Xbox download speeds are improving thanks to a brand new Xbox Insider update that lets players pause their games to download more titles.
A new Xbox The update will now allow for faster game downloads as well as revamping some user interfaces to find different menus in the game library. As the transition to a digital future continues, Xbox is doing everything in its power to make it a sustainable and convenient reality without compromising performance.
Xbox Series X has already dramatically increased download speeds over the previous generation, allowing gamers to download games that would have taken hours on Xbox One in minutes. Still, one of the biggest issues that has trickled down to the console is that when playing a game, download speeds are non-existent or become excruciatingly slow. The only way around this is to close the game completely, losing all progress if it hasn’t been saved. Fortunately, Microsoft is working to improve this.
Xbox Insiders will probably have already noticed a “Pause my game” in game downloads, but you might be wondering what it does. By CGV, the button will essentially put any currently playing game into a suspended state, similar to what happens when another game is opened for the beloved Quick Resume feature. This will allow players to keep their game exactly where they left off without completely closing the game, so whatever is downloaded can reach higher speeds. Head of Xbox Engineering Eden Marie posted a tweet detailing the update, which also includes new banners for navigating to Game Pass titles in the library.
Hello Xbox insiders! Have you noticed these changes happening now? Pausing in the queue will allow you to download at full speed while ensuring your game can continue (or quickly resume on the X|S Series). New banners in the full library will take you to more useful categories! pic.twitter.com/L49winRpM0
— Eden Marie (@neonepiphany) March 16, 2021
The update appears to be separate from the recent March update that killed the TV dream on Xbox. Xbox Insiders tend to get updates earlier, almost as part of a beta testing initiative. It’s likely that more players will see this update rolling out more widely in the coming months, but there are no concrete details on when it will drop for non-Xbox Insiders.
Xbox has worked hard to improve the user experience quickly and efficiently. From download speeds to the beauty of a service like Game Pass, which acts like a Netflix-like service for gamers, there’s always something new happening on Xbox. Even though the console lacks meaty exclusive games right now (though many are on the way), the core experience is worth it. Xbox recently gave big performance boosts to older titles and that will likely only continue as part of an initiative to make the platform one of the best places to play games.
Source: VGC, Eden Marie
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