How the Windows Phone 8.1 Xbox Games App changes your gaming experience

In Windows Phone 8.1, the Xbox Games Hub is now a separate app that can exist updated independently from the OS itself. It can't be uninstalled, but the liberty to update separately should allow Microsoft to make changes to the app much more than rapidly than before. In fact, the app received an update earlier today.

Like many aspects of the Windows Telephone 8.one update, the Xbox Games app builds on the established pre-8.one design and makes a few changes as well. Not all of these changes are for the better, and in some ways the app is a clear step back. Luckily in that location will surely be more updates to follow. Read on to learn about the major changes in the Windows Telephone viii.1 Xbox Games app and the new fashion the Os lists the games you've installed.

The Games List

Traditionally, the Xbox Games hub has been the ane and only place from which to scan, launch, and uninstall Windows Phone games. That has changed in Windows Phone 8.i, as games now announced in the telephone's Apps list equally well as the Xbox Games app. The dual listing seems to be a result of Microsoft wanting to make games available even if the app should e'er be uninstalled (which information technology can't be) or become unusable as a result of a bad update.

Some users find information technology irritating that games now clog up their apps lists, specially gorging gamers with lots of installed games. I don't blame them; unceremoniously dumping games in with the apps seems like an accident equally opposed to a deliberate decision on Microsoft's part.  Although app browsing is less pleasant in Windows Phone 8.one, y'all tin can yet access the apps y'all want easily enough by jumping to specific letters in the listing or using Windows Telephone 8.1's expanded search functions.

The actual games list still exists in the Xbox Games app equally the 'Collection' page. And you won't find all of your apps mixed in with the games list, thank goodness. The list consists of two principal sections: 'Xbox' and 'Other.' Annoyingly, games can no longer be uninstalled from the 'Collection' page. You lot have to exit and do information technology from the Apps folio.

At the lesser under 'More,' you'll find a link to the Games store. The link jumps directly to the 'Height Complimentary' department of the Games Store.

Inexplicably missing from the 'Collection' page is the 'Recent' category. Prior to Windows Phone 8.1, you'd find your three almost recently played games in that location. It provided a convenient mode to jump back and along between your favorite games of the moment without having to pin their tiles to the Start screen. Taking abroad the Recent listing is one of those "one step frontward, two steps dorsum things" that nosotros've seen Microsoft practise with things like Xbox Music (and even Windows viii, many would say) in the past. Let's promise the characteristic returns shortly.

Social Page

The Social folio is the one part of the Xbox Games app that really shows a clear improvement. Yous'll nonetheless run across your Xbox avatar goofing effectually, though I detect mine is badly in need of anti-aliasing.

To the left of the avatar are now four navigation tiles instead of two:

• Achievements
• Contour
• Letters
• Friends

The onetime equivalent of the Social folio didn't have a name. Its navigation icons led directly to Achievements and the avatar editor (which requires installation of the Xbox Live Extras app). From the Achievements page you could swipe over to the Profile page. To view your messages and friends, you lot had to swipe right from the "Profile" page and select the Friends tile.

Under the new app, users can swipe back and forth betwixt the Achievements and Profile pages or the Messages and Friends pages. The sub-pages are notwithstanding connected in the same style every bit earlier, but jumping directly to the folio you want is much easier thanks to all 4 tiles existence grouped together logically nether Social.

The actual Contour page has i significant difference in Windows Phone 8.1: the selection to gear up Beacons in Xbox 360 games is gone. Beacons are a seldom-used feature that allows players to denote their want for multiplayer partners in an individual game. The concept of asking people to join y'all in a game is expert, only the actual implementation proved generally useless. I dubiety everyone will miss Beacon support in the Xbox Games app, especially since Xbox One doesn't support Beacons.

The avatar editor was located in two different places prior to Windows Phone 8.1: the "Social" page and the Profile page. With the new Xbox games app, y'all'll only find the editor nether 'Profile." A reasonable alter, specially since almost users probably don't alter their avatars all that frequently. The avatar editor is even so a split download, and it however doesn't take advantage of the full Windows Phone screen for some reason.

Notifications and Spotlight

The 'Notifications' page and 'Spotlight' page remain unchanged in Windows Phone 8.ane. Under 'Notifications' you'll notice a mixture of Xbox live letters and Windows Phone game invites, all represented as Live tiles. 'Spotlight' displays the latest Xbox Ruby Stripe Deal and other Xbox Windows Phone game advertisements.

Performance and other issues

Nosotros've already listed the loss of the 'Recent' games list and the disability to delete games from the 'Collections' page, merely those are not the only bug with the Xbox Games app in Windows Phone viii.1.

The nearly obvious effect for Xbox I owners is the lack of back up for Xbox Ane Achievements. You still can't view Achievements earned in Xbox Ane games through the native Achievement viewer, which is just equally ridiculous in Windows Telephone 8.1 as it was before the update. The just way to view them on your telephone is by using the Xbox One SmartGlass or TrueAchiever apps.

A problem with the Xbox Games app that affects everybody is its operation. Since Windows Phone 8.1 launched and even afterwards the recent Xbox Games app update, the app has been extremely slow to load. Users face a several seconds-long delay every fourth dimension they launch or resume the app during which time images volition slowly load and the Search button tin't exist used. I'm sure the loading will be fixed eventually, but it's a nuisance right now.

As well gone from the Xbox Games app are the link to Xbox SmartGlass and the Games Settings. The quondam is no real loss. Just I can't find whatsoever way to admission Games Settings now. Unless that page still exists somewhere, Windows Phone 8.ane users have no way to universally disable toast notifications from games.

Finally, the Xbox Games app does not take a Live tile at present. Prior to 8.1, the user's avatar would testify up and perform cute animations on the hub'south tile.

Other gaming improvements

Windows Telephone 8.1 introduces some major improvements to the gaming experience, namely separate volume controls and the ability to install games and apps on SD cards. The independent volume controls permit gamers to turn down a game's sound without affecting ringer volume. Every other mobile Os (including Windows Mobile) has long had that ability, so it's fantastic that Windows Phone users at present get the aforementioned do good.

As for SD carte du jour support, the benefit is clear. Prior to Windows Phone eight.1, if your phone's internal storage filled up you would have to delete games or apps in order to create room for new games. Doing so would permanently delete your save files in those games that didn't back up cloud saves. Now many of united states of america can but invest in SD cards and shop games there with no loss of save data. Not every Windows Phone device supports SD cards. But going forward, avid gamers can take SD support into business relationship when choosing a telephone to purchase.

The Xbox Games app is not quite every bit good as the pre-8.i Xbox Games hub. Nor does it make much sense to list games in with apps without a manner to filter out those games. Merely the Xbox Games app is but that – a separate app. And that means Microsoft will surely continue to refine and amend it in the future. Although many of u.s. are running the Windows Telephone eight.1 programmer preview, the general release of Windows Phone 8.1 is nevertheless a ways off. Hopefully the app volition exist upward to previous standards by then, if not even better.

Xbox Insiders Update

This huge Xbox 'Quick Resume' update will give gamers more control

Microsoft is adding a new feature to Xbox consoles, allowing y'all to permanently store up to ii games in a Quick Resume state at all times. The feature is heading out first to Xbox Insiders in the Alpha testing ring before hitting the general public.

Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/windows-phone-81-xbox-games-app

Posted by: munnmorofter1970.blogspot.com

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