Xbox Insiders get refreshed boot-up and badges

Microsoft on May 13 said select Xbox Insiders had begun testing a new console boot-up experience, tiered Gamerscore badges and expanded filters for game libraries. The changes were outlined in an Xbox Wire post by senior product manager Alex Charters and were described as part of a preview rollout rather than a full public release. (news.xbox.com) Microsoft said the features would reach more Insiders over time before broader availability to all players later. The update adds another set of profile and interface changes to Microsoft’s Insider program, which the company uses to test console software with invited and volunteer users before wider release. (news.xbox.com) Xbox Support says the preview program spans several rings, from invite-only Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha tiers to broader Beta, Delta and Omega access. That structure means features shown this week may appear first to a limited testing group before moving outward. ### What exactly changed in the startup sequence? Microsoft said the new boot-up experience includes a fresh animation and sound when users power on an Xbox console. The company said the sequence features the newer Xbox logo and the “signature green” color players associate with the brand. (news.xbox.com) Alex Charters wrote that the change is meant to give consoles “a refreshed look and feel” from the moment a player starts the system. Microsoft did not publish a timetable for when the startup sequence would reach all console owners. ### How do the new Gamerscore badges work? (support.xbox.com) Microsoft said players in the test group can earn new tiered badges that reflect their lifetime Gamerscore. The company said those badges appear both on player profiles and in the Guide, where they are meant to make achievement history easier to see at a glance. The badge system extends a broader achievements refresh Microsoft began previewing in April. (news.xbox.com) In that earlier Insider update, Charters said Microsoft had already started testing redesigned achievement notifications, profile controls to hide games from achievement history, and highlighting for titles a player had completed at 100%. March 18 preview notes showed Microsoft had also been adding more profile-related indicators to the Guide, including a view of a player’s five most recently unlocked badges. The new Gamerscore tiers build on that recent emphasis on surfacing profile milestones more prominently inside the console interface. (news.xbox.com) ### What changed in the game library? Microsoft said the new library filters are designed to show more clearly what a user can play and why. The company said the filters let players separate games they own from titles shared with them and identify installed games they no longer have access to. (news.xbox.com) The company said that distinction is intended to help users who move between devices or switch among consoles. Microsoft framed the update as a way to make it clearer what is in a library and what is currently playable. ### Who gets these features first? (news.xbox.com) Xbox Support says preview console updates are distributed through Insider rings with different eligibility rules and release timing. Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha are invite-only, while Beta, Delta and Omega open more broadly based on tenure and Insider level. Microsoft said only “select Xbox Insiders” could begin testing the latest features on May 13. (news.xbox.com) The company did not say in the Xbox Wire post which specific ring or rings received the boot-up, badge and library updates first. ### Where does Microsoft want feedback to go? (news.xbox.com) Microsoft said Xbox Insiders should use the Xbox Insider subreddit for support and discussion around the new features. The company also directed users to the Xbox Insider Hub on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One or Windows PC for people who want to join the program and test future updates. (support.xbox.com) Xbox Support says users can check their current preview ring inside the Xbox Insider Hub by going to Previews, then Joined, then Xbox Update Preview, then Manage. Microsoft said more Insider rollouts are planned over time, with wider public release still to come later. (support.xbox.com) (news.xbox.com)