No Man’s Sky Orbital Update Introduces Space Station Overhaul, Ship Customization, and More
Summary
No Man’s Sky free Orbital Update available to download today.
Space stations are now vast and varied in the all-new Orbital update for No Man’s Sky.
No Man’s Sky players on Xbox can now customize their starships.
Last month, all Xbox owners were able to try No Man’s Sky’s free Omega expedition whether they owned No Man’s Sky or not. We were thrilled to welcome so many new Travellers into our friendly community. This month, we’re excited to show all those new players what veteran players have come to expect by way of regular updates as we unveil the Orbital update, free for existing owners to download today.
Orbital focusses on an area of the game which has remained largely unchanged since No Man’s Sky launched on Xbox five years ago. It’s an aspect which every player encounters almost every time they embark on a new adventure – the ever-present space stations!
Space stations have always been a vibrant and much-frequented feature of every No Man’s Sky star system and are a bustling destination for trade, equipment upgrades, missions, fast travel around the universe and endearing yourself to the locals.
The first thing to strike you about these news stations is their vastness. They loom ever larger upon your starship as you approach the docking entrance. Secondly, their procedurally-generated exteriors mean that you rarely encounter the same form twice. Upon initiating the docking sequence, the large, cavernous landing strip you traverse hints towards a much larger interior than previous, again with a wide variety of layouts.
One of the new additions to the space station map which Travellers will no doubt race towards is the Ship Fabricator. For a while now, players have dreamed of the ability to create their own starships in their dream configuration. This new function enables you to combine parts of salvaged ships together in a near-limitless array of permutations to create brand new form factors. You may still need to scour the universe for that perfect S-Class though!
The envoys from the three universe guilds – Merchant, Mercenary, Explorer – frequent the new space stations and it’s always worth paying them a visit. Your standing with the guilds can be increased with donations of interesting artefacts from your travels, and a higher standing unlocks ever-higher gifts, cheap supplies and discounts, anything from free ammo and fuel to powerful equipment upgrades.
Orbital also ushers in the concept of “Intervention Events” as part of freighter expeditions. Frigates that you have dispatched to the far-flung corners of the universe on lucrative missions can now call upon further instruction mid-voyage or even ask you to come to where they are to assist them in their objective.
As with all No Man’s Sky free updates, Orbital features a whole host of other additions and improvements, large and small. It is available to download from today, free for all existing Xbox and Game Pass owners. Our journey continues.
No Man’s Sky comes complete with all 26 major updates up to and including Omega.
Inspired by the adventure and imagination that we love from classic science-fiction, No Man’s Sky presents you with a galaxy to explore, filled with unique planets and lifeforms, and constant danger and action.
In No Man’s Sky, every star is the light of a distant sun, each orbited by planets filled with life, and you can go to any of them you choose. Fly smoothly from deep space to planetary surfaces, with no loading screens, and no limits. In this infinite procedurally generated universe, you’ll discover places and creatures that no other players have seen before – and perhaps never will again.
Embark on an epic voyage
At the centre of the galaxy lies a irresistible pulse which draws you on a journey towards it to learn the true nature of the cosmos. But, facing hostile creatures and fierce pirates, you’ll know that death comes at a cost, and survival will be down to the choices you make over how you upgrade your ship, your weapon and suit.
Find your own destiny
Your voyage through No Man’s Sky is up to you. Will you be a fighter, preying on the weak and taking their riches, or taking out pirates for their bounties? Power is yours if you upgrade your ship for speed and weaponry.
Or a trader? Find rich resources on forgotten worlds and exploit them for the highest prices. Invest in more cargo space and you’ll reap huge rewards.
Or perhaps an explorer? Go beyond the known frontier and discover places and things that no one has ever seen before. Upgrade your engines to jump ever farther, and strengthen your suit for survival in toxic environments that would kill the unwary.
Share your journey
The galaxy is a living, breathing place. Trade convoys travel between stars, factions vie for territory, pirates hunt the unwary, and the police are ever watching. Every other player lives in the same galaxy, and you can choose to share your discoveries with them on a map that spans known space. Perhaps you will see the results of their actions as well as your own…
Hey Xbox Insiders! We have a new Xbox Update Preview releasing to the Omega 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_2404ZN25398.4051.240321-2000
Available: 4 p.m. PT – March 26, 2024
Mandatory: 4 p.m. PT – March 27, 2024
Note: This update may not occur automatically before it has already become mandatory. You can always find the most current update as soon as it is available by opening the Guide > Profile & system > Settings > System > Updates.
Remember: Newly enrolled users in this ring are not guaranteed to receive all early updates, but they’ll receive the update prior to the GA release. Additionally, a small subset of users may remain on their current GA build once they enroll until the next system update becomes mandatory for the public. Visit the Xbox Insider Program FAQ to learn more.
New Features and Experiences
We have exciting news! Omega users can expect something new coming to their Xbox Update Preview.
Capture & Share
Users will now see a toast notification after uploading a new screenshot or game clip to OneDrive if they’re running low on space.
Discord Voice – Soundboard Audio
Xbox players who have joined Discord Voice will now be able to hear soundboard audio from others in the channel or call. A mute button for soundboard audio can be found in the Discord Voice options in the Guide. At this time, you cannot trigger soundboard audio from the console.
Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta)
Xbox Insiders can preview Mouse and Keyboard support while playing via cloud gaming on supported browsers (Edge and Chrome) and the Xbox App on Windows PCs for users enrolled in the PC Gaming Preview.
Note: Users on browser will need to enable Preview features on their browser to gain access to the feature. This is done by clicking on your profile picture at xbox.com/play and then select Settings and then enable “Preview features.”
Currently supported titles and any known issues are below:
Fortnite
Browsers only
ARK Survival Evolved
Sea of Thieves
Grounded
Halo Infinite
Atomic Heart
Known Issue: There is some difficulty switching between gamepad (controller) and Mouse and Keyboard while streaming game
Sniper Elite 5
Deep Rock Galactic
High on Life
Zombie Army 4 Dead War
Gears Tactics
Pentiment
Doom 64
Age of Empires 2
Additional consideration for Xbox Insiders:
Some games will display controller UI elements (e.g., “press A to start”) by default. Their UI will adapt to Mouse & Keyboard input only after player has started to use Mouse/Keyboard to interact with the game (moving the cursor and/or pressing keys)
On browser:
The game stream needs to be in full screen mode to work with mouse and keyboard. Players can hold the ESC key at any time to exit full-screen mode.
The player must click on the game stream element explicitly for it to “capture your pointer”. Otherwise, your mouse input won’t be sent to the game.
Players can press F9 to exit mouse and keyboard use for the game
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:
Capture & Share
Fixes to improve unexpected behavior in the Captures app when storing captures on both the internal Xbox storage and an external drive.
Network Transfer
Fixes to address an unexpected error that could occur when initiating a network transfer if the content already exists.
Parties
Fixes to address an issue where no members would be listed when attempting to invite club members to a party.
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
Some users have reported experiencing intermittent audio issues across the dashboard, games, and apps.
Troubleshooting: If you do experience issues, please confirm your TV and all other equipment have the latest firmware installed. If you are unsure, you may need to contact the manufacturer for assistance. You can also find additional troubleshooting tips here: Troubleshoot audio on your Xbox console.
Feedback: If you continue to experience issues after applying the latest firmware and troubleshooting further, please submit feedback via Report a Problem when you are experiencing the issue. Use the “Reproduce with advanced diagnostics” option, then select the category “Console experiences” and “Console Audio Output Issues”.
Note: Be sure to include as much information as possible about the issue, when it started, your setup, troubleshooting you have completed, and any additional information that will help us reproduce the issue.
Networking
We are investigating reports of an issue where the console may not connect to the network immediately 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 or two for the connection to establish. If your console still hasn’t connected, restart your Xbox from the Power Center or the guide then file feedback with Report a Problem. Learn more about restarting 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!
Everything You Need to Know About Diablo IV Coming to Game Pass
Megan Spurr, Community Lead, Xbox Game Pass
The gates of Hell are opening even wider, and Diablo IV is coming to Game Pass starting March 28! Whether you’re a seasoned demon slayer, or brand new to the world of Diablo, this guide is for you. Let’s unleash the darkness and unravel the mysteries of Sanctuary.
For PC players, here’s how to get in the game:
Open the Xbox App on PC and make sure you are signed in with your Microsoft account tied to your Game Pass membership. Then click on Diablo IV and then the Install button.
Click “Install Battle.net” when prompted and complete the installation. (If you already have Battle.net installed, you’ll skip to the next step automatically)
You’ll be prompted to connect your Battle.net account to your Microsoft account. If you already have a Battle.net account you can log in to complete the connection, or from here you can create a Battle.net account to make the connection.
Once you have downloaded Battle.net and connected your accounts, you can complete the installation of Diablo IV!
Story and Lore
If you’re new to Diablo, you will be able to dive right into the demonic world of Diablo IV with no need to have played the previous titles. The story takes place several decades after the events of Diablo III and introduces a new cast of characters and motivations in the most sinister chapter of the Diablo universe to date. This is a standalone game that you can jump into immediately, illustrating how the very world you’ll save came to be. Set in Sanctuary, a refuge built by members of the warring High Heavens and Burning Hells as an escape from the unremitting conflict, you begin your journey wandering through an ominous frozen land. You quickly learn about the prophesied return of the demon Lilith, the Daughter of Hatred, who created Sanctuary alongside the arch angel Inarius. Consumed by hatred and revenge, her desire for the conquest and destruction of heaven and hell puts all of Sanctuary’s denizens at risk as she brings dark urges to the hearts of both demons and humans alike. It falls on you and a select few to oppose her plans and do battle while keeping the fate of Sanctuary in the balance.
Gameplay
Now that you know a little more about Sanctuary, let’s talk gameplay. Diablo IV is an isometric action role playing game (ARPG), where you’ll harness abilities, powerful Skills, and famed gear to defend your home from snarling demons and otherworldly horrors. Across Sanctuary, you’ll delve into replayable, procedurally generated dungeons, while progressing through the story and getting more potent items and materials for your wanderer. Your character traverses the open world of Sanctuary, hack-and-slashing through the progression system as one of five experience-defining class fantasies: Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Rogue, or Sorcerer Participate in world events, take down strongholds, work with other players to tackle World Bosses, or battle other players in the PvP Fields of Hatred. Join or make your own clan to form alliances with other players.
We have a quick “teach me” from head of Diablo Rod Fergusson to walk through how to play:
Choose your Class
There are 5 classes to choose from in Diablo IV. Each with multiple skills and talents to fit your preferred playstyle.
Barbarian: The master of arms of Diablo IV. Dual wield or swing massive 2-handed weapons (with the ability to swap between both in the heat of combat) while you get up close and personal with your enemies.
Druid: Shapeshift your way through Sanctuary as a werewolf or a werebear while doling out magic alongside your spirit animal pets (they each grant you specific boons) to freak out everyone around you.
Necromancer: You never have to travel alone as a speaker of the dead. Use your profane knowledge to summon your own personal pack of skeletons and a golem to fight the monsters for, or with you.
Rogue: If you can’t choose between ranged or melee, why not both? Move quickly in combat to either stab combatants up close or fire at them with a bow from afar.
Sorcerer: Enjoy time around the fire as you set your enemies ablaze (or freeze them or strike with lightning) with elemental magics.
If you’re new to Diablo IV, it’s recommended to start by creating a character in the Seasonal realm, but do not check the “Skip Campaign” option – make your way through Diablo IV’s story mode first. Seasons are recurring, time-limited events, challenges, rewards, and gameplay changes, and when a season ends, your seasonal characters and their progress are converted to non-seasonal characters, so once you’re through the story mode, you’re good to roll a new character for Season 4 dropping in May!
You’re about to dive into a world of chaos, monsters, gear, and a conflict between the High Heavens and Burning Hells.
Pick your class, play style, and go hunt down Lilith. See you in hell, friends!
Diablo® IV is the next-gen action RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish Dungeons, and legendary loot. Embark on the campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through beautifully dark settings and a gripping story, or go rogue through an expansive End Game and shared world where players will meet in towns to trade, team up to battle World Bosses, or descend into PVP zones to test their skills against other players – no lobbies necessary – with cross-play and cross-progression on all available platforms.
This is only the beginning for Diablo® IV, with new events, stories, seasons, rewards, and more looming on the horizon.
Battle.net account required. Internet connection required.
The Arctic Camo Special Edition controller is now making its worldwide debut! It was originally launched in the United States on May 2023 at select retailers and will now expand to international markets to reach more fans. Arctic Camo features a patchwork of rugged white and grey that all tie together into one striking visual. This monochromatic multitool, from the thumbsticks to the hybrid D-Pad and all the way to the triggers, is the perfect purchase for gamers who crave a controller that exudes both style and sophistication.
Like the rest of the Camo series, Arctic Camo comes with features which make Xbox controllers stand out. Enjoy modern sculpted surfaces and refined geometry for enhanced comfort during gameplay – with a hybrid D-Pad that allows your fingers to glide across the surface, textured grips on the bumpers, triggers, and back case for a stronger support. By using Bluetooth and Xbox Wireless, the Arctic Camo controller can connect to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles, PC, mobile phones and tablets (see xbox.com/controller-compatibility for more details).
With a 3.5mm audio jack, you only need your favorite compatible headset to either fully immerse yourself within the gaming world or coordinate with your friends to campaign collectively. Play longer with up to 40 hours of battery life (varies with usage and other factors) and save all your best memories on the expedition through the dedicated share button. Tailor your experiences with the Xbox Accessories app which lets you remap your controller’s buttons and create controller profiles to have vastly different personalization options for your games.
Get To Know Our Team
Shawn
3rd Party Studio Support Specialist
Hi, everyone! Wynn here again. Welcome back to another Xbox Insider Team interview. Today we’re sitting down to talk with Shawn—a 3rd Party Studio Support Specialist on our team.
How’re we doing today, Shawn?
Feeling good Wynn. Excited for the interview.
Excellent! Let’s dive right in. Give the audience a little backstory.
Let’s see. I mean. I’ve been playing games my entire life. My parents got me started with an Apple //e where I was playing the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy text adventure.
Wow. That’s pretty OG.
Yeah, I had the monitors that were only green interface and everything.
I missed that initial wave of early computer gaming. The closest thing I have now are some Apple II floppies for a game called Nox Archaist that was made as if it was an old Apple II game.
It was a great system to start off on. I’ve moved through pretty much all of the systems over the years, but I think my favorite is still the Sega Genesis.
Ahh, you were the Sega kid on your block.
Absolutely. I did what Ninten-kids-don’t.
Haha. I think that joke still lands 30 years later.
The Genesis was just so cool. The games, the SoundBlaster, just a lot of cool tech. I still have my 32X and CD attachments hooked up.
The true Voltron of home consoles.
Exactly! It was brilliant. But I had pretty much every system up until the original Xbox launched. I remember going into my local GameStop and seeing the advertisements for Halo. I pre-ordered it, the console, and a memory unit on the spot.
Oh, so you were like, all in all in.
100%. I loved the original Xbox, the Duke, everything, and I’ve never really looked back. Been fully immersed in the ecosystem ever since. It’s funny. That trip to GameStop sort of kicked off my main professional career down the line.
Pray tell.
Well, I hung around that GameStop a lot just talking games, and at some point, the manager kind of looked at me and goes, “You kind of like already work here. Do you wanna actually work here and get paid?”
I started the next week.
I had a pretty similar onboarding to my GameStop career. I kept coming in all summer and when they finally had a position the manager asked me, “Tell me 5 games coming out this year,” and I told him the next five games. Hired on the spot.
Yeah, I ended up staying with GameStop for about four years. Slowly grinding myself up the ladder until I got to Store Manager. But I was looking around trying to figure out what’s next and I really like the idea of like “taking the show on the road”. So, I hit up some of the Xbox field reps and figured out which companies had Microsoft contracts.
I knew a few of the field reps back at my store too. They always seemed like they enjoyed the job.
It was a super fun gig. When I first started, they didn’t have a Microsoft position available, so I ended up doing brief stints selling tablets in Best Buy and dog food inside of PetSmart. But when an Xbox gig eventually opened up, I got to do a big Super Bowl event literally at the Super Bowl.
So, the wait was worth it, then?
Definitely. The job itself was great too. I’d drive around to all the GameStop’s, Fry’s, and Best Buy’s in my area and just make sure Xbox was being represented properly. When the Microsoft Stores opened, I would stop by there as well just to chat with everyone. Which is actually how I got my first role at Microsoft. I was chatting with the Store Manager, and he mentioned a new position was coming out called “Gaming Expert”. It’s like, of course, I’m going to apply for that.
Oh, I remember when Gaming Experts became a thing in stores. Really cool for community events.
Yeah, some of the tournaments we ran were a lot of fun. League of Legends, Gears, Halo. Lots of great memories from my time there. I rode that position until the stores closed in 2020.
Ahh, so you moved over to DSS along with Evie and Vanessa?
Yup! I was mostly focused on the education side of things, and then was one of the 10 lucky former retail employees selected for the Xbox CSM position.
It seems like those original 10 CSMs were a super tight knit group.
We kinda got put in the crucible a little bit, so we were brought together as we all made the move from retail to corporate life. Honestly, it’s one of my favorite things about my time since I joined Xbox. Seeing how all of us have grown—and continue to grow—in our various roles. It’s been personally really inspiring, and I’m really grateful to have worked with all of them.
That’s so heartwarming, man. I love it.
My next question was going to be about your favorite moment in time since joining, but I guess that about covers it.
Well, if you want a more discrete example, I have another tear-jerker from my time in retail. We did those League tournaments every weekend for like 18 months, right? Well, at one of the first ones, we have this son and dad come in a join a team. They were playing well together and doing like post-match analysis. The next day after the tournament, the dad comes back in and starts thanking us profusely for the opportunity. Apparently, his relationship with his son hadn’t been the best the last few years and the son wanted to come to the tournament. It was the first time they had connected like that in a long time. After that, I think they showed up every week until we stopped hosting them in-store.
Dude. That’s incredible. I’m about to tear up over here.
Stuff like that really solidified to me that we were doing good work in the stores, and that I wanted to continue in that sort of field where I could have that impact.
I had a few of those like “Oh, this is why we do this,” moments at retail as well. Some of them I still use to guide me today.
Speaking of, and this might be a bit of a whiplash segue, do you have a game that’s had that sort of foundational impact in your life?
Haha. No, perfect transition!
When I was younger it was easily all about Sonic. Even to this day, Sonic & Knuckles is just one of my favorite games of all time.
You can tell you were primarily a Genesis kid. I think you’re the first one who has mentioned Sonic.
I played Mario too! But something about the speed of the game and just the vibe I guess appealed to me more.
I grew up totally on the SNES but one thing that’s undoubtedly better on Genesis is the music. Like, Lava Reef Zone of Sonic & Knuckles 3 is one of my favorite tracks from that era. It’s up there with Down the Tubes from Earthworm Jim for me as just a showcase of the Genesis’s style and power.
Are you a purely retro guy or do you have any recent favorites?
Oh, my current gen pick is the Borderlands series. It doesn’t matter how many remasters, remakes, bundles, or whatever they have, I’m getting it. I don’t know what it is about watching multi-colored guns explode out of enemies, but I just cannot get enough.
Well, pivoting back to music for a moment, do you have a particular album or track that you jam out to?
I kinda go through phases of music where I’ll listen to like a lot of classic rock, or like right now a lot of EDM/techno influenced stuff. So, my favorite I’ve had on repeat lately has been Woman Worldwide by this group called Justice.
Oh yeah. I really like † by Justice. Their song “Let There Be Light” is phenomenal.
I’ve been partial to Heavy Metal x DVNO currently. The drop is sick. So yeah, that’s my current pick. But I can always listen to my all-time favs like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Gorillaz as well.
Fersure. Any favorite movies or shows?
I’m into more of the sci-fi angle, so I’ll throw on X-Files in the background sometimes. But, for a show or movie that I can just always watch no matter what, that would be Futurama and The Fifth Element.
Excellent choices. The Fifth Element is such a blast. Like that movie should absolutely not exist or have the star power it does, but I’m glad it does.
Right? The practical effects they were doing in the 90s on that are so mind blowing.
Top 10 movie easily.
It’s a movie that’s held up well too.
Let’s move outside of the realm of entertainment. What’re your hobbies that don’t include electricity?
One word: Dodgeball.
Like, if you can dodge a wrench?
The very one. It’s just been a passion of mine for a long time. I also collect all kinds of weird like non-official pressed coinage. So, like those flattened pennies, car wash coins, casino coins. Stuff like that.
I have a small coin collection too. I have every US penny back to like 1944 or something like that. All just entirely found through getting change. Never went out and actually “hunted” or anything.
Wow! That’s pretty sick.
Thanks! Well cool man. We’re about ready to wrap up.
I meant to ask earlier. I know you work on a lot of hush-hush projects, but is there anything you’re working on currently you can share with the Community?
Yeah, nothing directly that’s not under NDA unfortunately. But I hope that everyone has been enjoying the Partner Previews we’ve been doing. Lots of really cool stuff to come there.
Dude, the trailer for The Alters was SO sick from earlier this month.
Any last thoughts for the Xbox Insiders?
Mainly, just that I hope everyone is stoked for what’s coming in the future. Like, I think about when I first started out gaming and how almost secretive it was. Now, video games are the highest grossing industry in the world, and it’s completely pervaded pop-culture. The next few years are going to be incredible. Get ready for the ride.
That’s what we like to hear. Thanks so much for taking the time to chat, Shawn.
Anytime!
Xbox Insiders, be sure to be on the lookout for more content all throughout February including more interviews from the team, a trip down memory lane, and so much more. All of our 10th Anniversary content can be found on our Hub Page.
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_2404ZN25398.4051.240321-2000
Available: 2 p.m. PT – March 25, 2024
Mandatory: 3 a.m. PT – March 26, 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:
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
Some users have reported experiencing intermittent audio issues across the dashboard, games, and apps.
Troubleshooting: If you do experience issues, please confirm your TV and all other equipment have the latest firmware installed. If you are unsure, you may need to contact the manufacturer for assistance. You can also find additional troubleshooting tips here: Troubleshoot audio on your Xbox console.
Feedback: If you continue to experience issues after applying the latest firmware and troubleshooting further, please submit feedback via Report a Problem when you are experiencing the issue. Use the “Reproduce with advanced diagnostics” option, then select the category “Console experiences” and “Console Audio Output Issues”.
Note: Be sure to include as much information as possible about the issue, when it started, your setup, troubleshooting you have completed, and any additional information that will help us reproduce the issue.
Networking
We are investigating reports of an issue where the console may not connect to the network immediately 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 or two for the connection to establish. If your console still hasn’t connected, restart your Xbox from the Power Center or the guide then file feedback with Report a Problem. Learn more about restarting 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!
The “Fully Yoked” 1.4 update launches on April 16 for all platforms.
Digital pre-orders available from today for PlayStation consoles and Nintendo Switch, and physical preorders open through Limited Run Games for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.
The free 1.4 content update for all players introduces royal Ant Queens, a New Game+ mode, full Japanese VO, and an exciting array of new weapons, armor, and additional content.
Hey, Grounded friends! We’re absolutely buzzing to introduce the upcoming “Fully Yoked” 1.4 update – the ultimate Grounded experience bulging with new content that’s sure to get you pumped!
The Reign of the Ant Queens
First up, let’s talk ants. Each of the three ant colonies in Grounded now has a royal leader you can meet, the Ant Queen, who can be found deep within their respective hills. You will face a crucial decision with each queen: to befriend or betray her with a delectable offering. The path you choose determines not only the unique rewards you’ll receive but will also shape how the entire colony reacts to you. But tread carefully – some decisions have ripple effects that might not be immediately obvious…
The Backyard, Remixed
Ready for a backyard makeover, Grounded style? The New Game+ mode brings a thrilling twist to every corner of your backyard, heightening your gaming experience with unique challenges. Each playthrough morphs the backyard in astonishing ways, introducing a multitude of new system enhancements. Accessing this mode isn’t a walk in the yard – you’ll need to conquer the Broodmother, Mantis, Wasp Queen, and emerge victorious in the Javamatic fight. After defeating those bosses, players can choose to leap into an alternate dimension courtesy of Wendell’s new creation, the REMIX.R. Expect different creature spawns, tougher bosses, and a host of eerie anomalies and hidden secrets in these otherworldly dimensions.
In a remixed yard, be prepared to face creatures infused with the essence of Raw Science. These beasts aren’t just tougher – they’re quicker, stronger, and have unique abilities that elevate the challenge. But fear not! Defeating these infused creatures rewards you with special trinkets, also infused with Raw Science. These trinkets come with random, unique properties, offering a myriad of ways to enhance your character. Keep an eye out for Ominent Badges and new BURG.L Chip Trinkets as they too will have randomized properties to give you more options on how to build your character.
To get more powerful, you will need to purchase the Yoking Station from the ASL (Advanced System Library) in remixed yards. Here, you can level up your weapons to previously unimaginable strengths. Be prepared to scour these new realms for unique materials required for these upgrades.
Don’t forget to keep collecting molars, now hidden in randomized spots in remixed yards. Staying as mighty as the backyard’s inhabitants demands constant strength upgrades, and these molars are key.
More New Features to Explore
Hosts can now load a save while in the middle of a multiplayer session and all connected players will seamlessly transition into the new game world.
Full Japanese Voice Overs: Immerse yourself completely with full Japanese voice-overs, covering everything from the teen characters to BURG.L, cutscenes, and audio logs. Simply enable this feature from the Game Options menu.
The 1.4 update adds four new achievements, one new mutation, twelve Ant Queen-related buildings, new baby ant pets, and so much more we can’t list here!
Cross play will be supported across Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Preorder and Release Details
Mark your calendars, because on April 16th, the “Fully Yoked” 1.4 update goes live across all platforms, offering a whole new dimension of backyard adventure for our 20 million and growing player community. This release is not just another update; it’s the last planned content update for Grounded, poised to make your gaming experience more thrilling than ever. Gear up for a backyard adventure that’s truly yoked!
Excited yet? Digital preorders are available from today on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch for an April 16th release. If you’re a fan of physical editions, don’t miss out on securing your copy for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch through Limited Run Games, who have been incredible partners in this journey.
Grounded is currently available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11, and Steam for $39.99. It’s also available with Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming. For more information on Grounded, visit the official website.
The world is a vast, beautiful, and dangerous place – especially when you have been shrunken to the size of an ant. Explore, build, and survive together in this cooperative survival-adventure. Can you thrive alongside the hordes of giant insects, fighting to survive the perils of the backyard?
Uncover the mysteries while playing through the story!
How did you wind up so small? Who did this to you? How do you go home? These are all answers you will uncover as you play through the story.
Solo or with friends – anytime!
You can face the backyard alone or together, online, with up to three friends. Not only that, but with the Shared Worlds feature, you can continue to play in your shared world even if the original host is not on, with all your progression saving!
(Online console multiplayer requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Game Pass Core, sold separately.)
Nowhere is safe – not even your base.
Creatures can be found roaming the yard in a multitude of environments, such as the depths of the pond, the caverns of the termite den, and even the sweltering heat found in the sandbox. You can even attract them to different places in the yard by activating the MIX.R devices. However, the more you interfere with the creatures in the yard, the higher the chance that they come knocking at your own door, so you better prepare.
Play true to your playstyle!
Use the in-game customization systems such as Mutations and Milk Molars to activate the bonuses and perks you want for your character. Not only that, but craft and upgrade your armor and weapons to give your character the stats and advantages you need in order to take on the perils of the backyard.
Continuing our fervent commitment to women’s sports, I’m pumped to announce we have created, with our long-time WNBA team partner the Atlanta Dream, a brand new block party-meets-basketball event that only Atlanta can deliver: the first ever, Atlanta Dream HoopFest – Powered by Xbox 3-on-3 outdoor high school basketball tourney, slated for Friday, April 5, 2024, from 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the Atlantic Station Greenspace, to celebrate the city of Atlanta’s 404 Day, an annual celebration of all things unique to Atlanta. For more information, follow the @AtlantaDream on all social channels.
When we began working on this idea last year, it was crucial to both us and the Dream to not only create an event that reflects the amazing global influence of Atlanta, but excites both Xbox and Dream fans. This influenced everything from the date choice down to the design of the brand-new HoopFest logo, which creatively weaves in the Atlanta skyline against a distinctive Xbox Sphere with true basketball vibes.
The free event on April 5, 2024, will not only include high school boys and girls basketball team brackets, but a true block party, including DJ music, food, merch, the Atlanta Dream Hype Team, members of the Atlanta Dream organization, Xbox, Microsoft, and even Overtime there to cover the event. For those lucky teams who win their bracket, each player will win a custom Atlanta Dream HoopFest Xbox Series S console, among other gifts and prizing.
Gaming will very much be part of the party too. All attendees can visit our uniquely designed, The Locker Room, a Microsoft x Xbox space where fans can play a range of great Xbox games, including recent Xbox Game Pass additions like NBA 2K24 and EA Sports Madden NFL 24. It’s also a great chance to learn more about the Power Her Dreams program, where alongside The Atlanta Dream, Microsoft provides STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programming to empower young women and girls to lead. This activity serves to help the Atlanta Dream expand foundational level access points for young girls and women within sport and learn about technical skills like coding by creating mini-games on Surface devices.
So, if you are up for a good time full of gaming, music, sports and more, come on over to Atlantic Station on Friday, April 5, 2024, 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and catch a block party that only The ATL, the Dream, and Xbox can create together!
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_2404ZN25398.4049.240320-2200
Available: 2 p.m. PT – March 22, 2024
Mandatory: 3 a.m. PT – March 23, 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:
Game Card
Fixed an issue where the tooltip would not update as expected when choosing Add to or Remove from Play later.
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
Some users have reported experiencing intermittent audio issues across the dashboard, games, and apps.
Troubleshooting: If you do experience issues, please confirm your TV and all other equipment have the latest firmware installed. If you are unsure, you may need to contact the manufacturer for assistance. You can also find additional troubleshooting tips here: Troubleshoot audio on your Xbox console.
Feedback: If you continue to experience issues after applying the latest firmware and troubleshooting further, please submit feedback via Report a Problem when you are experiencing the issue. Use the “Reproduce with advanced diagnostics” option, then select the category “Console experiences” and “Console Audio Output Issues”.
Note: Be sure to include as much information as possible about the issue, when it started, your setup, troubleshooting you have completed, and any additional information that will help us reproduce the issue.
Networking
We are investigating reports of an issue where the console may not connect to the network immediately 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 or two for the connection to establish. If your console still hasn’t connected, restart your Xbox from the Power Center or the guide then file feedback with Report a Problem. Learn more about restarting 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!
This year at GDC, the ID@Xbox Showcase featured 10 creative titles by developers from all corners of the world.
Sopa (Colombia), The Sinking City 2 (Ukraine), Sonzai (India), and Go-Go Town (Australia) shared what it’s like to develop indie games in their home countries.
GDC is an exciting time on gamers’ calendars, when the collective knowledge of the game industry comes together to share ideas, reveal upcoming projects, and engage with players and creators. It’s also a great time to see what some of the world’s most talented indie game developers are working on.
The ID@Xbox Showcase returned to GDC this week and hosted 10 game creators and their upcoming projects from seven different countries — all of which are in development for Xbox players to enjoy.
Xbox Wire had a chance to talk with game creators behind the upcoming Sopa (Colombia), The Sinking City 2 (Ukraine), Sonzai (India), and Go-Go Town (Australia) to learn more about these games and the people who make them, far from the more established indie game development scenes like Japan and the United States.
What’s the Indie Game Development Scene Like in Your Country?
Studio Bando Creative Director & CEO Juan Castañeda: Colombia is booming and there’s a lot of great and super talented studios. There’s also a Colombian Video Game Association. The studios have some of the most established, talented, and super experienced people that I think people should hear more about because a lot of them have experience of working on a lot of projects.
SOPA
All that accumulative knowledge [is starting] to really crystallize to the point where they can really deliver these awesome projects.
Now in terms of our experience, I think it’s been a little bit different because most of my experience, even though I’m from Colombia, I’ve been working in the US. I moved back to Colombia, and we started connecting with the folks there. And as things started working out, that’s how the team started growing. We started involving more Colombians, so it was all very organic.
Prideful Sloth Creative Director Cheryl Vance: Coming from Australia, it’s amazing. I think we’ve managed to, as a country, build up quite a reputation internationally for being really good with indie development. So, it’s great, it’s flourishing and there’s so many fantastic games coming out of the country.
SONZAI
Sonzai Executive Producer Andy Andi Han: The best way to describe the indie gaming scene [in India] is “isolated.” This creates a situation where a lot of young and upcoming aspiring developers have second thoughts, never have the opportunity, or are simply driven away from the indie scene in the first place… There are more factors in play here, such as the infamous social pressure to go for more standard jobs or simply the fact that we have multiple spoken languages all over India, so finding a group of passionate indie developers is fairly hard.
All that said, I have seen a handful of indie games pop up from India in the last decade. This should pave the way for future projects, indie or otherwise. I do believe India has extremely talented artists whose creative visions are worth investing in. Hopefully, very soon, we will see some of that potential being realized.
Frogwares PR Manager Paul Milewski: The indie gaming scene in Ukraine is maybe not in its infancy, but it’s still taking those first steps. The country is getting to a point now where they are starting to get recognition from around the world. Unfortunately, the situation with the war happened. But one of the, you could say silver linings, is that there’s a lot [more] attention on the country than previously. And so more people are starting to look at what has been going on there.
GO-GO TOWN
They have had a flourishing tech scene for decades now. But it was very, very isolated. They were looking to the West to get ideas and now they’re starting to come up with their own stuff. Now the West is looking at them, seeing what they’re starting to create. So, I think right now, there’s this moment of hope that this attention will amount into something… The more games that break out in Ukraine, the more it inspires the next generations to follow to get into it.
How is This Game a Unique Journey (From Other Projects)?
Juan Castañeda: Sopa is the most passionate project ever in my entire career, probably in my entire life, and I feel that the whole team behind the project feels the same way. And so, we are approaching it differently. Being able to transmit and convey what we set out to do to represent the things that we set out to do. And making sure that that it’s accessible and that we’re able to find that audience to have a fun experience — but also an emotional one. But also, it is just how much we’ve had to fight to get this far. How committed we must be and the sacrifices that we’ve had to make. And that comes back again to just believing in the project.
Cheryl Vance: As a studio, we worked on titles like Batman: Arkham and Devil May Cry, and here we are now making cozy games. So, I’d say that’s pretty much a complete opposite change of what we used to do. We just wanted to focus on something different. All of us were kind of like, “We’ve done combat for a while now; let’s not do combat.” And now here we are, and this is our third game.
THE SINKING CITY 2
It was more just wanting to take games from the farming genre, and I wanted an experience where it was open world and could do more things, and that kind of morphed — with some feedback — into this Zelda-meets-farming thing and it’s constantly about what experiences do we want to make.
Sonzai Project Coder Ritam Ray: I have been into game development since I was 12. It started with modding my favorite games to then tinkering with game engines and making smaller games/demos. So, I have been on the indie game development journey for as long as I can remember. The biggest difference between this, and other tech jobs I had, is creative freedom. Not a very interesting answer but it’s an important distinction regardless.
Sonzai Project Artist Swapnil Karmakar: As for me, I’ve drawn for most of my conscious existence. But both my game development and animation journey started in college with a game we were developing right before Sonzai. It never saw anything near completion but taught me the challenges game development brings. I learned animation entirely through developing Sonzai. So, the biggest difference from other jobs I’ve taken on is that in a long-form project both the quality and style of my work changed, which makes it difficult to keep the entire thing cohesive. In short-form projects, this has never been an issue. But I think we’re working on something that we can be proud of here.
SOPA
Paul Milewski: It was only up until recently that Frogwares decided they were able to go independent, and one of the first games that they released was Sherlock Holmes: The Awakening. The thing is though, that project came out of necessity. That project wasn’t really meant to happen, but then the war broke out and they needed to essentially stop what they were doing and do something that was a lot smaller; they needed to figure out if they could even produce a game under these (war) conditions, right?
Team members would drop in and out in terms of availability. Power cuts happen all the time. Air raids happen. This is essentially the team’s big test to see if everything that they have learned in the previous game can still be applied to this when you’re working on something on a bigger scale. But they’re also going a step further to make [Sinking City 2] more survival horror and keep the investigation feature as optional. So, this is also a very big step to see if they can pull this off and be able to broaden their horizons a bit.
How Does Your Game Represent Your Region?
Juan Castañeda: We tried to represent even the mundane of it as a backdrop. There are so many colorful and new and fresh things that exist in in Latin American culture that I think most people have never seen, even in projects that are set in these places. You see it in a more traditional game and then they’ll take some of the aesthetic. And that’s beautiful and wonderful. And I’m happy to see it when it happened.
GO-GO TOWN
In our case, we wanted to take that a step further and really try and communicate the sensation of being there, including the mundane right? So just hanging out in your grandmother’s house and walking around and looking at the objects that she has in her house and that back and forth. Another thing that that we wanted to bring that we think is pretty refreshing is the concept of magical realism. And that’s something that’s like part of our identity in Colombia specifically.
Andy Andi Han: Sonzai is simply a game that we wanted to make. It takes a few of Ritam’s favorite things in gaming like JRPGs like the Persona series, Final Fantasy 6, and combines them with my Swapnil’s love for stylish character action games like Bayonetta and Metal Gear Rising and fuses them together.
It is truthfully hard to say how much it represents our local game development scene. However, it represents something far more fundamental, in my opinion. As long as you want to create a game and know your limits you can actually jump into indie game development.
SONZAI
More and more players are giving the indie gaming scene the attention it deserves. Hopefully, with Sonzai, we can generate more interest in game development in our local scene. So that in the future, people will be less intimidated to do what we did. Everything starts in the grassroots, and Top Hat Studios took the time to go down to the weeds and believe great things were being done there. With support like that, it’s possible for creative projects like ours to exist, and hopefully many more in the future.
Cheryl Vance: It’s the culmination of both our experiences in the industry as well as the vibrant dev community with our peers providing feedback on our games. It’s also the government funding that’s helped us stay here and continue… Because now we have real tax incentives in our country as well too, which is fantastic. And that’s also allows us to change and do different things than we otherwise would with our money knowing that we have a bit of safety net, to try things differently than we would and that’s been fantastic for us.
Specifically with this title, what we’ve done is run play tests that we started about a year into development. We’re on our fourth one now and that’s pushed out our development timeline. But again, we have that safety net of funding to help with that. That’s a part of what’s been good about having government backing to help with those sorts of things to do that.
THE SINKING CITY 2
Paul Milewski: I don’t know if it’s an Eastern European thing or just if it’s more question of like upbringing, but you can also look at it, sort of how it was in Poland and how it is in Ukraine. There’s something about the way that these companies write their stories. It’s not very black and white, right? Maybe you could argue that Western audience always wants the good guy, always the bad guy. You know, it’s very clean cut.
With stories that are coming out of Ukraine, there’s always this moral gray, middle road. They want to kind of do this thing where not everything is clean. You are not playing this hero that’s basically untouched in terms of infallibility and all that stuff. That’s always something that they have that they’ve done well, and this is something they’re going to apply here.
These games are just a small look into the world of indie game development from across the world, and all are being developed for Xbox. In fact, we can confirm that Sopa will be available with Game Pass once it launches, and that it and Sonzai are both part of our Developer Acceleration Program which works to empower game creators from underrepresented groups– you can learn more about DAP here.
