The first system update for Xbox One is set to launch today, December 10, at 5pm PST as long as your system is set to “Instant On,” Microsoft’s Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb confirms. If your Xbox One is in the low power Instant On mode (it’s the mode that allows you to say “Xbox On” to activate your console), it will automatically download the update when available, and then install it the next time you turn the system on. The installation process includes a system reboot and a minutes-long wait at the green “Xbox One” logo screen. In other words: don’t be alarmed if your console appears to freeze up on the green logo screen. It’s just the update rolling itself out in the background. Give it some time. Go have a coffee. Take a walk. Read a book, even. Use that time to reflect on the state of the world and your place in it.
If you are not using the Instant On feature, you will be required to download the update by Thursday, December 12 at 2am PST. While its not the extensive UX-improving update that many might be hoping for, it’s notable as the first console-level update since the hardware launched on November 22. So in addition to a rundown of the update’s features- which we’ve shared below – Major Nelson also offers a sense of what to expect from the overall update process, since it differs from how the Xbox 360 worked.
Here’s a rundown of what this first update does, ripped straight from Major Nelson’s post on the matter:
- Addresses SmartGlass issues for some users when coming in and out of connected standby
- Addresses multiplayer issues for some users when re-joining games
- Addresses issues with inconsistent notifications for some users
- Addresses dashboard performance for some users
- Offers improvements for Xbox One’s TV, system update, and content update services for scaling over time
- Updated wireless networking driver to improve connectivity issues for some users
