What you need to know
- Xbox typically releases an ecosystem update every month with new features and improvements.
- May is no different, and the Xbox May Update is now rolling out with a handful of modest changes.
- Xbox players who use Discord Voice can now see the Xbox Gamertags of their Discord friends, for example.
- The Xbox Store search experience is improving with new filters, and Xbox Game Pass quests now have their own section on your profile.
It's May 10, one of the most important days of the year! Well, not really, but we are getting a fresh update for the Xbox ecosystem today. The Xbox May Update is now rolling out to all players across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and even the online Xbox Store.
While there aren't any dramatic new features (the new Xbox Dashboard is still being tested), this is still a solid update with some modest improvements under its belt. The headlining feature of the Xbox May Update is for the Discord users. Players who love to use Discord Voice on their Xbox will now be able to see the Xbox Gamertags of all their Discord friends (as long as they have it synced to their profile), and be able to quickly add them as Xbox friends, send Xbox game invites, and more.
Beyond that, the Xbox Store (both on Xbox consoles and online) is getting improved with some new search and filter options, including for price, supported subscriptions, languages and localization, and accessibility features. Hopefully, this will make it much easier to find the best Xbox games you want to play. Also, the Xbox Game Pass quests (which can earn your Microsoft Rewards points to redeem on giveaways, gift cards, and more), is moving out of the "Gaming" profile of your profile into its own "Rewards" tab to be easier to access.
Finally, all Xbox Wireless Controllers (including the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and Xbox Adaptive Controller), are enjoying a firmware update to fix issues that cause unexpected battery drain in rechargeable batteries or disconnects when playing games with a headset plugged into the controller and 4K, 120Hz, and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) enabled. All these peripherals count among the best Xbox controllers, so any improvement is welcomed.
It's not the most exciting suite of updates, but we know that Xbox is working on more dramatic alterations and larger feature additions in the background. For now, it's good that the Xbox experience continues to steadily improve.
The entire Xbox ecosystem is always improving, including the incredible, value-driven Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, which gives players access to hundreds of games across Xbox, PC, and the cloud.
