The Xbox Live June System Update just went live for the One, and the list of updates is small, but substantial:
Support for external storage across a variety of flash memory sizes is at the top of the list, improved Smartglass functionality (OneGuide, Pin ordering, Universal TV remote+Guide), and the greatest point of contention (one that helped proliferate XBL Gold and Netflix streaming in houses worldwide–ingrates) the dropping of the Gold Subscription paywall in order to access 3rd party streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Machinima. The console will also sign users in automatically, staring matches with the One upon powering on be damned.
In the “inexplicably cribbed from PS4” category, we have the “real name” function restricted behind a privacy wall. Uh….thanks? (If you’ve been on my friend list and didn’t know my name was Lucien at any point in the last decade of XBL, hey…DOOR’S LOCKED ON THAT NOW!)
Of course, much of this is in the prehiphery, and the GAMES are what really matter, no? Along with the update, there are two free Games with Gold Xbox One owners have available starting today.
Halo: Spartan Assault is the first of the two. It’s a top-down, tactical Geometry Wars-esque dual stick take of the popular FPS franchise that may or may not sit well with you if you were looking to stop a first-person mudhole in some Covenant buttocks.
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is the latter title, a physics-based platformer in the vein of Brothers, but with a 2.5D twist.
It’s pretty alright as far as updates go, but in this newfangled world of consoles we’re living in, the fact that they are constantly improving over time leaves little room for discontent. Now, on a more interesting note, also coming down the pipeline in the future are over 45 new apps for the One, with a special focus on social media ones like Twitter:
…Are we still making fun of the TVTVTV integration? I think it just got real.
