Hey Xbox Insiders! We are releasing a new Xbox App for Windows build to Xbox Insiders who are enrolled in the PC Gaming Insiders preview! Thank you all for being Xbox Insiders. Continue read to learn about fixes and known issues. Make sure that you update the Xbox app, and Gaming Services to ensure you get all of the fixes!
Versions of PC Gaming prerelease products:
Xbox App version: 2402.1001.23.0
Released: 5:00 p.m. PT – Feb 21st 2024
Game Bar version: 7.124.2141.0
Released: 5:00 p.m. PT – Feb 15th 2024
What’s new?
Game Hubs – Users will notice several new sections located on the individual pages for each game that they have installed. When you select a game listed in My Library or by simply clicking on a title in the left hand navigation bar, you will notice several new items shown on the page such as new content available for the title or information about your friends who play the title.
Xbox App Bug Fixes:
Fixed an issue where users were not able to copy images in Captures
How to Get Xbox Insider Support
Don’t forget! If you encounter any issues, you can leave feedback by navigating to the feedback option on your profile menu.
You can also provide feedback, as well as interact with the community, on the Xbox Insiders Subreddit. Please be as specific as possible when providing feedback.
When posting to the subreddit, please look through most recent posts to see if your issue has already been posted or addressed. We always recommend adding to threads with the same issue before posting a brand new one. This helps us support you the best we can!
For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information!
Thank you to everyone who participates in the Xbox Insider Program! Your feedback helps us continue to build a great gaming experience in the Xbox app on PC.
Innovation often comes from blending distinct genres to create a new, engaging experience for players. Geometry Survivor is a testament to this creative process, merging the fast-paced shooting action of Geometry Wars with the addictive progression and survival elements of Vampire Survivors.
The Origin of the World of Geometry Survivor
The idea for the game originated from a desire to combine the high-adrenaline gameplay of classic arcade shooters with the strategic depth and character progression found in modern survival games. Geometry Wars provided the perfect template for the game’s intense shooting mechanics, renowned for its vibrant visuals and dynamic enemy patterns. Meanwhile, Vampire Survivors offered a blueprint for incremental progression and survival against overwhelming odds, where players enhance their character’s abilities over time to withstand hordes of enemies.
Our aim was to create a game that not only pays homage to these influences but also create a game that stands on its own as a unique title. The core concept revolves around navigating a large arena, surviving against waves of enemies, and evolving the player’s abilities through strategic choices.
Overcoming the Obstacles for Challenging Gameplay
Blending two distinct gameplay styles presented several challenges for the development team. One of the primary hurdles was balancing the game’s pacing. The team needed to ensure that the shooting mechanics complemented the progression and survival aspects without overwhelming the player or making the game too easy.
Another challenge was designing enemy patterns and progression systems that would keep players engaged over time. We had to conduct extensive testing to fine-tune the difficulty curve, ensuring that the game remained challenging yet fair.
Unique Features of Geometry Survivor
A fundamental element of the game harks back to the essence of arcade classic shooters, where a player’s bullet would immediately annihilate an enemy ship, disintegrating it into fragments. We decided to use a simplistic health system where each entity can be eliminated with a single bullet.
This departure from the conventional damage/health paradigms introduces distinctive challenges in the design of varied and engaging weaponry. Given the one-shot kill mechanic, the game strategy involves flooding the screen with enemies spaced at various intervals. Each adversary exhibits unique movement behaviors, which, when combined, result in highly challenging combat scenarios.
Players are required to adeptly navigate through hordes of enemies, making tactical use of weapons to dispatch foes before becoming overwhelmed.
High Performance Highlights
The implementation of the Entity Component System (ECS) in Unity significantly contributed to enhancing the performance of Geometry Survivor, enabling the game to achieve a solid and high framerate even during intense gameplay moments. ECS architecture separates data and behavior, which allows for more efficient data access and manipulation, reducing the overhead typically associated with object-oriented programming. This approach was particularly beneficial for Geometry Survivor, where the screen can be inundated with numerous enemies, projectiles, and effects simultaneously. By utilizing ECS, we were able to take advantage of highly optimized, multithreaded code execution, ensuring that the game’s performance remained fluid and responsive.
This optimization was crucial for maintaining the fast-paced action and visual clarity that were central to the game’s design, providing players with a seamless and engaging experience without compromising on graphical fidelity or gameplay complexity. We hope you enjoy Geometry Survivor! The game is available now on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
Geometry Survivor is a rogue-lite auto shooter where you must survive for 20 minutes. Fight against waves of geometry ships, defeat their formations and survive the grid world.
– One hand gameplay: Use just one hand to control the direction of your ship
– Auto-Shooter: Your weapons fire automatically, letting you concentrate on staying alive
– Weapons: Each run allows you to get a unique combination of weapons
– Credits: Earn credits and permanently unlock new upgrades
– Enemies: Enjoy the multitude of enemies each with their own AI
– 20 minutes of intense gameplay
– Retro visuals and music straight from the 80s
– Delicious gameplay!
Geometry Survivor is the ultimate survival game, do not miss it!!
Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator is, you guessed it, a cozy gardening simulator. It’s a game about planting flowers, enjoying their growth and decorating the garden to your heart’s content. It all comes with a deep focus on non-punishing gameplay, a light story, and a stunning, anime inspired art style. But under that delightful exterior, you might be surprised at how much thought and processing power has gone into the simulation itself.
At Stillalive Studios, we take pride in our expertise in simulation games and their underlying technology. As we started fleshing out the idea of a gardening game, we realized it would be easy enough to create the basic simulation – some of our studio have quantum physics degrees. But the challenge we set ourselves was this – could we create a gardening game that hid all the simulation complexity under a coziness as pleasant as a cup of warm tea on a cold winter’s eve?
Our Producer is a Florist
It all starts with Kay, our producer. She’s the one that manages the Garden Life project at Stillalive. Kay knows a lot about flowers, as she was a florist in her past professional life. Putting together flower arrangements for festivities and weddings, Kay won prestigious Gold and Silver medals at the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show in London. This knowledge had to be put to good use in a cozy gardening game. With her on the team, we had one of the puzzle pieces down – next, we needed to conquer the tech itself.
Why Does Garden Life Need a Lot of Tech, Anyway?
Computers are not very good at randomness: the little quirks and irregularities that make nature so diverse and interesting. When artists create 3D models, the computer is always going to recreate those models exactly. We couldn’t imagine anything less cozy than a garden full of identical flowers, like a legion of Stormtroopers growing in lockstep. And this is where our tech department set out to find ways of breaking these patterns – adding randomness and quirks back into the cold determinism of computer processors.
Flowers often only play a background role in games. But in a gardening game, flowers are front and center. They need to look stunning. One of our design goals was therefore to make every flower look unique. So unique that a full garden of flowers would look natural, as in real life. No copies. No Stormtroopers. No tricks.
This Is Where Our Sim Background Shines
Every flower model in Garden Life is generated on-the-fly. This is our recipe:
The flower starts on the ground, where the first stem segment is generated and grows.
When the segment is finished, a new segment is spawned.
The growth direction for the new segment gets a kick in a random direction so the stem does not grow in a straight line.
At every new segment and depending on the flower, there is a random chance that a leaf grows out of the stem, or that the stem splits into two segments.
The more segments the plant spawns, the bigger the chance to produce the final flower at the top, finishing the growth process.
Depending on the flower type, the top gets another kick in a random direction for good measure.
This simple recipe allows for so much variation and produces organic, beautiful-looking flower beds. Every flower has leaves at different places. Some stems are shorter, some longer, with random variations in growth direction here and there.
To realize the variety of flowers we have in the game, every specimen has a slight variation of this recipe. How big and long are the stem segments? How straight, interwoven? How many segments can there be, determining the total height of a plant. And while sunflowers grow very tall and have one stem, Hellebores grow in small bunches, and Roses go all-in on the bushy, entangled structure.
As mentioned above, computers are not very good at coping with randomness. While there are tricks to make hundreds of identical models run smoothly, it was a long and winding road to optimize performance for on-the-fly generated 3D geometry. We’re very happy with the outcome! Together with our anime-inspired art style, Garden Life simply looks gorgeous and promises many hours of relaxing gameplay.
Garden Life is out today for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.
Using appropriate gardening techniques and your creativity, bring an abandoned plot back to life, and experience the joy and peace that cultivating your own garden brings.
• ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES – In Garden Life, there’s no miracle solution: your plants will only flourish with dedication, the right tools and appropriate gardening techniques!
• DESIGN THE GARDEN OF YOUR DREAMS – Using the grid free placement, sow the seeds of your choice and use decorative elements to bring your designs to life. Through the procedural growth simulation technology developed specifically for Garden Life, every plant is unique and adapts to their environment.
• NURTURE YOUR GARDEN – Take care of your seedlings by identifying their individual care requirements; water, fertilize, and clip your plants to maintain their natural beauty and nurture them to health.
• DISCOVER DIFFERENT VARIETIES – Unlock your creativity by breeding beautiful variations and discover the full potential of each plant.
• MEET COLOURFUL CHARACTERS – Help your friendly neighbours by fulfilling their gardening requests and receive rewards such as new plant varieties, tools, and decorations.
• RELAX – After a busy day, unwind and experience the calming ambiance of your garden in a soothing world with relaxing sights and sounds.
Bringing the Unique Style of DC’s Peacemaker to Mortal Kombat 1
Nick Nicastro, Design Manager, NetherRealm Studios
After working at NetherRealm Studios for more than 10 years, I have experienced my fair share of memorable days as part of the design department, but the day we all learned we would be designing Peacemaker for Mortal Kombat 1 was certainly one of the best. The only concern I had was the possibility of designers fighting each other on who would take the coveted role of point person. In all seriousness though, when we heard this news, we immediately started sharing clips from the show and brainstorming ideas.
The reason for all the excitement speaks to how much we love the character and series. The humor resonates with our own, and I think if we were to design our own superhero, it would be heavily inspired by elements of Peacemaker.
From day one, it was clear to us that translating Peacemaker into Mortal Kombat 1 was going to be exciting. The first part was to craft a gameplay design around a core set of attacks and special moves while then layering in reference after reference and adding very specific details to the way the attacks look and feel. This meant watching and re-watching scenes of show while meticulously noting details that stuck out to us.
One of our favorite scenes from the show was the first time we get to see Peacemaker use the Sonic Boom helmet. The butterfly girl he had been fighting leapt into the air to attack, but Peacemaker was able to activate Sonic Boom in time to vaporize her. It was a shocking moment as we are left with a shot of Peacemaker sitting on the ground completely stunned at what just transpired.
When we went to create Peacemaker’s Brutality with the Sonic Boom, we wanted to mimic very specific details that stood out to us like capturing that last shot of Peacemaker sitting on ground in total shock. Additionally, we created a Brutality from the scene in the show where he made a homemade grenade using a tank shell. We even created new blood splats with bigger spreads and longer meteors of meat bits to better mimic those on the show. In all, this is the part of the design process that we have a lot of fun with.
As we were developing Peacemaker in Mortal Kombat 1, we believed it was critical to showcase his over-the-top personality everywhere possible. This becomes a summation of nuances, voiceover, dialog, motions, and mannerisms that are keys to how we wanted to convey Peacemaker’s unique personality to the audience. This is always important but especially in this case because of how familiar players are with this character, and anything slightly off will be noticed right away.
Fortunately, we had the pleasure of working directly with John Cena who delivered an impeccable performance (no surprise) as Peacemaker in the game, adding the ultimate level of credibility to the voice capture and dialog. In the mocap studio, we closely studied Peacemaker’s mannerisms, oftentimes bringing up clips from the show on the big screen and comparing them with the actor’s performance as we captured the motions to ensure they were reading like Peacemaker. As you might expect, there were a lot of laughs in between takes as some of the more the comedic moments were shining through.
Gameplay-wise, Peacemaker was designed to have a straight-forward and accessible playstyle. We wanted to prominently feature both his helmet attacks and coordination with Eagley, the character’s loyal bald eagle sidekick. For the helmet attacks, we needed to design special moves that supported both his gameplay design and references we felt were important from the show. For his helmet-centric moves, he will employ his torpedo attack and anti-gravity abilities that allows him to float up and slam down over opponents, with the enhanced version of this move acting as an evade with additional options to cancel out.
For Eagley’s attacks, we were looking to design meaningful special moves that would be helpful in certain situations. For instance, Eagley can attack an opponent’s Kameo Fighter, mauling them and shutting down their use. For a few of us, the funniest move Peacemaker has is his blow dart special move, which fans should recognize from The Suicide Squad(2021)movie. In-game, he is in the same sneaking stance and can move forward and back while holding the blow dart, which can be released at any time and is designed to hit opponents out of the air.
It would be an understatement to say it was a privilege for us to design and develop Peacemaker in Mortal Kombat 1. This was one of the most collaborative and fun experiences we’ve had as a design group so far. We feel that Peacemaker is a great fit for the Mortal Kombat Universe, and we can’t wait for players to get their hands on him. Peacemaker will be available on Feb. 28 as part of the early access period for Mortal Kombat 1 Kombat Pack owners, followed by wide availability on March 6. A trial version of Mortal Kombat 1 will be available to play for all Game Pass Core and Game Pass Ultimate subscribers as part of Xbox Free Play Days from March 7-10, with access to all multiplayer game modes, the first two chapters of the cinematic Story mode, the base roster of iconic characters, and more.
Discover a reborn Mortal Kombat Universe created by the Fire God Liu Kang. Mortal Kombat 1 ushers in a new era of the iconic franchise with a new fighting system, game modes, and fatalities!
The Kombat Pack includes the Johnny Cage character skin featuring voice and likeness of actor and martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme (available now), along with 6 new post-launch DLC playable characters and 5 new post-launch Kameo Fighters. Kombat Pack also includes 1-week early access to all DLC playable characters.
DLC Playable Characters (All Coming Post-Launch)
Omni-Man (Invincible)
Quan Chi
Peacemaker (DC’s Peacemaker)
Ermac
Homelander (The Boys)
Takahashi Takeda
Hey Xbox Insiders! We have a new Xbox Update Preview releasing to the Alpha ring today.
It’s important we note that some updates made to these preview OS builds include background improvements that ensure a quality and stable build for Xbox consoles. We will continue to post these release notes, even when the noticeable changes to the UI are minimal or behind the scenes, so you’re aware when updates are coming to your device.
Details can be found below!
System Update Details
OS Version: XB_FLT_2403ZN25398.3813.240219-1730
Available: 2 p.m. PT – February 21, 2024
Mandatory: 3 a.m. PT – February 22, 2024
Fixes Included
Thanks to all the great feedback Xbox Insiders provide and the hard work of Xbox engineers, we are happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented with this build:
Accessibility
Fixes to improve narrator readout in the profile section in the guide.
System
Various updates to properly reflect local languages across the console.
While known issues may have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes, they are not being ignored! However, it may take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution. If you experience any of these issues, we ask that you please follow any guidance provided and file feedback with Report a Problem.
Audio
We have received reports of users experiencing intermittent issues with audio across the dashboard, games, and apps. If you have experienced issues, be sure you have the latest firmware updates for your TV and other equipment. If you’re unsure, you may need to contact the manufacturer for assistance.
Note: If you continue to experience issues after applying the latest firmware updates, please submit feedback via Report a Problem immediately with the “Reproduce with advanced diagnostics” option, then select the category “Console experiences” and “Console Audio Output Issues”. Be sure to include as much information as possible:
When did the issue start?
Did you lose audio just in the game/app or system audio as well?
Does changing the audio format resolve the issue? If yes, what was the format before and after?
Does rebooting resolve the issue?
What does your setup include? Equipment, layout, etc.
And any additional information you can provide to reproduce the problem.
Networking
We are investigating reports of an issue where the console may not connect to their network as expected on boot. If you experience this, be sure to report the issue via Report a Problem as soon as you’re able.
Workaround: Wait a minute for the connection to establish. If your console still hasn’t connected, restart your Xbox from the Power Center or the guide. Learn more here: How to restart or power cycle your Xbox console.
As always, be sure to use Report a problem to keep us informed of any issues you encounter. We may not be able to respond to everyone, but the data we’ll gather is crucial to finding a resolution.
If you’re an Xbox Insider looking for support, please visit the community subreddit. Official Xbox staff, moderators, and fellow Xbox Insiders are there to help with your concerns.
When posting to the subreddit, please look through the most recent posts to see if your issue has already been posted or addressed. We always recommend adding to existing threads with the same issue before posting a new one. This helps us support you the best we can! Also, don’t forget to use “Report a Problem” before posting – the information shared in both places helps us understand your issue better.
Thank you to every Xbox Insider in the subreddit today and welcome to the community if you’re just joining us! We love that it has become such a friendly and community-driven hub of conversation and support.
For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information regarding your Xbox Update Preview ring!
At Xbox, we strive to create games that inspire, entertain, and connect players from around the world. As a publisher and platform we are committed to meeting players where they are, by bringing more games, to more people, and on more devices. And at the heart of all we do are our players, and the vibrant communities that they build around the games they love.
Today we are announcing that four fan-favorite Xbox games will be coming to Nintendo Switch and Sony platforms this spring. The studios that built these celebrated games have drawn on their multi-platform experience to open the worlds they created to even more players and communities.
Pentimentfrom Obsidian Entertainment, a truly unique, critically acclaimed, and award-winning narrative adventure game with a striking visual style inspired by history itself will be coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch on February 22.
Hi-Fi RUSH, the award-winning and beloved rhythm-based action game where the world syncs to the music from Tango Gameworks/Bethesda Softworks will be coming to PlayStation 5 on March 19 at midnight UTC, with pre-purchase available on PlayStation 5 digital storefronts on February 21.
Grounded– also from Obsidian Entertainment – a co-op survival adventure phenomenon that has welcomed 20 million players into the backyard, will be coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch on April 16. Cross play will be supported across Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Sea of Thieves, the shared world adventure game from Rare, will be coming to PlayStation 5 on April 30 – and will be available to wishlist by PlayStation 5 players starting tomorrow, February 22. Having built a passionate community of more than 35 million players from around the world, the support of cross play for Xbox, PlayStation and PC will allow players to experience epic pirate adventures with friends on more platforms.
These titles join franchises like Minecraft, Call of Duty, Overwatch and Diablo – which already reach players and fans on multiple platforms – and we’re excited for more players to experience these worlds and stories on more platforms.
Whether it’s Nintendo Switch and PlayStation players surviving in the backyard together in Grounded, or PlayStation players getting to live a pirate’s life in Sea of Thieves, with cross-play, these multiplayer titles available will bring more people together and continue to grow their communities of players.
Our first party games will come to Game Pass day one.
A robust and innovative multi-year hardware roadmap.
Compatibility with your library is a priority, inclusive of cross-play, cross-save, and robust cloud features.
Xbox will continue to help game creators find the biggest audience possible.
And as we shared at Developer_Direct, earlier this year, players can look forward to Senua’s Saga:Hellblade II, Avowed, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and more on Xbox Series X|S, PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Xbox Game Pass this year.
There’s never been a better time to play, and we can’t wait for more players to experience these great games.
Critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV Online has officially launched into Open Beta on Xbox Series X|S
Boasting 4K support on Xbox Series X and faster loading times on both consoles, all progress will carry over to the full launch
Our Starter Guide Series offers tips and tricks to make your early steps into the realm of Eorzea even better
It’s been a long old journey, but we’re thrilled to finally be able to say critically acclaimed Online RPG Final Fantasy XIV Online is officially available on Xbox Series X|S!
Today’s launch into Open Beta offers Xbox players the full breadth of content available in the much-hyped Free Trial, with more to come when the full release arrives. Better yet, all progress will carry over, so let’s take a look at what’s on offer as well as give you some tips and tricks about how to start your adventures in Eorzea!
What is Final Fantasy XIV Online?
We covered this in detail last time, but Final Fantasy XIV Online is an online massively multiplayer role-playing game boasting a global community over 30 million adventurers strong, and widely regarded as having one of the most welcoming communities on the internet.
Despite the title, a key point is that Final Fantasy XIV Online is a standalone game that doesn’t require any previous experience with the franchise, making it the perfect place to jump in. Expect a world filled with bustling cities, towering forests and deadly deserts, with a constantly updated and ever-engaging world taking you to the far reaches of the land—and beyond—with a captivating and ongoing story.
If multiplayer games feel a bit overwhelming, FFXIV includes a feature called the Duty Support system that enables tackling content with a party of NPC allies as opposed to other players. This now spans all the main story dungeons currently in the game, meaning you can experience the award-winning narrative all on your own.
What’s Available Now… and What’s Coming Next?
Today’s launch into Open Beta brings all the content available in the Free Trial to Xbox Series X|S. This means you can enjoy the entirety of A Realm Reborn as well as the award-winning Heavensward and Stormblood expansions up to level 70, with no restrictions on playtime!
All progress made will carry over to the full release when it arrives, giving you plenty of time to get up to speed before our newest expansion, Dawntrail arrives in Summer… but more on that another time!
Any Tips and Tricks for Beginners?
With a world as big as FFXIV’s, it can be a bit overwhelming to know where to start. Thankfully, our Starter Guide series has your back. The seven-part video series offers early tips and tricks for new players to get the most out of their adventures in Eorzea. The series follows the journey of new player Kaz and his mentor Mayra, who guides him through his first steps in FFXIV.
Each episode is designed to assist with beginning your journey, whether playing solo at your own pace, or joining others to explore the world together. If you’re a more experienced Warrior of Light, feel free to share this series with friends who are just taking the first steps of their adventures!
You can check out the whole series in a playlist here, or click on the first episode below.
That’s all for today – we’re so excited to welcome you to Eorzea, and can’t wait to share more information on Dawntrail very soon indeed! Until then, happy adventuring!
The FINAL FANTASY XIV Online Free Trial includes three award-winning titles – FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn the base game, and the first and second expansions: FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward and FINAL FANTASY XIV: Stormblood.
Join over 30 million adventurers worldwide and take part in an epic and ever-changing FINAL FANTASY. Experience all the hallmarks of the best-selling franchise – an unforgettable story, exhilarating battles, and a myriad of diverse and captivating environments to explore.
Party up with friends or play solo! Experience all the main story dungeons on your own by calling upon NPC allies to fight by your side.
The FFXIV Open Beta is only available for newly created Square Enix accounts.
• Users will not be able to link existing accounts during the Open Beta period. If you would like to link an existing Square Enix account, please wait until the full launch of FFXIV on Xbox.
• If you create a new Square Enix account in order to play the Xbox Open Beta, please be aware that you will not be able to link it to another Square Enix account in the future.
If you wish to play FFXIV on Xbox with an existing Square Enix account and its associated characters, please wait until the full Xbox launch.
IMPORTANT:
• Requires game purchase and on-going subscription to continue playing after the Free Trial.
• All editions of the game require user registration.
• Age restrictions and other terms and conditions apply. Please refer to the User Agreement (https://sqex.to/ffxiv_agreement) and Square Enix Account Terms of Use (https://sqex.to/ffxiv_terms) for the terms and conditions of registration and service. Please visit the FINAL FANTASY XIV website at https://www.finalfantasyxiv.com/ for additional information.
It’s official! On this day, ten years ago, we announced the launch of the “Xbox Preview Program”. We would later re-brand to the “Xbox Insider Program”, which we have all come to know and love. Our larger, more in-depth retrospective is still to come later this month, but we just wanted to take a moment to give a warm, heartfelt thanks to everyone who has contributed to the program over the last decade.
From every single Xbox Insider who has submitted feedback, joined a preview, or even just opened the app, to the nearly one hundred different employees that have left their individual, indelible mark on the program, everyone’s continued investment throughout this time has created a unique opportunity for Xbox fans around the globe to directly impact the future of Xbox.
So, again, to everyone, our deepest gratitude for your time. Thank you so much for being a part of Xbox Insider Program. Here’s to (at least) ten more years!
Hey Xbox Insiders! We are releasing a new Xbox App for Windows build to Xbox Insiders who are enrolled in the PC Gaming Insiders preview! Thank you all for being Xbox Insiders. Continue read to learn about fixes and known issues. Make sure that you update the Xbox app, and Gaming Services to ensure you get all of the fixes!
New Versions of PC Gaming prerelease products:
Xbox App version: 2402.1001.20.0
Released: 5:00 p.m. PT – Feb 15th 2024
Game Bar version: 7.124.2141.0
Released: 5:00 p.m. PT – Feb 15th 2024
What’s new?
Game Hubs – Users will notice several new sections located on the individual pages for each game that they have installed. When you select a game listed in My Library or by simply clicking on a title in the left hand navigation bar, you will notice several new items shown on the page such as new content available for the title or information about your friends who play the title.
Xbox App Bug Fixes:
Fixed an issue where users were unable to receive invites for certain games
Fixed an issue where the copy button might be missing when viewing captured images
Fixed an issue where users were unable to install a few specific titles
Added high contrast support to Captures
Game Bar Bug Fixes:
Fixed an issue where Game Bar would rarely not load after a user hit Windows key + G
Fixed an issue where certain social features did not work with earlier releases of Windows
How to Get Xbox Insider Support
Don’t forget! If you encounter any issues, you can leave feedback by navigating to the feedback option on your profile menu.
You can also provide feedback, as well as interact with the community, on the Xbox Insiders Subreddit. Please be as specific as possible when providing feedback.
When posting to the subreddit, please look through most recent posts to see if your issue has already been posted or addressed. We always recommend adding to threads with the same issue before posting a brand new one. This helps us support you the best we can!
For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information!
Thank you to everyone who participates in the Xbox Insider Program! Your feedback helps us continue to build a great gaming experience in the Xbox app on PC.
Balatro Wants You to Play Poker – and Then Break It Apart
When I first heard about Balatro (out now on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One), I wondered how you could make a roguelike deckbuilder – a genre already stacked with greats like Slay the Spire, Monster Train, Inscryption, Hand of Fate, and more – using only poker as an inspiration. After accidentally playing 15 hours of Balatro in only a few short days, I’ve come to realize that this isn’t about playing poker, it’s about breaking poker – and it’s incredible.
Balatro has a simple premise – every poker hand is assigned a points score, and a multiplier for that score. You’re dealt a hand, offered the chance to discard up to five cards at a time, and then try to find the best possible way to hit the highest points total. There are no opponents, per se, just higher and higher points totals you’re tasked with beating (although there are “boss levels” that introduce extra, often painful, mechanics to work around). It’s a simple, elegant set-up. But the ways you can go beyond that set up are anything but simple.
Between each round, you can purchase new cards and abilities from an in-game shop, using money earned by playing each round efficiently, or stylishly. The key to understanding Balatro is to realise that everything you can add to your deck isn’t a way to cheat as such, but a means of literally changing how poker works. The most obvious of these tools comes in the form of Jokers, cards that live separately from your deck, and offer 150 different ways to change how your other cards react – from buffing certain suits, to earning you more money to spend, to truly wild abilities I won’t spoil.
But beyond Jokers there are ways to add extra abilities to your deck as a whole, enhance the potency of certain hand types, add extra cards to your line-up, remove or change suits, and much, much more. It’s overwhelming at first, but as you begin to understand how many variables there are, and how they interact, you start to realise that the game of poker, in Balatro‘s hands, is a mutable, mercurial thing.
I’ve built decks where a simple pair is more powerful than a straight flush. I’ve built decks that mean straights no longer work the way they should, and allow me to create wild combos more frequently. I’ve built decks where I’ve experimented and discovered that there are valid poker hands here that don’t even exist in the real-life game – five of a kind, anyone?
I’ve discovered a new way to play Balatro on every single run I’ve played, quite literally –and I’ve played a lot. This isn’t a game about working within the rules to succeed, it’s about changing the rules to help you redefine what success is. I’ve already hit point scores I didn’t necessarily think were possible when I started playing – and, looking in the unlocks menu, I’ve realised that there are point scores that still feel baffling this far into my time with the game.
Speaking of unlocks, this is where Balatro offers you a meaningful sense of progression. Every new run is a total reset – you can’t keep abilities or receive passive upgrades, but hitting (often very specific) targets will unlock new cards for you to use in future runs. I’m now looking through menus between each run, working out what bizarre goal I want to hit next – a run where I somehow have 30 club cards in my deck? Let’s give it a try.
Perhaps my biggest reservation going into Balatro is that there was no story to anchor this all to – I’ve loved roguelike deckbuilders’ many approaches to slowly but surely offering up a narrative through what amount to simple games of cards. But I’ve come to realise that part of the beauty here is that this game swaps story for atmosphere.
There’s a digital spookiness at work, from the faux-CRT scanlines across the screen, to its heavy reliance on tarot imagery, to the general sense that something is broken about all of this – like we’re playing a virtual poker machine in some haunted casino. I’ll never truly know what’s going on beyond my newest deck’s abilities, and that feels like the point.
Balatro already feels like a game to file alongside the pinnacles of the genre, and I know I’ve only seen a portion of what it has to offer. I can’t wait to see where the cards take me next.
Balatro is out now on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.
Balatro is a poker-inspired roguelike deck builder all about creating powerful synergies and winning big.
The poker roguelike. Balatro is a hypnotically satisfying deckbuilder where you play illegal poker hands, discover game-changing jokers, and trigger adrenaline-pumping, outrageous combos.
Combine valid poker hands with unique Joker cards in order to create varied synergies and builds. Earn enough chips to beat devious blinds, all while uncovering hidden bonus hands and decks as you progress. You’re going to need every edge you can get in order to reach the boss blind, beat the final ante and secure victory.
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