Microsoft Begins Testing Redstone 5 on Xbox One
- Paul Thurrott
- Jul 12, 2018
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With the July Update now available, Microsoft has begun testing the next major system update for Xbox One, called Redstone 5, with Xbox Insiders.
“The team at Xbox is striving to improve the platform, and these features developed from fan feedback will continue to be shaped by Insider previewers,” Microsoft’s Bradley Rossetti explains. “Not all the features will show up immediately but will begin to roll out in the coming weeks.”
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Redstone 5, like its partner release on Windows 10, will increment the Xbox One system software to version 1810, and it is expected to appear publicly in the September or October time frame.
But it’s still early, and there’s not much new here so far. Among the new features that Microsoft is documenting are:
Dolby Vision video streaming. Available on Xbox One S and Xbox One X, Dolby Vision enables select TVs to “take HDR up a notch with scene-by-scene precision and accuracy versus standard HDR, which uses one setting for the entire movie/show you are watching.” Xbox Insiders can experience Dolby Vision “in the coming weeks” using a compatible TV by using a Premium Netflix subscription.
Improved accessibility. Xbox One’s Narrator feature now supports five additional languages—Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Swedish, and Dutch—plus an Australian version of English.
Avatars on the Dashboard. With this release, you will be able to see your Avatar (if you choose to do so) and your friend’s Avatars throughout the Xbox One dashboard. “You’ll be greeted by Avatars across user profiles, friend blocks on Home, Gamerscore comparisons, Community posts, idle system notifications, and more,” Rossetti explains.
Improved search. Now, when you search in the Xbox One Dashboard, the results will also show you games that you already own or have access to via Games with Gold, EA Access, and other services.
Experimental features. In another ill-advised bout of A/B testing, a “subset of Xbox Insiders may see some experimental features” too. “For example, some users will be able to share game-specific stats amongst friends right on [their] homepage … while others may find greater functionality within Clubs,” Rossetti says. Ugh.