Home Gaming Walk on the wild side with the Xbox One beta program

Walk on the wild side with the Xbox One beta program

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Do you like your systems buggy and unstable? Do final releases feel too safe for you? This one’s for you: Microsoft is launching a new program for “select” Xbox Live members to test out new Xbox One features before they hit the main stream.

A post on the Xbox Wire laid out the plans for this new program which is slated to help Microsoft clean up Xbox One console updates before they go live. Interested? Well, sit tight. It doesn’t appear that there’s a sign-up system – Xbox Live members will apparently be hand-picked for the preview, and expected to provide feedback via a private forum if they accept.

The first roll-out happens next week, and will preview a March system update that Microsoft expects will “significantly improve the multiplayer and party experiences on Xbox One.” Some of the new features include Party Chat being turned on by default, adding an “Invite friends to game” option to multiplayer titles, and adding a list of Xbox Live members that you’ve recently played with in case you want to friend up (or report, as the case may be). In a lot of ways, this March update will simply be bringing the multiplayer experience up to par with the Xbox 360.

If you’re chosen, you’ll get an Xbox Live message with a token to register for the updates. But if you sign up and decide that you just don’t have the thick skin for feature testing (ie. you like to complain about unfinished things not being finished), then you can always opt out of future waves.

Efforts like these are always good to get some quality control in before releasing to the hounds. And hey, who doesn’t like a sneak peek?

Last Updated: February 21, 2014

7 Comments

  1. VampyreSquirrel

    February 21, 2014 at 13:34

    I will never beta test a Microsoft feature! Oh… wait… I already do… Windows.

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      February 21, 2014 at 13:50

      And I always thought patches referred to a name of a dog.

      Reply

      • Alex Hicks

        February 21, 2014 at 14:00

        I remember the days when that was true.

        Don’t get me wrong – I love the internet to bits; but I can’t help but think that ever since dial-up became mostly obsolete the number of software patches required has increased exponentially.

        Reply

    • RinceandLeSIGH

      February 21, 2014 at 14:05

      WIN

      Reply

  2. HvR

    February 21, 2014 at 13:39

    All fun and games until somebody encounters the doorstop feature.

    Reply

  3. Unavengedavo

    February 21, 2014 at 13:58

    Are there different levels of beta testers like for example a “master” level? And if so, would that make you a Master Beta tester?

    Reply

  4. offerteviaggi

    February 28, 2014 at 14:41

    How we can get invided? Gametag: FurthestZeus14

    Reply

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