Xbox system software

User interface

Microsoft released the Xbox 360 console on November 22, 2005, a year earlier than both the Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii. Having the advantage of the lead, Microsoft was able to experiment with various customization options for the consumer's individual consoles. The ability to customize the way the console looked with various themes to fit the front and sides of it was something very different for home console users. In system, the Xbox 360 Dashboard had the ability to have multiple profiles with password on the same console with each user being able to customize the dashboard to exactly fit their own unique style. There were premium themes available for purchase on the Xbox Live Marketplace apart from the default styles. Originally there were four (later five, after the introduction of the "Marketplace" blade in late 2006) tabs or sections known as the "blades" for the Xbox 360 menu, namely Xbox Live, Games, Media and System. In scrolling from left to right, each section would have a different-colored background signifying its own unique area but users also had the option to change all sections to one background color as well.[21]

At E3 2008, Microsoft announced that all Xbox 360 owners would receive a new dashboard update, called the "New Xbox Experience" (NXE), on November 19, 2008, that added several new features.[22] A major new feature was the ability to install an entire game disc onto the Xbox 360's hard drive, which decreases loading times, and significantly reduces noise due to the game being read from the hard drive and not the louder disc drive. For most games this feature also reduces the amount of time spent reading the disc, thereby helping to extend the life-span of the optical drive mechanism.[23] The Xbox Guide was redesigned. If a user has installed any game onto their Xbox 360 hard drive, they are able to immediately start the game from the guide, whether they are in a game or in the dashboard.[24] The update gives players the ability to create Avatars,[25] which were required by Xbox Live.[22] They also announced that the update supports 16:10 on VGA or HDMI, expanding the choice of resolutions.[26]

On September 22, 2010, Microsoft announced that the Xbox Live dashboard would be updated again. The new design, nicknamed the "Kinect" dashboard, would incorporate the Metro interface used in other Microsoft products, such as Zune HD and Windows Phone. As well as a new color scheme and other minor tweaks to the overall layout, the update would also include a "Kinect hub", designed specifically for the Kinect sensor for easier dashboard navigation.[27] The update was released on November 1, 2010.[28][29]

At E3 2011, it was announced that the dashboard would be updated once again to have the interface look even more like the Metro design in Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, and to include the Bing search engine. Kinect would also be updated allowing users to navigate the dashboard and Bing using their voice. Other updates would include cloud storage, YouTube access, and live television streaming.[30] The new dashboard, nicknamed the "Metro" dashboard, officially went live on December 6, 2011.[31]

On July 29, 2024, along with the discontinuation of the console's Xbox Games Store, the dashboard received an online-only update to remove most tabs, narrowing down its options to only show the remaining functionality of Xbox Live and the console's built-in features.[32][33] The Microsoft Movies and TV app was also discontinued on this date. While the store cannot process new purchases from the console, some of its functionality is available in a read-only state and can be accessed by users using various dashboard actions that were not removed after the discontinuation of the store. However, backwards-compatible Xbox 360 content that is purchased from the Microsoft Store after the Games Store's closure can be downloaded on the console, as well as any content purchased before the discontinuation of the storefront.

On June 25, 2025, the dashboard received yet another online-only update that fixed game thumbnails that were previously distorted and stretched out. It also added advertisements for Xbox Series X and Series S consoles, an easier way to get access to previous purchases, and an online profile to the homepage.[34]

System

The Xbox System Software contains a heavily modified Hyper-V hypervisor (known as NanoVisor) as its host OS and two partitions. One of the partitions, the "Exclusive" partition is a custom virtual machine (VM) for games; the other partition, the "Shared" partition is a custom VM for running multiple apps including the OS.[35]

As part of its ongoing "Windows Everywhere" approach, Microsoft revamped the operating system on Xbox to be closer to its current Microsoft Windows products to provide greater compatibility between personal computers and the Xbox line.[20] The OS was based on Windows 8 Core at the Xbox One launch in 2013. The UI maintained the same "Metro" design that had been used in the last Xbox 360 update, and which resembled the desktop Windows 8 interface.[21]

In November 2015, Microsoft released the "New Xbox One Experience" which replaced the base system with Windows 10 Core, allowing Universal Windows Platform apps to be available on Xbox One.[40] According to former head of Microsoft's Gaming division, Phil Spencer, "The importance of entertainment and games to the Windows ecosystem has become really prevalent to the company".[41] The program that Microsoft launched allows developers to build a single app that can run on a wide variety of devices, including personal computers and Xbox One video game consoles.[42] According to Polygon, Microsoft removed the distinction between Xbox One and Windows PC,[41] and the software has been called "Windows 10 on Xbox One".[43][44]

Since 2016, all Xbox One consoles could be updated to include a development kit for universal Windows applications on Xbox One,[45] with official support for the platform and Cortana coming in summer 2016.[46]

As Microsoft continued to refine Windows 10 with the Fluent Design System, the Xbox One interface was also modified to reflect these changes by 2017.[21] Microsoft has since continued to refine this interface to add and remove integrated features, such as inclusion of Xbox Game Pass support and removal of Cortana voice commands.[21] Ahead of the release of the Xbox Series X and Series S consoles in November 2020, Microsoft updated the Xbox One software to reflect changes in the Dashboard that would also be present in the newer consoles. This included improved performance in some of the storefront features and readability improvements to the interface, which were also propagated across Xbox Game Pass and mobile apps.[47]

User interface

The system software's interface uses a geometrical placement of squares and rectangular items that scrolls as a continuous vertical line, using the Metro design language that is also seen in Windows 8, Windows 10, and other Microsoft products.[48]

When Microsoft upgraded the Windows 8-based Core to a Windows 10-based one, they made a tour of the new user interface up on Xbox Wire, promising faster, easier navigation, improved community features and the return of Xbox Avatars. The UI includes a HOME screen, consisting of the top bar, the screenshot viewer ("Album") Icons, and shortcuts to the Microsoft Store, News, and Settings. The main feature on the home screen is a list of the most recently played games. Selecting any given title will give users more information about announcements, achievements, social activity and so forth. It is also more focused on the actual games they are playing, which was part and parcel of the company's new direction under Phil Spencer, then-head of Microsoft's Xbox division.[49]

Updates

Microsoft aims to release frequent updates to the Xbox System Software, mainly containing new or improved features and faster installation and loading times for games and apps.[50] Along with introducing improvements and fixes for native console apps and software, the monthly updates to the Xbox System Software introduce major features that are voted on or requested by the community,[51] though some months have included more than one update. Starting in February 2014, beta releases of updates are tested[52] before going live to check for unwanted bugs and stability.[53]

The following table lists major updates to the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S system software.