Members of Xbox's Insider program just got their hands on a new Xbox home experience, as part of an ongoing series of experiments that Microsoft is conducting for testers. This particular experiment, according to Xbox, is in the second month of a multi-month series of updates that are planned for public release in 2023.The Xbox Insider program allows users to test new features, and provide important feedback on features that are added, removed, or changed ahead of public release. The program is available to all eligible users that sign up via the Xbox Insider Hub app on their console. The app is also available on Windows 10 and Windows 11 PCs. Once the app is open, users can sign in and choose previews for games, apps, and experiences to join and test. Users that complete the listed criterion will increase their chances of being added to an alpha ring down the line. One of the previous features tested was a shorter boot time on Xbox Series X and Series S, which received a positive response from users.Last month, the Xbox development team kicked off the current string of experiments in both the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring and the Alpha ring. In this new Xbox Insider build (build number 2308), users have a few new quick-select features to test on the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S consoles. Users can add top groups to the homepage, name these groups and choose which groups to put on the page. In addition, users can add up to 10 games to their home page. Users can also browse and watch their movies and shows in the new "watch & listen" spotlight, and some new buttons have been added to entertainment apps to allow for quick browsing. By comparison, the PS5 UI has similar features that are already live, including locking 10 games to the home page.
Back in August, users tested some potential new features for Xbox Game Pass, as well. However, not all tests are as simple as trying new features. Due to the nature of Insider builds, some bugs and known issues may appear. To this end, Xbox included a list of known audio issues, controller issues, and dashboard lockups that have been reported in the build. Xbox further stressed that feedback helps with the process, and encouraged Insider users to provide feedback on the Xbox Insider subreddit or on the Report a Problem console app.
In Xbox's view, the homepage is where Xbox players spend the bulk of their time on the console and take some time to customize the dashboard. The Xbox UI updates aim to improve upon that experience. With a bit of luck and plenty of feedback, the planned changes will be for the better for casual audiences, families, and power users alike.