The Xbox August Console Update is rolling out now, and Microsoft has packed six new features into it. Some are small, but a few could actually make using an Xbox much easier.
The most useful change lets players start a game through cloud gaming while the installed version is downloading an update.
So instead of sitting around waiting for a 40GB patch to finish, you can start playing through the cloud if the game supports it through your Game Pass membership. The console can then finish the update later.
Microsoft has also added a way to restore older cloud saves, although this one is starting small.
Forza Horizon 6 is the first supported game. Players can look through older synced saves and restore one directly from the console if something goes wrong with their current save.
Xbox 360 Games Are Getting Some Love Too
The update also improves how older Xbox 360 games appear on modern consoles.
Xbox 360 titles now have proper Game Hubs. Open one and you can quickly check achievements, captures and other details without digging through different menus.
Achievement pages are getting better too. Players can now open more detailed achievement pop-ups for Xbox 360 games.
There is even a strange little bonus for longtime Microsoft fans: Windows Phone games can now appear in your Xbox achievement history.
The wishlist has also received a useful upgrade.
Players can now add games directly from their game cards, and the limit has been increased to 1,000 games.
Microsoft has also added subscription badges to the Manage Installation screen. These make it easier to see when a game or add-on comes from a subscription rather than something you bought.
There are a few bug fixes in the update as well, including a fix for crashes while scrolling through My Games & Apps.
Xbox Picked a Good Week to Drop the Update
The timing is pretty good because Xbox players already have a busy weekend ahead.
The Gears of War: E-Day Open Beta is running through August 17, giving players a chance to try its new 12-player Horde Siege mode and 4v4 multiplayer.
Sunderfolk and Asdivine Cross are also part of this week’s Free Play Days for Game Pass members.
And Game Pass just added another day-one release.
Sandustry entered Game Preview on August 13. It is a factory-building game set in a destructible world where almost everything around you can be mined, processed or destroyed.
None of those games have anything directly to do with the console update.
But together, they make this a surprisingly busy few days for Xbox.
The August update may not completely change how the console works, but being able to play through the cloud while a game updates and recover an older save are the kind of small features people may actually use.
And for anyone still chasing Xbox 360 achievements, Microsoft has not forgotten about you either.
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