Xbox One February update improves parties, adds Gamerscore leaderboards

By Danny Cowan February 18, 2016

Microsoft has outlined the many new features and improvements it has in store for the Xbox One dashboard in an update rolling out by the end of this week, including requested additions like Gamerscore leaderboards and organizable Pins.

Xbox app users can expect to see several new features arriving today, while Xbox One owners will receive an equivalent update on February 19.

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After installing the latest Xbox One firmware update, players will be able to see all members of an existing Party before joining, making it easier to find friends at a glance. The update additionally boasts an improved Suggested Friends feature, along with a Gamerscore leaderboard that lets players compare their in-game progress and achievements with rivals.

Xbox One owners can also join their friends’ Twitch.tv broadcasts via a tweaked interface this week. Friend broadcasts will now be displayed within Game Hubs and game-specific tiles, giving a heads-up for players seeking live-streamed content.

A previous Xbox One dashboard update redesigned the platform’s “Pin” feature, but prevented players from editing and rearranging existing Pins. Starting this week, Xbox One players will be able to organize pinned content and access Pins offline.

Another requested feature arriving this week is the option to hide “ready-to-install” content from the Xbox One’s Games menu, allowing players to permanently remove the option to install unwanted betas, trials, games, and apps. The update will come in handy for players with expansive Xbox Live Arcade libraries, as recent Xbox One backward compatibility updates have greatly increased the number of games supported by the platform.

The latest Xbox One firmware update also introduces a Store shortcut for redeeming codes, programmable Xbox One Chatpad hotkeys, and an updated Activity Feed that more efficiently organizes recent player posts.

Both the Xbox One app and console dashboard will additionally receive an Avatar Store this week, along with an improved Xbox Accessories application, an Xbox News feed, and redesigned Trending features.

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