Off the back of the Xbox One's first major update today, Microsoft has detailed some of the new multiplayer and party features coming in its second update in March.
The aim of these updates is to broadly improve the social experience on your console, with a particular eye on the release of the highly anticipated Xbox One exclusive Titanfall on March 11.
"Our March Xbox One system update will start rolling out in early March," said Xbox Corporate Vice President Marc Whitten in a statement. "We’re excited to get these multiplayer and party improvements out in time for the March 11 launch of “Titanfall,” the highly anticipated team-based online multiplayer game."
The second major Xbox One update will put greater focus on your somewhat marginalized friends list, bringing it front and center on the homepage of the Friends app. You will now have the option to click the 'Social' tile on your home page or say "Xbox, go to Friends" to immediately see who's online.
Party chat audio, which currently has to be turned on manually, will be turned on by default as soon as you start or join a party. Further, Party chat will now be separated from just the people playing your game, so you'll have the ability to chat with friends outside of your game if you wish.
Microsoft is also introducing an "Invite friends to game" option to multiplayer titles moving forward, which will appear inside a game's menu as a simpler option to set up online matches with your buddies. A 'Recent Players' list will be added, highlighting those you've recently played with in case you want to interact with them again.
Whitten promises more features in the update, the details of which will be shared in the days and weeks ahead.
"We’re lucky to have a passionate community that shares feedback. Thanks for helping us make Xbox One even better."
