Xbox One July Update Introduces Achievement Snap
Microsoft will continue its rapid pace of Xbox One updates next month. The Xbox One July update will include a long-awaited feature that lets users view achievement progress without leaving their games.
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When gamers unlock achievements on the Xbox One, they are currently notified with a pop-up. In order to see any details about the new achievement, however, they must temporarily leave their game and head to the achievement screen.
Starting with the July system update, Microsoft is introducing a feature called “Achievement Snap,” which simplifies this process by letting achievements live in a sidebar via the console’s “snap” functionality. Gamers will soon be able to see the details of recently completed achievements, as well as track their progress toward completing locked achievements, all while keeping their games running on the left side of the screen.
By default, achievements in the snap list will automatically sort based upon player progress, with those closest to being unlocked displayed at the top of the list. Gamers will have manual sort control, however, and can optionally pin specific achievements that they wish to closely track to the top of the list.
Further enhancing the achievement experience is a new “Get Help” function that lets gamers launch a Bing search for specific achievements, with the hope that the Web will be able to provide “relevant tips and strategy content” for unlocking those tricky or difficult tasks.
A few minor enhancements will also arrive during the July update: Double-tap to Snap is a new controller-based scheme for managing snapped games and apps (which is especially useful in light of the just-launched Kinect-less Xbox One); English and German languages will now be available options for voice control in New Zealand, Ireland, and Austria; and users will now have a new social “Like” function for Game DVR clips.
There’s no official launch date for the July update, but all previous system updates launched no later than the middle of the month. Also like previous updates, users can expect the July update to be mandatory for continued online access.
