The Xbox September Update brings new browser to console, game streaming to PC, and more
From browsing the web to streaming great games, this update has it all.
What you need to know
- Microsoft regularly rolls out updates to the Xbox ecosystem, and usually announces them once a month.
- The Xbox September Update is now available, and features a little something for every part of the widening Xbox platform.
- Xbox consoles are finally gaining the new Edge browser, including syncing and mouse and keyboard support.
- PC players will also be able to stream Xbox games through Xbox Cloud Gaming and from their console through the Xbox PC app.
The time has come once again for the Xbox ecosystem to become a little better. Microsoft has just detailed the Xbox September Update, which includes a host of new features that benefit practically any gamer, no matter where you choose to play on the Xbox platform. PC players, especially, have plenty to get excited about in this round of updates. Unfortunately, there aren't any significant OS-level features for Xbox consoles this time around, but Microsoft is busy testing plenty of new features on that front.
There are essentially three exciting new features included in the Xbox September Update, so let's get started.
- PC players can stream Xbox games. The Xbox app on PC is getting a big boost in functionality with this update, in that PC players will now be able to stream games through Xbox Cloud Gaming, allowing them to access the very best games available through Xbox Game Pass. Also, if you own an Xbox console and and PC, you'll be able to stream your games straight to your PC.
- Xbox Game Pass gains "Play Later" feature. Xbox Game Pass is also gaining a new feature, which should, hopefully, make it easier to manage growing backlogs. With "Play Later," you'll be able to keep track of interesting games that you may want to play later on. With all the games coming to Xbox Game Pass soon, this could be a very handy feature. When your "Play Later" list is empty, Xbox Game Pass will try and recommend new titles to populate it.
- Xbox consoles gain a new browser. We've known that Microsoft was testing bringing the brand-new Chromium Edge browser to Xbox consoles, which features nearly innumerable improvements over the current aging browsing solution. With this update, it's finally happening! Players on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox One consoles will be able to use the new Microsoft Edge, complete with profile syncing and full mouse and keyboard support, to browse the web quickly.
If you were hoping for more in this particular update, not to worry! Microsoft is testing plenty of features in the background right now, which will likely head to the general Xbox population at some point. Xbox Series X|S should work better with certain TVs over HDMI-CED, older Xbox controllers should gain new features, and Xbox Series X|S should look better on 4K TVs after all of this comes to pass. The Xbox ecosystem is constantly evolving with new features over time, culminating in the three new features we're getting today.
All your gaming needs, in one subscription.
Is the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate the best value in all of gaming? It's possible. Ultimate bundles your Xbox Live Gold subscription, an Xbox Game Pass subscription for both Xbox consoles and Windows PCs, and Xbox Cloud Gaming for on-the-go. That means access to hundreds of games, with more added all the time, for a single monthly subscription cost.
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Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary.