Xbox September 2024 console update now available to download
The highlight for many with the Xbox September update will be the new pre-download feature for game updates. This feature lets you download chunky game updates ahead of their scheduled release. Once the update formally launches, it will quickly install, allowing you to jump into your game with minimal fuss. Microsoft says to start using this option on your console, head to My Games & Apps > Manage > Updates. Here, you’ll be able to see all available pre-downloads. Microsoft notes that this feature is supported by “some” games, such as Sea of Thieves, Minecraft, and Cassette Beasts, and that you can “expect many more titles to support it soon.”
This update also brings new wish list notifications for “Free Play Days, add-ons, and more.” Microsoft says that when a game on your wish list launches, joins Game Pass, or is added to Free Play Days, you will now receive a notification on console. These notifications can be turned on or off in your wish list notifications settings.
Microsoft is also discontinuing the Xbox Game Pass app on mobile and folding its features into the main mobile Xbox app. The new, updated mobile Xbox app, complete with Game Pass features, will be available for Xbox beta members on mobile first before coming to all users at a later date. Microsoft says it will no longer support new downloads of the Xbox Game Pass app starting in November.
For all the PC gamers out there, this update brings the new Compact Mode for Game Bar to all players. Game Bar Compact Mode is a new mode “optimized for smaller screens and Windows handhelds” that lets you “view recently played games, access common game launchers and other gaming utilities, and explore the Widget Store, where you can discover and manage widget applications.” According to Microsoft, it is “just getting started with Game Bar,” and you can expect improvements such as a modernized look and support for virtual keyboard navigation in future updates.
Also for PC gamers, Microsoft is continuing to improve game management in the Xbox app on PC. To save you download space and time managing your PC games library, you can now easily view and install add-ons related to the game you are installing. You can also check out and manage an installed game’s add-ons and additional content via a new view by right-clicking on a game, selecting ‘Manage,’ and then navigating to the ‘Add-ons’ section.
In other Xbox platform news, it’s rumored that Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox plans will include a traditional console and an Xbox handheld.