Xbox One March update bolsters multiplayer ahead of ‘Titanfall’ launch

Microsoft’s second software update for the Xbox One is on its way with a bunch of multiplayer and social improvements. The March update has recently been announced and is coming just in time before the release of the highly-anticipated Titanfall 11 March.

A few key updates include the following:

• In order to find your online friends faster, the friends list will be front and center on the homepage of your Xbox One Friends app. You can click the Social tile on Home, or say “Xbox, go to Friends” to see who’s online and see their statuses.
• Party chat will be turned on by default. When players join, the chat audio will be turned on.
• You can also chat with your friends playing different games. Party chat will be separated from people playing your game, so you can chat with your friends who are online or you can chat with everyone playing the game.
• Similar to Xbox 360 titles, there will be a “Invite friends to game” option inside a game’s menu which will offer a simple and quicker way to set up your multiplayer games.
• A “Recent Players” buttons is also added which shows you Xbox Live members you’ve recently played with. This helps to make it easier to stay in touch with people, or add new friends after your multiplayer matches.

Xbox One’s Chief Product Office, Marc Whitten said in the announcement:

“This is step one on our journey and commitment to deliver continuous innovation to Xbox One customers. Xbox One is a platform designed to offer the best games and entertainment experience and we are committed to delivering more and more features to our customers.”

The March update announcement comes after the next-gen’s first update has been delayed for later this week. Some key changes for this week’s update include the ability to manage your console’s storage space, your controller’s battery power indicator and the ability to use USB keyboards with the Xbox One.