In July we introduced Xbox Insiders to an evolving Home experience. Xbox engineers have taken user research and feedback to create a faster Xbox One Home dashboard! We know you’re curious what these experiments have all been about, and we have info on new updates happening now!

Why We Are Experimenting

Xbox engineers are seeking feedback and support from Xbox Insiders to ensure each iteration of Home is fast, responsive, and easy to use.

The removal of tabs (or as we call them, “twists”) in August allowed Xbox engineers to focus on improving memory and performance with an easier to navigate Xbox One Home dashboard. In September we introduced more tiles that linked users to features across the console such as Game Pass, the Store, and Mixer. Users were also given the functionality to change and move around visible tiles to customize the dashboard for their needs!

These previous releases were in smaller waves unlike other features released to Xbox Insiders. Xbox engineers had the chance to understand how the Xbox community used the Xbox One Home dashboard and how it can be improved. These changes opened many doors for us, and it’s gotten our creative juices flowing! Our goal is to give you the optimum experience on Xbox One—from startup to shut down.

What’s Next for the Xbox One Home Dashboard

Xbox engineers were performing “AB” experiments in previous releases. This means that a random selection of our Xbox Insider audience received the new changes, while others were the control group with the standard Home experience.

We are doing things a little differently with this next phase, starting with what we call “ABC” experiments. Three groups are randomly selected for two versions of Home experiments, while a third group is our control group.

This new phase starts today, Thursday, October 17th! Xbox Insiders from Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead are eligible for these Home experiments and may see the changes with the latest preview update.

Alpha Skip-Ahead users should update to their latest preview OS build, which will be made available at 2 p.m. PT today, before determining if you have the new Home experience. (Release notes found here.)

users should update to their latest preview OS build, which will be made available at 2 p.m. PT today, before determining if you have the new Home experience. (Release notes found here.) Alpha’s preview update from yesterday has prepared Alpha devices for this new phase. Try power cycling the Xbox One console before determining if you have the new Home experience.

“ABC” Experiments for Home

Group A will see four new content blocks for what the twists were previously. This dashboard will look similar to previous Home experiments.

Group B will have a single button under their main dashboard tile for My Games & Apps, rather than the four content blocks Group A will experience.

Note: Changes to tiles during previous Home experiments do not carry over with new iterations.

Those in Group C (our control group) are just as important in this process! You’re providing us data on the current performance of the Xbox One Home dashboard we all see today. Your data shows how successful our work is for you.

Each step we take with the Xbox One Home dashboard allows us to adjust the placement and user-friendliness of buttons and tiles, increase visibility of console features, optimize dashboard and menu commands, and transform Home into the hub for all things Xbox! Groups A and B are chosen at random from select Xbox One Update Preview rings. The Xbox Insider Team cannot influence who is chosen for these feature releases.

What preview ring am I in?

Follow these steps to find out which preview ring your console is enrolled into:

Launch the Xbox Insider Hub on your Xbox One console

on your Xbox One console Select Insider content

Choose System , then select Xbox One Update Preview

, then select Select Manage

Your current preview ring will be displayed there

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