Xbox’s April Update adds long-awaited features for console and PC
▼ Summary
– Xbox consoles now allow up to 10 game groups (up from 2), custom UI colors with brightness/saturation options, and per-game disabling of Quick Resume.
– The Xbox on PC app now lets users add any installed game or app from any source, with options to customize names, icons, and launch settings.
– Players can pin up to three games from Jump back in and Most Recent lists on PC, and a new Gamepad Cursor feature allows controller use as a mouse in Xbox Game Bar.
– A new Play History tab and cleaner horizontal display are added to the My games & apps section on Xbox, plus streaming resolution choices and a Network Quality Indicator.
– Notifications in Xbox Game Bar can now be repositioned to one of nine screen sections, and the April Update overall improves customization and user experience across Xbox platforms.
Microsoft’s April update for Xbox Series X|S and the Xbox on PC app has arrived, bringing a suite of features that players have long been requesting. Under the leadership of new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, who took the helm just over two months ago, the platform has already seen a flurry of positive changes. Last week, a widely praised Xbox Game Pass price drop took effect, and earlier, Microsoft confirmed that upgrades to customization and Achievements were in testing. Now, as April winds down, several of those features are fully rolling out, alongside others that have been in development for some time.
On Xbox consoles, the most notable addition is the ability to create up to 10 groups for organizing games on the Home screen, a significant jump from the previous limit of two. Rearranging and pinning these groups has also been streamlined. Customization gets a boost with a new option to apply a custom UI color, complete with controls for brightness and saturation. The popular Quick Resume feature, which lets you suspend and quickly switch between games, can now be disabled on a per-game basis. This is especially helpful for titles that suffer performance issues when left open for long periods or those requiring a persistent internet connection.
Smaller but welcome tweaks include a new Play History tab in the My games & apps section, offering a cleaner horizontal view of your recent activity. While streaming, users can now select a preferred resolution, and a Network Quality Indicator (NQI) provides real-time feedback on connection health.
Shifting to PC, the Xbox app finally delivers a feature many have waited years for: the ability to add any installed game or app from your system, regardless of its origin or storefront. This mirrors Steam’s “Add a Non-Steam Game” functionality, with options to customize names, icons, launch options, and mod parameters. As Microsoft pushes toward a multiplatform future, including the rumored Project Helix console-PC hybrid, this update is a critical step in making the Xbox app a more competitive PC gaming storefront.
Other PC improvements include the ability to pin up to three games from your Jump back in and Most Recent lists, keeping your current favorites at the front. The new Gamepad Cursor feature in Xbox Game Bar lets you use a controller like a mouse, with the left thumbstick controlling the cursor. Notification placement is also now customizable, with nine screen positions to choose from for alerts about Achievements, invites, and more.
These updates, combined with recent Xbox Ally enhancements, make the entire Xbox ecosystem smoother and more user-friendly, whether on console or PC. It’s encouraging to see such responsive improvements under Asha Sharma’s leadership, and the momentum suggests even more changes are on the horizon.
What do you think of these new features for Xbox on console and PC? Share your thoughts in the comments and cast your vote in our poll.
(Source: Windows Central)
