gamescom 2015: New Xbox Hardware and Features Revealed

Post Updated To Clarify Product Availability – 8/18/15 – 2 p.m. PT

Xbox opened gamescom 2015 with highlights that will make the greatest lineup in Xbox history even better – including updates to the redesigned user experience coming this fall, more details on the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller, and the unveiling of the new Xbox Chatpad. Both the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller and the Xbox Chatpad are available to pre-order today and will be released in November.

New Xbox One Experience

As we announced at E3, gaming will get even better on Xbox One with a completely redesigned user experience launching globally this fall. The update will make it faster to get to your content and complete must-have tasks on Xbox One. It will also be easier than ever to find the games you love on Xbox One.

Among the new features available this fall is the new Community section we revealed at E3 that makes it easier to discover what your friends and others have been up to on Xbox. This section includes an upgraded Activity Feed and Trending on Xbox Live, a new area which allows you to interact with the most popular content, games, and people on Xbox Live. You can explore top posts, browse popular topics and view the game hubs of the most-played games, helping you more easily discover the top content within the Xbox Live community. You can also find interesting content creators and friend suggestions.

Additionally, the new Watch section, which will be available in select regions at launch, will make it easier to discover new movies and TV shows, bringing together the best of live TV and apps like Netflix, Hulu Plus and HBO GO into one place. The Watch section will also feature the newest content from your favorite App Channels. The goal is to provide great choice to our fans, but also surface great entertainment so you spend less time finding and more time enjoying.

Within Watch, we’re making updates to OneGuide based on fan feedback, improving the speed, displaying OneGuide as full-screen to show more channels at once, and adding full picture-in-picture while browsing the guide. There is also a quick menu in OneGuide that will let you jump from watching TV, to viewing TV listings, to seeing your favorite App Channels. You can quickly browse featured movies and TV shows available across your favorite apps as well as Live TV.

We’re also updating the Store to make it faster and easier to find games you love. There will be four new areas – Games, Movies and TV, Apps and Music which make up the new Store. When our fans are ready to try something new, we are making it easier for them to search and browse within the Store and its categories.

You can find more information on the other features coming this fall here. We’re excited to bring the New Xbox One Experience to our fans and will continue to have more updates to share as we get closer to launch.

Xbox Elite Wireless Controller

At E3 we announced the new Xbox Elite Wireless Controller, built to meet the rigorous demands of hardcore, competitive-level gamers. The new controller, available for Xbox One or Windows 10, offers complete customization and flexibility. It includes thousands of different hardware configurations to choose from including interchangeable thumbsticks, D-pads and paddles to better configure the controller for any gaming scenario. It also features a new sleek design making the controller extremely durable and comfortable.

To enhance your experience, the easy-to-use custom application offers virtually unlimited ways of playing through software customization. Available on Xbox One and Windows 10 for the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller, you can create up to 255 controller profiles so that you have customized settings for any gaming scenario. With the app, you can remap buttons and paddles to be any of 14 different options.  Adjust thumbstick sensitivity, trigger set points, and rumble motors to feel just the way you want them. You can load two configuration profiles directly to the controller’s memory and instantly switch between them by sliding the Profile Switch on top of the controller.

The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller is available for
pre-order today and will be released in October.

Xbox Chatpad

Fans have been asking for an easier way to message with friend. Today we announced a new Xbox Chatpad. Coming this November for Xbox One and Windows 10, the new Chatpad is available for 
pre-order today. With the new Chatpad, you can quickly compose messages, enter codes, and search for games and apps. It also puts audio controls at your fingertips and features a stereo jack for your gaming headset. Available mid-2016 on Xbox One only, two new programmable buttons will give you access to your favorite features like Game DVR, screenshots or apps at the touch of a button. The Xbox Chatpad is compatible with all Xbox One controllers and works with Xbox One and Windows 10.