Tuesday, June 09, 2020
The old app, set to be replaced.
The mobile app for Xbox isn't the best. Thankfully Microsoft agrees, since they're working on an all-new one.
What you need to know
- Microsoft is working on a new Xbox companion app for mobile.
- It seems to be very early in development.
- It matches the design language of the upcoming Xbox Store redesign and other more recent Xbox apps.
The mobile app on Android and iOS for Xbox isn't exactly amazing. It does its job, but it can be a little unresponsive, and is arguably quite bloated. Much like the Windows 10 app, it also sports outdated design language, lacking any Fluent Design System flair, and fonts Microsoft is working to change across all of its apps, including the leaked updated Xbox Store.
You may have noticed that both Project xCloud and the Xbox Game Pass app on Android have a completely different design, with a simplified interface that feels more fluid, and has a bit more visual charm. Thankfully, sources familiar with Microsoft's plans have confirmed to us that the big M is also working on an overhaul of its main Xbox companion app, to compliment the rest of its services on mobile devices.
Mock-ups based on early versions of the new app.
As of writing, the new Xbox mobile app is utterly a bare-bones experience, with missing interactivity and basic features. It has four sections as of right now, including your friends list with party chat, your personal profile and gaming activity, your uploaded Xbox game clips, and a home section that thus far only shows off games that are popular with your current friends list.
It looks like the app is losing several features from the existing app, including Xbox Clubs and the Activity Feed. These could be added back at a later date, but they are also absent from the Xbox (Beta) app and Xbox Game Bar on PC, making me wonder if Microsoft isn't gearing up to remove them entirely. Microsoft is also pushing users to download the new Xbox app on PC, as it gears up to remove the old "Xbox Console Companion" app on Windows 10.
There's no telling when this app will come to the general public as it seems to be very early in development, but we expect it to be ready before the Xbox Series X launches, as part of a general re-brand and modernization of the Xbox user experience.
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