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Microsoft is letting Xbox One testers ‘skip ahead’ to features that are months away

Microsoft is letting Xbox One testers ‘skip ahead’ to features that are months away

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Xbox is getting a skip ahead ring, just like Windows

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Xbox One S
Xbox One S
Photo by Tyler Pina / The Verge

Microsoft is making its Xbox preview program more similar to its Windows Insider testing for Windows 10. A new “skip ahead” ring will be opened up for Xbox Insiders on the current alpha ring, and this will allow testers to access new Xbox features that are typically months away from being generally released. “By piloting builds well in advance of their release, Xbox Insiders will play an even bigger role in shaping the future of Xbox,” explains Savannah, an Xbox program manager.

The skip ahead preview ring will be similar to the one available to Windows 10 testers, and will include new apps and features that are part of Microsoft’s Redstone 5 wave for the Xbox. Microsoft is currently testing its next major Windows 10 update, codenamed Redstone 5. The redstone 5 updates for the Xbox will be available for testing later this month, but Microsoft says it might not always announce new features that will be available for testing.

If you’re interested in testing the very latest Xbox updates, this ring will be available initially for Xbox Alpha Insiders, and later by invitation to other testers. Microsoft warns that these future updates will likely be less stable than even those in the current alpha ring, so it’s probably worth opting for this new testing ring if you have a spare console to try the new features out.