is Getting a Firmware Update for the details.

Game hubs. This new feature will provide a new game hub for every Xbox One game, so you can easily see which of your friends are playing that game, compete with them in game leaderboards, check out new game clips and game broadcasts, and follow the game’s VIPs and top players. To see a game’s hub, press the Menu button on your Xbox One controller while selecting its tile in Pins, your recently played list, My Games and Apps, or anywhere else in the Dashboard.

Party chat updates. Party chat gains new chat connection status icons, improved connectivity between multiple participants with Strict or Moderate NATs, improvements to game and party invitations, and improved performance.

Custom backgrounds and tile transparency. Now, you can customize your Xbox One Dashboard background with your own photo to image (this feature was added in November) and add transparency to most UI tiles so that the background shows through more effectively.

TV updates. Microsoft has added a ton of new features to the TV functionality in Xbox One. You will now seeing “Trending on Xbox” listings (in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada) and “Trending on Twitter listing (in the United States) in OneGuide TV listings. Users in France, Germany, Brazil and Mexico will now see live TV trending data in OneGuide. Updates to the IR blasting database support new TV, set-top box and audio/video receiver models. A new “trick play” feature for those with the Xbox One Digital TV Tuner (United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Spain only) will let users see video frames when fast-forwarding or rewinding paused TV. Live TV streaming is available now on Windows Phone and Android via the Xbox One SmartGlass app (requires a Digital TV Tuner). And support for OneGuide is has been extended to The Netherlands.

So get updating, people. And if you want to know more, check out this Microsoft video. Sorry in advance for the narrator.