Weird Xbox quirks I want Microsoft to fix before the Xbox Series X launch

Xbox Series X Reveal Source: Microsoft

The Xbox Series X is an upcoming beast of a games console, sporting hardware-accelerated ray tracing, up to 8K resolutions, and a monolithic design.

We don't know a not bad deal well-nigh the Xbox Series X's effectively details, nonetheless. Save for some highly-probably spec leaks, guess size, and some of its officially-appear capabilities. Yes it volition play UHD blu-rays, aye it will run all previous Xbox One games (including astern uniform titles), and yes, it will probably blow upwardly your depository financial institution account.

In any case, the Xbox Serial X will go head-to-head against Sony's PlayStation 5, in an era of potential upheaval in the industry. Subscription services like Xbox Game Laissez passer are condign the norm, and various major tech companies are trying to enter the industry with streaming services, like Microsoft'south own Project XCloud. Microsoft is well-placed to weather the tempest that'due south ahead, having invested heavily in beginning-political party content, while leveraging the power of Microsoft'southward Azure cloud platform for game streaming.

Equally an Xbox fan and user, though, there are some weirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrd and neglected aspects of the Xbox platform that I'd like to meet addressed. I wrote nigh the platform'south poor localization across the globe recently, making me wonder what other areas really need some love before the Xbox Series 10 drops in 2022.

Can't controller typing be meliorate somehow?

Xbox controllers Source: Windows Key

1 matter that remains kind of painful in 2022 is using the keyboard via your controller. Navigating that huge QWERTY grid with a joystick, slowly, tediously entering Xbox game codes, sending messages to friends, or typing inside games that support it is a damn pain. Now, you can apply any USB keyboard uniform with Windows x on your Xbox I, simply who actually wants to stuff a keyboard down the side of their living room sofa for those occasional times you might need information technology?

Microsoft previously patented some radial-fashion keyboards specifically for joysticks, but they never saw the light of day in real life consumer scenarios. My Samsung QLED TV software keyboard handles inputs fairly well, predicting the next letter you might option for rapid and like shooting fish in a barrel inputs. I can't assistance but feel like there must be a better way here.

XCloud ergonomics

Xbox Project xCloud Games List Source: Windows Central

I already had started writing this before CES 2022 rolled around, which may accept actually potentially maybe possibly solved my worries here.

Project XCloud / Xbox Game Streaming will allow you the ability to play Xbox games anywhere with a stable cyberspace connexion, streamed via the internet. This tech could prove a renaissance for depression-ability devices, such as cheaper laptops, Windows tablets, and indeed smartphones, which are constrained both in terms of bombardment power and graphics for producing console-level visuals.

We've been using Microsoft'southward streaming services for a while, and accept found them to be extremely promising even in their preview state. Microsoft is hard at piece of work on optimising the service, but there are a few problems from an ergonomic level that need to be solved.

Gaming on a touch screen with games not designed for bear upon screens is a total pain. Microsoft has teased APIs that let developers to make special touch screen controls for their games, merely they haven't materialized only withal. For now, yous have to apply a controller docked to your phone using a plastic clip, which isn't a particularly great feel.

Razer Kishi Source: Daniel Rubino/Windows Primal

The Razer Junglecat solves some of the problems with its Switch-similar docking controller, and the firm already appear a successor, the Razer Kishi, which will support well-nigh whatsoever type of smartphone. Nevertheless, that doesn't solve things like text being too tiny to read on smaller displays, as well as other UI constraints. Fifty-fifty things like the photographic camera being zoomed out too far tin can make a 3D game more difficult to play.

I've been enjoying XCloud primarily on tablets for this reason so far, but the market place share for Android tablets is so small the possibility of getting decent peripherals to compliment the experience seems remote. I'm hoping Microsoft will lead the mode when it comes to showcasing how to improve user interfacing for smaller screens, while likewise making accessories that circumvent touch screen issues. I guess we'll take to look and encounter.

Xbox Store is sloooooooooooow and confusing

Xbox Store Source: Windows Central

Microsoft has washed a off-white scrap of piece of work to improve their digital shop over the years, but it'southward still a bit of a pain to navigate and use.

Since the unabridged storefront on Xbox is web-based, loading in each and every element, and so navigating back and forth betwixt them is such a slow, ho-hum feel that the urge to impulse purchase frequently subsides earlier I've finished putting in my payment data.

Each private shop folio isn't but slow to load, the Xbox itself can barely handle information technology, visibly slowing to a crawl when each page is laden with screenshots and auto-playing video (which should exist disabled by default, not as an option). It also feels like the store is split into split "app" experiences, between the Xbox Bone trounce itself and the section where you lot really make the purchases. Why can't information technology all be within one experience? Surely the Xbox Serial Ten hardware volition help out with these issues but, is in that location no universe where the Xbox One store tin't exist fast and fluid?

Remember Xbox Clubs?

Xbox Clubs Source: Windows Central

Recall Xbox Clubs? No? You'd be forgiven, since Microsoft has barely spoken almost them for quite a while now.

Xbox Clubs were supposed to exist Microsoft'south respond to Discord's community tools, and Steam's community pages for developers, connecting games straight with their fans. Over time, they've become a bit brackish, with Microsoft neglecting to include them in both the Xbox (beta) app on PC for Xbox Game Pass, and the new Windows Key+M Xbox Game Bar.

Considering Microsoft is investing a lot in building communities on Mixer, and has one of the largest gaming social networks in the form of Xbox Live, the fact that Xbox remains and then far behind Discord, and even services like Boxing.net for community interactions is a flake odd to me. No gifs, no file sharing, no channels. Weirdness.

What's going on with Upload Studio?

Upload Studio Source: Windows Primal

Speaking of neglected Xbox features, call up Upload Studio?

In the early days of the Xbox I, Upload Studio was an app for creating videos out of your gameplay clips. Over fourth dimension, it evolved to incorporate unique filters and transitions for various games, and became smarter and more intuitive for building content. At some indicate though, it was put on indefinite hiatus, and hasn't been updated in like, forever.

Microsoft by and large sucks at making default tools for basic media cosmos. I still hear iMovie and Last Cut Pro as a reason people are unable to give upwards Apple'due south Macs, since Windows has no existent intuitive equivalents that don't toll an Adobe-arm-and-a-leg. The Photos app on Windows 10 has some rudimentary features for editing clips, but it's pretty atrocious for whatsoever fifty-fifty vaguely serious content creation.

This is perhaps more of a Microsoft-wide issue of hoping UWP developers will step in to make up for its shortcomings, but it would be nice if Microsoft put a piddling more effort in hither, fifty-fifty if it'southward only on the Xbox side.

Family sharing of subscriptions

Xbox Live Gold Source: Windows Central

Another complaint I go every now and and so is the lack of family sharing features for Xbox digital content across the board. Nintendo Online (admittedly, notably worse than Xbox Live in near every sense), allows you to share a unmarried subscription with several family members. Xbox Live merely allows you to share admission to multiplayer on the console yous're signed in on, which defeats the whole point of "roaming" with Projection XCloud and other streaming services. Fifty-fifty Netflix and Spotify have family unit sharing options, it seems odd that Xbox Live is and so inflexible on this forepart.

Although this may exist down to licensing, it would as well exist overnice if Xbox had something akin to Steam'southward family sharing library, or even Android's. On those platforms, yous can choose digital games you can share with friends and family, without having to be presently signed in. You can't both use the aforementioned license at the same time, of grade, simply it'southward the digital equivalent of lending someone a disc. Seems odd that Xbox is backside on that front too.

What do you remember?

These are merely a few of my own personal pet peeves with Xbox as it stands in 2022. Microsoft has fixed mountains of issues with the platform over the years, improving the dashboard, streamlining features, and improving integration across panel and PC. There are too many neglected features though, and that'south without going into more complicated matters like poor localization, outstanding accessibility needs, and then on.

What do you think Microsoft still needs to accost with the Xbox platform? Hit the comments, permit united states know.

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