Microsoft Is Accepting New Insiders For Xbox Alpha and Skip-Ahead

Microsoft has announced that it is currently searching for more Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead Insiders. Sharing the news in a new Xbox Wire post, the company said that it is looking for the next wave of Xbox Insiders interested in joining one of the Alpha rings.

Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead are "invite-only" rings, whereas anyone can join the Delta and Beta rings. Insiders in the Alpha rings may receive builds earlier than the rest of the Insider rings, and while Alpha Skip-Ahead usually receives builds that may be from a future release, both rings receive features that have not yet been released to other rings.

This is part of the Xbox Update Preview program, where Insiders can check out the latest work-in-progress features the Xbox team are currently working on before they are released publically. Users in the Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead rings may submit feedback to Xbox.

“We don’t share specific details, but we look at a variety of factors like high-quality submitted feedback, quest/survey participation, and playing games,” Microsoft said. “More importantly, we select users who let us know they are interested in participating!”

According to Microsoft, for those interested, it doesn't matter what ring fans are already in or how long they've been part of the Insider program. A new survey is available now in the Insider Hub titled “Joining new rings.” Here's how to navigate:

• Launch the Xbox Insider Hub on your console
• Select Activities on the left
• Under Available, scroll down until you see Joining new rings
• Complete the survey

Players will receive a notification on their console if they are selected to participate, but Microsoft noted that there are limited spots available so completing the survey doesn't necessarily guarantee a spot. The company also said that if players receive an invitation, it's important to join the Alpha rings as soon as possible.