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Microsoft will make Xbox One more social, add mobile purchases in August update

Microsoft will make Xbox One more social, add mobile purchases in August update

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Sony may be selling more consoles than Microsoft right now, but the Xbox One's software seems to be gaining new features at a faster rate than its rival PlayStation 4. Major Nelson today detailed what players can expect as part of the August Xbox One update, and some decent additions are on the way.

First is a revamped activity feed that places a bigger focus on being social and sharing with friends. Users can now like and comment on content in the feed, which has been redesigned as a a single column list that's longer and allows players to scroll further back in time. "You can share game clips and anything else in the feed with friends either publically (to your activity feed) or privately (as an attachment to a message)," wrote Hyrb. Microsoft ultimately plans to add a "friends" section to the Xbox One home screen, but that's coming later. For now, a small subset of preview testers will get the chance to try it out ahead of a wider release later this year.

Buy an Xbox game on your phone and it'll be ready when you get home

Microsoft will also add support for mobile purchases in August. If you're away from home and decide to buy a game from SmartGlass or Xbox.com, your console will automatically power on, download it, and install it so it's ready whenever you next pick up a controller. Sony has offered similar functionality for the PS4 since launch, so it's nice to see Microsoft adding what it calls "one of the most requested features on Xbox Feedback." Speaking of things that should've been there at launch, the August update will include a low battery warning that alerts gamers when the controller's battery is critically low on juice. Xbox One will also now tell you how long it's been since a particular friend was last online and what they were playing before signing off.

Surprisingly enough, Microsoft is beating Sony to 3D Blu-ray playback. For a while it seemed as though both console makers had decided not to bother supporting 3D, but Microsoft has apparently decided it's worth the effort. And for anyone that's been pestered with notifications while trying to watch Netflix, you'll be happy to know that Xbox One will soon offer the option of disabling them within video apps. For the full list of what's coming, head over to Major Nelson's blog.