Next Xbox One Update Includes Cortana Support, Game Collection Changes, and More

Microsoft today announced specifics about what's in the next update for the Xbox One and the Xbox app on Windows 10 PCs. One of the biggest new features is the introduction of Cortana, which is Microsoft's Siri-like digital assistant based on the Halo character of the same name.

Voice commands for Cortana will work by way of headsets and Kinect. You can ask her to help you find new games, check out what your friends are doing, or start a party, among other things. When the update goes live, you will be able to say "Hey Cortana" to get started or navigate to the app itself.

Xbox One owners may also be happy to learn that the new update will change the Game Collection interface with the aim of making it "faster and easier" to find and launch games. With the update applied, you will be able to see more of your Game Collection and have quicker access to the "Ready to Install" tab.

These are just two of the new features coming with the update. Below is a rundown of everything else it adds and changes, with descriptions courtesy of Microsoft.

This update is expected to launch later this week for Xbox One Preview Program members and best testers on PC. A release for everyone else will follow later, sometime in the summer, which officially begins on June 20.

There will be a second update coming out this summer, too, Xbox engineering boss Mike Ybarra said on the Xbox Wire. This one could be the Anniversary update that includes background music support and turns every Xbox One into a development kit.

Because Microsoft is focusing "all [its] efforts on the next two updates," there will not be a new update coming out in the future on the typical monthly schedule, Ybarra said.

For a closer look at the latest Xbox One update, check out the official patch notes below, as well as the video above. There is also a gallery of images embedded in this post that showcase some of the new features and more.

Xbox One/PC Update Details:

Facebook Friend Finder on Xbox One: Facebook Friend Finder is expanding from the Xbox app to Xbox One and is a great way to find and add your Facebook friends on Xbox. As more gamers link their Facebook and Xbox Live accounts, you’ll start seeing more suggestions for Facebook friends to add and game with on Xbox Live.

Improved sharing on Xbox One: We've made it easier to share your screenshots, GameDVR clips, and achievements on Xbox One. Gamers can now share their most epic clips and captures with the community in fewer steps.

More personal Activity Feed: Being able to choose what’s posted to your Activity Feed across Xbox One and the Xbox app is a big fan-requested feature. With the new settings, you can now decide what will get automatically shared to your feed. You can now also craft the perfect Activity Feed posts. At the top of your Activity Feed, easily access and choose from recently unlocked achievements and captures, preview what your post would look like, and then share your greatest gaming moments.

Xbox and Windows Store convergence: We're starting to combine the best of the Xbox Store and Windows Store to give gamers a single cohesive experience across their devices. On Xbox One, we've streamlined the shopping experience to help you find the games you love faster and at the best prices. You'll be able to filter, browse and search results by genre, read reviews written by fellow gamers--including those voted 'most helpful' by the Xbox Live community, easily recognize what titles are on sale with strikethrough pricing in lists, and more. We've also added several new channels to help you discover the content you love even faster. On the Windows Store, we're adding support so gamers can browse and purchase bundles, episodic games, season passes, virtual currency and other game add-ons and DLC.

Top PC games show up on Xbox Live: We're bringing the top PC games like League of Legends and XCOM 2 together with the Xbox Live community. Meaning, your favorite PC games will have their own Game Hubs on Xbox Live. Whether you're on your PC, Xbox, or mobile phone, you'll be able to see what PC games your friends are playing, share your own PC gaming clips and screenshots with the community, and message your friends on Xbox Live. On both Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs, you'll also be able to party chat with your friends no matter what they're doing.

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Xbox app and Windows 10 gaming

• Edit and share GameDVR clips on any video editor: Create that perfect gaming montage with your favorite video editor with clips you recorded on either Xbox One or your PC. Once you're finished editing, you’ll be able to upload the clip back to Xbox Live through the Xbox app.

• Updated GameDVR management: You can now manage your captures straight from your profile. This new destination allows you to share, start your own uploads, and see progress in the queue.

• 60 fps game clip recording with the Game bar: Using the new "Very High" video quality setting in the Xbox app, you will be able to record your game clips in up to 60 frames per second (in addition to 30 frames per second) easily, all from the Game bar (Windows + G).

• Share to Twitter from Xbox app: In the Xbox app, you'll be able to share game clips and screenshots from Xbox Live to Twitter through the sharing options on each capture.

• Windows Game bar improved full-screen support: One of the most common requests we see for the Windows 10 GameDVR feature is the ability to use the Windows Game bar with more games running in full-screen. We've added support for six additional games in full-screen mode with Windows game bar: League of Legends, World of Warcraft, DOTA 2, Battlefield 4, Counterstrike: Global Offensive, and Diablo III. With those games, you can now use Windows + G to bring up the Windows Game bar when the game is running full-screen.