Microsoft Xbox One Update 2016: New Features You Need to Know

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Microsoft is rolling out this year's first update for the Xbox One. 

Xbox director of program management Mike Ybarra posted a video on Twitter showing some of the changes.

Hmm, what am I doing here on Xbox One... #Xbox pic.twitter.com/gnvs4TEFgG

— Mike Ybarra (@XboxQwik) January 9, 2016

On the welcome screen, players will notice a line of text stating "see who's in the party." This line of text allows players to see who's playing before joining the game.

In addition, clicking on a player's name will also reveal the names of other people they are currently playing with.

"We're focused on continuing to improve social features to help you stay connected to the Xbox Live community across console and PC, while bringing these experiences closer together," Ybarra posted on Xbox Wire.

There is also the Gamerscore Leaderboard. Located under the View Achievements tab, PC Mag says this feature reveals the player's scores and compares them against friends.

Under the same tab, players will also be able to see their biggest achievements over a 30-day period.

Another interesting feature is the ability to rearrange Pins in Preview mode. Microsoft says the pins can be accessed even when not connected to the Internet.

Under the Preview tab, players will get access to Twitch.tv broadcasts. Clicking on an online friend's name will allow players to view their gaming stream.

An old feature that is making a comeback is the ability to hide the "ready to install" list. Enabling this feature will hide a list of games, trials, and apps that players may no longer want to install.

Players will also be able to customize their avatars using the new Avatar Store. The online catalog can be accessed through the Xbox Avatars app.

According to Express, these features will be available on the Preview Program beginning Jan. 19. Gamers using the Xbox Beta app or Windows PC will get the updates sometime next week.

Background music support will not be included in this update. On Twitter, Phil Spencer says that the feature won't be offered until "before summer sorry to say."

The PC software magazine says approximately 22,000 gamers voted in favor of bringing back background music. For now, players will have to resort to playing tunes on Groove Music.

What do you think of the year's first update? Let us know in the comments space below.