As the end of the year approaches, the next major update is brewing for Xbox One. These are the features we expect to see this fall.

The next major update is just around the corner for Xbox One owners and expected to bring a new wave of features to the console this fall. With the launch of its 4K-capable Xbox One X, this year is shaping up to be rather crucial for Microsoft, and subsequently, the changes to the console's operating system are more significant than ever.


Although Microsoft has yet to officially unveil the next update for Xbox One, the similarity with Windows 10 PC update cycles points towards the latter months of this year. While those on PC will be getting the "Fall Creators Update," Kevin Gallo, Director of Windows Developer Platform at Microsoft, has confirmed the next update will bring a similar set of features, but likely bear a different name.

While we're yet to receive an official list of changes, we've pieced together various information teased so far, regarding the next Xbox One update. These are some of the additions in the pipeline for Xbox One, that we can expect to see in the months ahead.

Fluent Design refresh



One of the biggest changes arriving with the Fall Creators Update will be the initial rollout of the Fluent Design System – a new universal design language slowly being distributed across Windows 10. Aiming to add additional depth and texture to the company's existing products, the update delivers a range of new visual traits, while still maintaining a level of minimalism seen in current revisions of the OS.

Five main foundations are at the core of the first wave of the Fluent Design System's rollout: Material, Light, Scale, Depth, and Motion. Each of these traits is expected to make an appearance somewhere across the Xbox One OS going forward, making for a more stylish and dynamic approach to user interface (UI) interaction.



Microsoft has already teased a concept of what Fluent Design will mean for the Xbox One UI, as a part of its initial reveal video. This has provided an in-progress look at some potential changes in the pipeline, however, some significant deviations from the concept can be expected with the final public release.

Although no major instances of Fluent Design have been seen across the Xbox One OS, several implementations already on Windows 10 PCs provide an idea of the changes to expect. More recently the Xbox One's own out-of-box setup experience also received a revamp, showing how Fluent Design may be interpreted with a controller in mind

CVP of Xbox Program Management, Mike Ybarra, has confirmed a visual overhaul will be occurring around the Xbox One X launch – although no official word on its contents has not been provided. A Fluent Design refresh is all but certain and could make for the biggest Xbox One dashboard refresh since launch.


Checking in on Microsoft's new Fluent Design System for Windows 10
A slick new Fluent Design setup experience is coming to the Xbox One
Xbox Store digital gifting



A request that dates back to the debut of Xbox Live may finally be fulfilled later this year, with the rollout of digital gifting via the Xbox Store. Responding to a fan on Twitter, Ybarra has confirmed that the ability to send digital products to friends is in the works, with functionality "not far" from a public release.

A basic form of digital gifting first hit Xbox 360 back in early 2016, allowing gamers to send digital currency gift cards over Xbox Live. However, over two years after Xbox One launch, its appeal was somewhat limited at the time. With platforms like Steam sporting an established gifting system ingrained into their community, its arrival for Xbox One is long overdue.

Bringing the functionality to Xbox One should further add the offerings of the Xbox Store – a marketplace which has already improved massively in recent years. While we're still yet to hear of other highly-requested features such as an Item Carts and Wishlists, these could also be potential additions in the pipeline.

Original Xbox backward compatibility



As announced at E3 2017, the backward compatibility program will also be expanding in the months ahead, with the inclusion of original Xbox titles. After two years, support for Xbox 360 games has proven to be one of the Xbox One's most popular features and now, a new generation of games is being ushered into the console's library.

Little has been discussed since its brief announcement at E3 but ultimately, functionality will remain the same as its Xbox 360 counterpart. While physical disks will be usable to play supported titles, digital versions of these classics will be up for grabs through the original Xbox Store.


So far, "Fuzion Frenzy" and "Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge" are the two titles confirmed to be among the launch library. While Xbox head, Phil Spencer, has emphasized that titles at launch will be significantly fewer than Xbox 360, we can still expect several iconic games to be revived in the process.

List of original Xbox games that are backward compatible on Xbox One
10 original Xbox games we're dying to see hit Xbox One backward compatibility

New Xbox Avatars


Avatars were a major component of the Xbox 360 social experience and served as one of the primary methods of self-expression over Xbox Live. These customizable digital characters eventually became tightly integrated into several aspects of the Xbox platform, with numerous appearances across social features and even games themselves.

Following the Xbox One's release, Avatars were pushed to the background and nowadays, are all but abandoned. In current versions of the OS, there's little incentive to even open the dedicated Avatars app - let alone frequently investing in them.

As showcased at E3 2017, Avatars are also set to see a major overhaul later this year. Built from the ground up in the Unity engine, the second generation of Avatars come with hugely increased flexibility. Among the improvements are enriched emotions, diversity, and customization, which each give players the tools for true individualism. Hoping to encompass a larger demographic of games, Avatars will be able to portray disabilities, style preferences, different backgrounds and more.

Support for USB devices



The scope of peripherals compatible with Xbox One is also set to expand going forward, with support for various USB devices on the horizon. Plans have been outlined to expand to a wider range of Plug and Play devices, such as USB-connected webcams, headphones, and microphones. However, without an exact timeline for when support for USB devices will be implemented, the feature may also still be some time off.


Although USB accessories are already available for Xbox One, such as Turtle Beach's Stream Mic, these devices were built specifically with support for the console in mind. Leveraging the Windows 10 kernel at the core of the Xbox One OS, the update should allow the console to automatically handle driver installation. As a result, this should eliminate the need to purchase Xbox-specific accessories, if you already own a Windows-compatible equivalent for PC. However, this is feature that may not make an appearance this year, depending on how development has progressed.

What features do you want to see?

Previously we asked you which features you'd like to see on Xbox One going forward. We made sure to compile these into a wish list, bringing together your requests together into a single location. After looking at the additions expected this fall, what else would you like to see? Make sure to drop a comment below with your thoughts. As always, make sure to revisit this article in the months ahead, once more details drop!