Xbox Windows 10 App Updated With Game DVR, Live TV, and More

In a post on the Xbox Wire today, Microsoft outlined the numerous new features coming to the PC Xbox app for Windows 10, which is currently available to anyone in the Microsoft Insider program. Provided you're in that program, the features listed here will be available when you update to version 4.4.9014.0.

The new features include Game DVR and screenshot functionality, two items already available on Xbox One. Also included in the April update is a new Avatar app where you can customize your avatar's appearance, along with updates to User Profile settings and an option to show your real name (also already available on Xbox One).

In addition, the new Xbox app on Windows 10 has been updated to support live-streaming TV if you already have an Xbox One with a digital TV tuner. What's more, Xbox One controller drivers are now baked into Windows 10, so you won't have to download them separately.

The full version of Windows 10 is due to launch sometime this summer, possibly in July.

In the same blog post, Microsoft also revealed some of the new Xbox One and SmartGlass updates now available to people in the Preview program. Among these features are voice messages (which were originally set to arrive in March), a new power-saving prompt, and the ability to power on and off your console using the SmartGlass app.

All the new Xbox Windows 10 and Xbox One features are listed below, with official descriptions courtesy of Microsoft. You can also see a video of these new features in action on the Xbox Wire.

WINDOWS 10:

• Game DVR for PC games – The Game bar lets you record game clips of your favorite Windows games. With an upcoming Windows Insider update (build 10061 or higher), you will be able to record game clips for Windows PC games using the new Game bar available on Windows 10. To bring up the Game bar, press Windows + G. Click the "Record that" button to save the last 30 seconds of gameplay, or just press Windows + Alt + G. Additionally, you can manually start and stop recording a game clip by clicking on the "Record" button on the Game bar or pressing Windows + Alt + R.
  The length of a recording, including the maximum length, can be changed in Settings >Game DVR in the Xbox app. There are also a few key settings within the Game bar itself. Get started by turning on “Record game clips and screenshots" in the Xbox app. Once enabled, there are options for background recording, video and audio quality. After enabling game DVR, you may need to sign out of Windows 10 and back in for the Game bar to appear.
• Screenshots – Take screenshots of Windows PC games by pressing Windows + Alt + PrtScr. Just as with Game DVR, you can also do this by clicking the “Screenshot" button on the Game bar.
• Live Tiles – The Xbox tile on your Windows 10 start menu can now welcomes you back, showing off your gamerpic and letting you know when you have new messages and activity alerts. To turn this on, go to Settings > General > Live tile.
• Avatar app – A new app is available in the Windows Store to customize your Xbox avatar's appearance and outfit your avatar with a vast collection of items. In the Xbox app, click the icon for your profile or your friends' profiles to see their Xbox avatar. You can download the Avatar app from the Store on Windows 10. Also, there is a new Avatar sub-forum on the Xbox Feedback site, here.
• User profile – You can see another gamer's bio, location, reputation, tenure, and other information in the more info page, including their animated avatar. You can also view their showcase items, including favorite achievements or game clips they added to their profile on their Xbox One.
• Real name sharing – Similar to the features we brought you in the March update on Xbox One, you can now choose to share your real name on the Xbox app with all of your friends or with everybody. Click on the “…" at the top of your profile page, then choose Name sharing settings to view and update these settings

• Xbox One Now Playing and media controls – The games and apps you've used most recently on your Xbox One are now displayed when you connect the Xbox app to your console. You can also use the Xbox app to pause, fast forward and rewind.
• Live TV streaming and PIP (picture in picture) support – For preview members with an Xbox One Digital TV Tuner (in 16 European countries and Australia) or a Hauppauge 955Q TV Tuner (available in the U.S. or Canada) attached to their Xbox One, you can now stream live TV within your home from your Xbox One to Windows 10 PC running the Xbox app. This feature is also available in Xbox One SmartGlass on Windows 8 PCs, Windows Phone 8, iOS, and Android devices. The OneGuide on mobile devices now also provides PIP (picture in picture) support, so you can continue to stream and watch TV while you are using the OneGuide.
• Xbox controller drivers – The drivers for Xbox controllers are now included with Windows 10, so you no longer have to download and install controller drivers on Windows 10.

XBOX ONE AND SMARTGLASS:

• Over-the-air TV for the U.S. and Canada – Earlier this month, we announced the preview for an Over-the-Air Tuner for the U.S. and Canada. With this preview update to Xbox One, a new screen has been added after the initial channel scan to show a sorted list of channels and channel logos so you can tell what channels you receive. You can also choose to scan again from this screen, if you want to move your antenna and give it another try.
• Power on and off from Xbox One SmartGlass – The beta versions of the Xbox One SmartGlass apps for Windows, Windows Phone, and Android will be updated to let you turn your Xbox One on and off. (Your device does need to be on the same home network as your console.) This feature request has more than 4,000 votes on the Xbox Feedback site. The beta versions can be found in the respective stores by searching for “Xbox One SmartGlass Beta."
• Wireless Display app – With more than 2,000 votes, Miracast support will be enabled on Xbox One for preview participants later this week, so you can mirror the experiences on Windows PCs (for example, Surface 2, 3, or 3 Pro; Lenovo X1 carbon; Dell Venue 8), Windows Phone 8, and some Android devices (e.g. Samsung S5, Nexus 7, Motorola Droid) that support non-protected Miracast connections. Try the Wireless Display app to cast photos stored on your phone to your Xbox One, or to stream non-protected video content from your PC to your Xbox.
• User-selectable power mode – The team here at Xbox is also altering the initial setup experience on Xbox One worldwide to enable you to select your preferred power mode. Instant-on enables you to use the “Xbox on" voice command and receive background updates to console, game, and app updates. Energy-saving mode is a low power state that requires you to press the Xbox button on your console to start up your Xbox One. For additional information, see this post on Xbox Wire.
• Voice messages – The ability to send and receive voice messages from the Xbox One messages app continues in preview this month. Also, the ability to create a voice message while in a party chat will be enabled and support will be added for third-party headsets.