Skip to main content

Xbox Insider program opens its doors to all Xbox One owners

Much like the Windows Insider program, the Xbox Insider members can test out upcoming features on their Xbox One before they go live for the masses. Now, Microsoft has announced plans to open up admissions to anyone who wants to opt in.

Previously, only certain Xbox Live members were invited to take part in these tests, according to a report from Gamespot. The doors are now being flung wide open for everyone, but there are certain tiers to the program that determine what individuals will get access to.

Recommended Videos

The basic group is labeled Omega, and will be used to test minor tweaks to the most recent monthly update. Members of the Omega group will typically get those monthly updates a little earlier than the bulk of users.

Then there’s the Delta group, which is open to anyone who has been an Xbox Insider for more than a month, and has attained Xbox Insider Level 2 or higher by participating and providing feedback. These testers might get to tinker with new features ahead of time, but not all of them will receive the same updates simultaneously.

The next step up is the Beta group, which is open to any Xbox One owner who has been an Insider for over three months, and is sitting at Insider Level 4 or higher.

The zenith of the Insider hierarchy is the Alpha group, which is invite-only. Beta and Delta group members who provide a lot of feedback, issue clear instructions on how to reproduce problems, and are particularly active will sporadically be given the opportunity to graduate to Alpha.

However, there’s a caveat to these tests: If your internet bandwidth is a concern, the higher tiers might not be a good idea. The Alpha ring will receive around 15 to 20 updates a month, which could tear through as much as 60 and 80 GB of bandwidth. Lower tiers aren’t quite so intensive, with the Omega group expected to use between 4 and 32 GB across up to eight updates.

For more details on the Insider program, as well instructions on how to sign up, check out the announcement post published this week via Xbox Wire.

Brad Jones
Brad is an English-born writer currently splitting his time between Edinburgh and Pennsylvania. You can find him on Twitter…
Copilot for Gaming is like Xbox’s Nintendo tip line, but for AI
Copilot Age of Empires

Copilot Is Coming To Gaming, Xbox Play Anywhere Updates, And More | Official Xbox Podcast

Copilot for Gaming is an AI that can improve gaming experience, and it's on the way for Xbox players soon. Fatima Kardar, Xbox Corporate VP of Gaming AI, demoed the features on the Official Xbox Podcast and showed how the tool can help players jump right back into a game without much downtime.

Read more
Palworld is finally getting one of its most requested features this month
A palworld person sitting at a campfire in Palworld.

You'll finally be able to play Palworld with friends on other platforms later this month. Developer Pocket Pair announced the news on social media earlier today, along with a surprise discount for PlayStation 5 and Steam players — 25% off for a short time. Pocket Pair also hinted at "some little surprises" in the update, though the team didn't give any clue as to what those might be.

Crossplay is easily one of the most requested features in Palworld since its release in early access in 2024. Fans of the game could only play with others on the same platform as themselves, but now anyone — including players on macOS — can join up to build massive bases, fight off the Syndicate, and take down that pesky Menasting.

Read more
The hardest Xbox Achievements of all time
BJ leaning against a wall in wolfenstein 2.

The Xbox 360 revolutionized gaming in many ways, but perhaps its most influential aspect was the Achievement system. These added additional challenges and tasks into games that players could choose to complete to add to a total Gamer Score that is displayed for all to see as a sort of badge of honor. Achievement hunting quickly became an addictive pursuit for many, but these challenges weren't all easy. Now players had to do more than just beat the hardest game, but also go the extra mile and do things like unlock secret endings or beat secret bosses. A bad Achievement list can turn some people off even the best Xbox Series X game, but these go far beyond that. These are the hardest Xbox Achievements of all time.

Note: We will not be including multiplayer Achievements or any other that is or might eventually become impossible to get.
5. Mr. Perfect - Megaman 10

Read more