With less than 24-hours before Microsoft starts taking Xbox Series X and Series S pre-orders, the redesigned Microsoft Store on Xbox is now available to all users — though not without some launch day issues. The product of what the company says is years of development, the updated marketplace brings with it a couple of notable enhancements to the experience of buying content on an Xbox.
One of those is enhanced speed, with Microsoft saying the new interface loads in under two seconds in most instances. The company has also tweaked the storefront to make it easier to see what games your friends are playing, as well as to find out what’s on sale at any given moment. Overall navigation has been polished as well. There are new search filters, a revamped Wish List and an updated cart that makes it easier to see what you’ve added to it. Parents will also appreciate the tweaks Microsoft has made with safety in mind, as the new interface does a better job of highlighting content ratings and makes it easier for caregivers to lift restrictions on specific games.
The broad availability of the redesigned Microsoft Store for Xbox caps off a busy day for the company. This morning, Microsoft announced it has an agreement in place to buy ZeniMax Media — the owner of Bethesda, id Software and Arkane Studios — for $7.5 billion. When the deal closes sometime in the second half of 2021, a variety of Bethesda games will start making their way to Game Pass on both Xbox and PC. Nestled in that same announcement was also the news that Game Pass now has more than 15 million subscribers, just six months after it had crossed the 10 million milestone.
Author: Igor Bonifacic, @igorbonifacic
1h ago
Source: Engadget
