Microsoft's near-monthly streak of Xbox One updates continued on Wednesday with a substantial October update. The console maker had already teased the update's most intriguing feature in August when it announced a media-player app set to handle a staggering number of codecs—particularly the MKV container—and DLNA streaming from other devices on a home network.

XB1's new media player, like the system's Blu-ray player, must be loaded as a separate app. We were able to test it during a beta period, and it worked as advertised, meaning it allowed us to watch all of our favorite, legitimately acquired TV shows and films in crisp MKV format.

The update's other major addition, a quick-snap menu, can be accessed with a double-tap of the controller's home button. It focuses largely on functions that were formerly locked to voice control, including quick loads of previous games and apps and the ability to record your last 30 seconds of gameplay—which should make it easier for players who snapped up a cheaper, Kinect-less XB1 to multitask with the system.

TV watchers will find a few more options linked to the console's OneGuide feature, including more links between providers' apps and their respective channels in the guide. Additionally, snapped app interfaces have been updated and streamlined for root system functions like friend lists and messages, and anybody who has lost their XB1 controllers can now ask the console to make them vibrate; that will only be helpful if your lost controller is still powered on, but better than nothing.