November Xbox Update: Color Filters, Audio Settings, Accessibility Feature Tags, and More

Summary

New and improved color filters on Xbox Series X|S.
Updated volume and audio output settings for all Xbox consoles.
New accessibility feature tags in the Microsoft Store.

Team Xbox is excited to continue bringing new ways to make Xbox better, with you at the center, as we refine the experience and deliver brand new features based on your feedback. This month’s update includes new and improved color filters on Xbox Series X|S, updated volume and audio output settings, new accessibility feature tags in the Microsoft Store, a controller firmware update, updates to the Xbox app (mobile), and an updated Xbox Game Pass layout to help you choose the best subscription plan for you. In addition to new features, today’s update also has fixes reducing console shutdowns and improving stability of Xbox Series X consoles when playing titles such as NBA 2K22, FIFA 22, and Battlefield 2042. We will continue to support EA to improve Battlefield 2042 stability.

Earlier this morning, we also announced that Xbox Cloud Gaming (beta) is starting to roll out to all Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One gamers with Game Pass Ultimate. This is a fantastic way for gamers to skip the install and try more games, save space on their hard drive, and play next-gen, select Xbox Series X|S exclusives on Xbox One now.

New and improved color filters on Xbox Series X|S

New and improved color filters are now available on Xbox Series X|S, make gaming easier for people with color blindness or color vision deficiency. This feature will work with current games, titles in the Xbox back catalogue, and will also help future games be more accessible.

The color filters let you customize the visual experience and distinguish between colors that may otherwise appear similar. For example, by modifying the appearance of red or green tones makes those colors more distinguishable to players with red-green color blindness. . In gameplay, this can be especially important for quickly identifying game elements that might otherwise look similar or blend into the background. While some games implement similar filters individually, color filters apply to everything on Xbox Series X|S, including all games, movies, apps, and menus.

To get started, go to Settings > Accessibility > Color filters to pick and fine-tune a color filter.

You can also turn color filters on and off from the guide in Profile & system > Quick settings without leaving the content you’re viewing.

Updated volume and audio output settings for all Xbox consoles

A new streamlined audio experience is now available for all Xbox consoles with options like “Mute speaker audio when headset attached” in Additional options and a new Audio testing & details screen.

The volume and audio output settings have been reorganized to make relevant settings easier to access and help optimize your audio experience. To get started, go to Settings > Audio testing & details. You can check what your audio setup supports and reset if necessary.

New game accessibility feature tags in the Microsoft Store

Game developers can now “tag” their titles with up to 20 common accessibility features used by the Gaming & Disability Community, making it easier for you to find content that meets your needs and learn about the accessibility of games directly on your console prior to purchasing them.

These tags include features like adjustable difficulty, custom volume controls, color options, and input remapping. To ensure a consistent level of quality, specific criteria must be met for developers to use these tags. Accessibility tags are available on game details pages in the Microsoft Store, Xbox.com, the Xbox Game Pass mobile app, and the Xbox app for Windows PC. We’ve also added a new Accessibility Spotlight page in the Microsoft Store to browse games with four or more of these tags.

Today, over 325 games, including Microsoft Flight Simulator and Sea of Thieves, have accessibility feature data published. The ability to sort and filter by these tags will be added in the coming months.

Controller firmware update

The new firmware update for the Xbox One Wireless Controller with Bluetooth support, Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, and Xbox Adaptive Controller delivers next-gen features previously available only on Xbox Series X|S controllers, including better cross-device connectivity and reduced latency. We believe it’s important to maintain backward compatibility with Xbox accessories people already have in their collection to ensure we deliver the best gaming experience no matter how you choose to play.

Better cross-device connectivity – These controllers now support Bluetooth Low Energy which delivers better compatibility across devices and allows for better pairing experiences. You’ll be able to play wirelessly on Windows 10 & 11 PCs, iOS 15+, and Android devices with Bluetooth LE for Xbox remote play from your console or cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on the go. After installing the firmware update, these controllers will remember one Bluetooth host (e.g., smartphone) and one Xbox Wireless host (e.g., Xbox console), so you can seamlessly switch between previously connected devices with a simple double tap of the Pair button.

Reduced latency – We’re also bringing the innovation of Dynamic Latency Input (DLI) to our Xbox One Wireless Controller with Bluetooth support, Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, and Xbox Adaptive Controllers. Dynamic Latency Input delivers controller inputs more efficiently to your Xbox console for a more responsive gaming experience and seemingly instantaneous action.

Xbox app (mobile) -– Link sharing and trending

Several new features will be rolling out soon to the Xbox app. We want to make it as easy as possible to share your game captures with friends, wherever they happen to be. Link sharing is coming soon and lets you quickly get a link to your epic game moments and screen captures and share them anywhere across the internet.

Another feature on the way is the ability to see the top trending content from Xbox gamers spotlighted in the Xbox app, where you can watch, like, comment, and share posts of other player’s game captures.

Xbox app (mobile) -– Link sharing and trending asset

Xbox Game Pass – Find the best plan for you

We’re introducing a new design that allows us to display more info about each available Xbox Game Pass membership on console. We’ve added more details on what’s included for each plan and the plan comparison page now supports horizontal scrolling to compare benefits. Our goal is to make it easier for gamers to pick the right plan for them.

Help shape the future of Xbox

Stay tuned to Xbox Wire for future updates and all the latest and greatest Xbox related news. For support related to Xbox updates, visit the official Xbox Support site.

If you’d like to help create the future of Xbox and get access to early features such as Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta), download the Xbox Insider Hub on your Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, or Windows PCs today. Let us know what you think – we’re always listening!

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