Microsoft begins testing Xbox UI overhaul for 2023

Microsoft has teased a refreshed Xbox UI, announcing that it is testing changes which will arrive on consoles in 2023.

The company is making changes to layout and design of the user interface in order to make it easier to find apps and games, and to improve accessibility to internal OS areas like settings. 

The most visible changes in the released screenshots are a new ‘jump back in’ row at the top of the home which shows most recently-used apps, and the removal of a bigger tile for the most recently used app or game.

The refresh will also come to the Xbox TV app, currently available on select Samsung Smart TVs, with the two UIs given a similar look.

Ivy Krislov, senior product manager lead of Xbox experiences, said: “We know the Xbox homepage is where our gamers spend the most time, and it’s a space that’s very personal. We also know we can always be listening and learning how we can do better here while keeping your experience fast and familiar. With that, we’re kicking off a multi-month series of experiments to learn how to create a more personalised home screen experience and address some of the top trends and fan requests.”

While being very customisable to a user’s spec, the stock Xbox interface as it comes out of the box has historically been panned as difficult to use, with apps and games hidden within multiple sub menus. This redesign will offer more customizability, while also presenting a more consistent design throughout.