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Microsoft Details Xbox One May Software update features

The May update for the Microsoft Xbox One will be available later this month (and as early as this week for some users that are part of the early access program) will let users control the volume levels when using the Kinect for chat. This additional setting feature has become available thanks to feedback from users requesting better control over sound levels and background noise levels. This new control feature with the new sound mixer located within settings that will enable you to control two applications when using Snap and will let you decide which app you want to be louder.

In addition to this Larry Hryb said that Xbox One owners can now opt in to help improve the often disappointing voice recognition of the Kinect. The more people doing this “the better and more responsive Xbox One can be to our fans,” Hryb has emphasized. All you need to do is opt in for speech data collection which will “be used for product improvement” and not for any more sinister purposes. Of course, you do not have to opt in for this and would rather keep your voice to yourself.

This May update will follow on from where the April update left off and will also include changes to the user interface and the Friends section. The updates that were implemented in April (as listed by Major Nelso) include:

  • Game and app saves and updates. A game save progress bar will show you the status of your game saves. You will also be able to easily tell what games and apps are being updated or have been updated recently.
  • Friends improvements. Notifications will be added to see when favorites and friends sign in to Xbox Live. This was one of the most frequently requested features, so we made it a priority to include it in this update. Also, friends who are in multiplayer will be identified in the friends list.
  • Kinect voice and motion improvements will continue to be fine-tuned for quality and reliability of Xbox One commands. For example, we’ve updated some of the gesture functionality to reduce false positives on non-hand objects triggering gesture commands.
  • Improved GameDVR video quality through compression algorithm improvements.
  • Blu-ray player supports 50 Hz video output for content recorded at 50 Hz. We’ll also be updating the Blu-ray Player app in the coming days to round out these improvements.
  • Controller and headset adaptor firmware updates will reduce audio static and improve wireless connectivity.
  • Silent reboot after system updates and system update on demand now available. If your console is in Instant On mode, the update will happen automatically and return to standby upon completion. This means you won’t need to power on your console after an update moving forward. If you want to take future updates when available without waiting for your console to do it on its own, we’ve added this option under system settings and you’ll be able to use it next update. It will only show as available when there is an update to take