Xbox is getting a big new feature that will eventually be available to console users. Although we don't have many details on the feature at this time, its arrival is significant for a number of reasons. The most important is that it represents a big change in the way Microsoft is planning to upgrade its platform.
Microsoft shifts from patch updates to structural changes for Xbox
This is no longer just patch by patch but something much more significant and structural. The team is in the infancy of the development at this time, so as a user, you likely won't see it having a huge impact on your day-to-day use of the platform just yet. What you are looking at here is a sneak preview of the intense testing that the new addition will be undergoing in the near future.
Brad Rossetti, who heads up the Xbox Insider Program is overseeing this project. Microsoft has been clear that the new feature is not a patch but a significant addition that will require a lot of internal validation before the public at large can be presented with it. The company makes sure to note that this is a phase where they are doing intense work to make sure the new feature is stable and will work as intended.
It's this focus on the internal nature of this process that makes it so the release date for this feature is in the air. We also don't have any features that we have been made aware of being presented to the public.
Development on this big new feature has been underway for several months now, meaning that the engineering team has invested a significant amount of time and resources into this. The first release of the feature will be to Xbox Insider volunteers that have signed up for the testing program. They will essentially be the first line of defense against the feature having bugs and performance problems.
As Microsoft notes, there is still a lot of internal testing to go. This means that the new feature is likely in a pre-release, aka Beta state.
Only once all the internal testing and bug-finding is done will we see a full public release of the feature. This allows for a smoother experience when it comes to using the new feature once it's released for everyone. It prioritizes stability over time, allowing Microsoft to sort out any possible issues before everyone is using it.
The fact that it's on an indefinite schedule is also indicative of the complexity of the feature. It's also a testament to the rigor of the testing that is being conducted. We've been keeping a close eye on Xbox.
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Source: IXBT
Structural platform changes usually mean kernel-level refactoring. That explains the months of dev time and the reliance on Insiders for stability validation.
Will this overhaul affect the current Insider build stability or just add the new feature in the background? I need my console to not crash while I test other things.
They explicitly stated it is not a patch but a significant addition requiring intense internal validation. Expect some beta instability until the public rollout.