Xbox One gets an update laying groundwork for Windows 10 game streaming

By Kris Wouk July 8, 2015

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Xbox One owners might have noticed a new update for the console rolling out that, unlike most, doesn’t add any features. Instead, this latest update prepares the console for two big features coming up in the next few months.

We’re only a few short weeks away from the rollout of Windows 10, and while Microsoft’s latest operating system adds a ton of features across the board, there’s one in particular that is very important to gamers. We’re talking about streaming Xbox One games, and part of the update readies the console for this new feature.

Many gamers keep their Xbox One hooked up to the largest TV in the house, but what if someone else is watching it? With Windows 10, you can now stream games from your Xbox One to any PC in the house and play in peace. Users who are part of both the Windows Insider and Xbox One Preview programs have been able to test this feature for some time, but soon it will finally be available to everyone.

We’ve known about Windows 10 game streaming for a while now, but another cool feature was unveiled just last month at E3. Long thought to be a feature left behind long ago, the Xbox One is getting backward compatibility with Xbox 360 games, and this update also lays the groundwork for that feature. There is no word on when exactly backward compatibility will be available, but Microsoft has said it will arrive in the next few months.

Xbox Live’s Major Nelson confirmed that while this latest update adds no new features, Microsoft is hard at work on the New Xbox One Experience, which will launch later this year. This will give the UI a much-needed overhaul, and generally streamline the interface.

Windows 10 is set to launch on July 29, but due to its staged rollout, not everyone will get it right away.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…

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