GAMES
The Xbox September Update Rolls Out Today
Summary
- Customizable Xbox button color on the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2
- Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Core in white is available today!
- Easy access to all your games and apps with a full library revamp on Xbox consoles
- New storage and default install options on Xbox consoles
Team Xbox is excited to continue bringing new ways to make Xbox better, with you at the center, as we refine the experience and deliver brand new features based on your feedback. This month’s update offers customizable Xbox button colors on the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, easy access to all your games and apps with a full library revamp, new storage and default installation options, and more. If you play on Windows 11/10 PCs, you’ll be able to share your epic moments with Xbox Game Bar. Xbox party chat noise suppression is rolling out to Xbox One consoles and Windows 11/10 PCs. Plus, the new Party Now feature lets you quickly set up parties on the Xbox app on Android and iOS.
Customize the Xbox button color on your Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2
Providing fans with choice and opportunities to express themselves is a core part of our mission. That’s why we are excited to announce color customization for the Xbox button on Xbox Elite Series 2 controllers! Choose from a wide array of colors that combine red, blue, and green LEDs to produce over 16 million hues of light.
To configure the Xbox button color settings, open the Xbox Accessories app on your Xbox console or Windows PC while your controller is connected. From there, choose an existing profile or create a new one, then select the Color tab to see the full range of color options for the Xbox button. You can change the brightness, opting for a low-key glow rather than the traditional shine. Use the Custom menu sliders to see the full rainbow of color options. Don’t see the exact color you want? Don’t worry, this menu also offers Hex Code support, allowing for the precise color you’re after. You’ll need the latest version of the Xbox Accessories app and the Xbox September update to customize your Xbox button color. If you don’t see the option to choose your color, try restarting your Xbox console by navigating to Settings > General > Sleep mode and startup > Restart now to get the update.
The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Core in white is available today
If you don’t currently own an Elite Series 2 controller and want to take advantage of changing your Xbox button color, consider picking up the new Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Core in white. It’s designed to meet the core needs of today’s competitive gamers, putting exceptional performance, customization, and durability where it matters most — in your hands. Experience adjustable-tension thumbsticks, wrap-around rubberized grip, and shorter hair trigger locks. Enjoy extensive customization with exclusive button mapping options in the Xbox Accessories app. Stay in the game with up to 40 hours of rechargeable battery life, which varies with usage and other factors, and refined components that are built to last. Add even more customization to the Elite Series 2 – Core or replace components on other Elite Series 2 models with the Complete Component Pack.
The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Core in white and the Complete Component Pack are available today in select Xbox markets worldwide for $129.99 USD MSRP and $59.99 USD MSRP, respectively. Visit Xbox.com or your local retailer, including Microsoft Store, for more information.
Full library revamp on Xbox consoles means easier access to all your games and apps
Now it’s easier and faster to find all your games on your Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles. The My games and apps Full library view has been redesigned to streamline access to all games you have access to install and play. All games now shows all the games you own as well as any games you have access to with your current Xbox subscriptions, including Xbox Game Pass, EA Access, and claimed Games with Gold. You also get easy access to catalogs of your subscriptions, editorial content, and all your apps.
Select storage locations for your games and apps on Xbox consoles
Starting today, you can select different default installation locations for all your games and apps on your Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles. By providing separate default installation locations for different types of games, you can most effectively use your storage space and manage game installs.
In the settings for storage devices, select Change installation locations if you have external drives or a storage expansion card attached. You can select a specific drive as an installation location, or “Let Xbox decide” where to install the content for the fastest drive with available space.
Sharing with Xbox Game Bar on Windows PCs
Xbox Game Bar works with most PC games, giving you instant access to widgets for screen capture and sharing, finding new teammates with LFG, and chatting with Xbox friends across Xbox console, mobile, and PC—all without leaving your game.
Xbox Game Bar now allows you to get a shareable link for any capture you want. Share your captures anywhere – SMS, WhatsApp, Twitter, Messenger, and more. If your settings are set to Public, anyone who gets your link can see your shared captures.
While playing a game, press the Windows logo key + G on your keyboard to open Xbox Game Bar. If you have an Xbox controller plugged in to your PC, press the Xbox button.
You can click Copy link at the bottom of any selected gaming capture in the Xbox Game Bar gallery, which uploads the capture (if not uploaded already) and provides the shareable link once upload is completed.
Party chat noise suppression, now on Xbox One consoles and Windows 11/10 PCs
Last month we announced party chat noise suppression on Xbox Series X|S consoles. This month, we’re rolling it out to Xbox One consoles and Windows 11/10 PCs. If you use party chat, you may notice fewer unwanted noises and interruptions than before. Noise suppression helps remove noises like gamepad clicks, breathing, and background noise from your parties.
If you want to keep some types of background noise like music in your parties, you can also turn noise suppression off. On Xbox consoles, just open the guide, scroll to Parties & chats, and select Options. There you can enable or disable noise suppression. And on Windows 11/10 PCs, go to Start a party, open Settings > Party audio, and enable or disable noise suppression from there.
Set up parties with your friends in a snap in the Xbox app
The new “Start party” button in the Xbox app makes it easy to jump right into the game with your friends. Now there’s no need to create a party from scratch each time you want to get your friends together.
To get started, look for the new Parties option on the Social tab. You’ll see a list of all your recent parties, from which you can restart a party or create a new one. You can also easily select which friends you want to invite.
Help shape the future of Xbox
Stay tuned to Xbox Wire for future updates and all the latest and greatest Xbox related news. For support related to Xbox updates, visit the official Xbox Support site.
We love hearing from the community, whether you have a suggestion for a new feature that you’d like to see added or you want to give feedback on existing features that could use some improvement. From game capture and share improvements, to helping games load faster, new ways to connect with your gaming community, and so much more, we’re always listening and looking for ways to improve Xbox experiences for gamers around the world. If you’d like to help create the future of Xbox and get access to features like Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta), download the Xbox Insider Hub on your Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, or Windows PC today. Let us know what you think – we’re always listening!
GAMES
This Week’s Deals with Gold and Spotlight Sale
GAMES
The German Empire Marches to Italy in a Free Expansion Today
We have a new expansion for our WW1 Italian Front FPS game Isonzo releasing today! It’s the first part of our Caporetto season of free expansions, and features a whole new faction with the arrival of the German Empire on the Italian Front, and brings a new map for the Offensive game mode. There will be two more releases in the Caporetto season, each one with a new map to ultimately link together into a three map Caporetto Offensive.
The German faction comes with more than ten new weapons, as well as historically accurate uniforms and equipment. This first Caporetto map sees you taking part in the early stages of the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, with German troops assaulting Italian positions on the road to Caporetto. Historically it was a military disaster for Italy which brought down the government – but maybe things can go differently with you on the battlefield?
The update sees new uniforms and equipment from the German Empire for Isonzo’s six classes: Rifleman, Assault, Engineer, Officer, Marksman and Mountaineer. For those who aren’t familiar with the game, each class has different weapon, gear and perk options that allow you to specialize your play style within the overall focus of the class. For instance, Marksmen are always sharpshooters, but a lot depends on your loadout. You could be a long-range sniper and observer identifying and eliminating high value targets with a scoped rifle, or you could equip body armor to take and hold a front line position with deadly accurate mid-range fire. Every class has choices to make in this regard.
In Isonzo’s signature Offensive game mode, one side must attack and break through multiple defensive lines. Thick layers of barbed wire, trenches, and whatever extra defenses the enemy engineers put together will stand in the way of a successful attack. Objectives can be taking and holding key points, or planting dynamite to sabotage enemy supply stashes or heavy artillery guns.
The new Caporetto map – the first of three in the season – is a huge battlefield based on the strategically important Monte Kolovrat. There are five defensive lines, where each line has two objectives for the attackers before they can advance further. While in the historical Battle of Caporetto both German and Austro-Hungarian forces were involved, in Isonzo we’ve chosen to focus on the German contribution, so the map recreates the stunning German advance from the town of Tolmein all the way to Kolovrat Ridge. It’s a damp, overcast day when the attack begins, and the attackers must first cut their way through lines of wire to break into a devastated town – including capturing a church defended by multiple heavy machine gun positions. Fortunately, in Isonzo there are many tactical options available to deal with such strong points: artillery barrages, smokescreens, snipers, rifle grenades, even poison gas. From there, it becomes a literal uphill battle for the German attackers as they begin to climb towards the peak of Kolovrat Ridge. They’ll need to sabotage bunkers and capture command posts while navigating rocky trenches and steep forested slopes. At the penultimate fourth defensive line there is a huge siege mortar to sabotage and a cluster of houses providing cover to the Italian defenders – then it’s one last climb to reach the final objective: Hill 1114. If the Germans can take it, the Italians will finally be the ones fighting uphill as their reinforcements stream in to try and counterattack.
Of course, things are no walk in the park for the defenders either – although it’s easier to maneuver when going downhill, and it’s much simpler for officers to deploy flares to call in support, the extensive trench lines can become a liability once the Germans get a foothold, providing cover as they advance. Some of the Italian defensive positions can be exposed against the sky, making it easy for German marksmen to pick off targets. Italian engineers should make good use of their construction abilities to put down additional sandbags and lay out extra wire to prevent German assault troops sneaking through the trees to flank trenches with their grenades or light machine guns.
As we mentioned before, historically the Battle of Caporetto was a disaster for the Italians. Appalling leadership led to poorly motivated and unprepared troops falling apart in the face of the combined Austro-Hungarian and German armies using cutting edge infiltration tactics. The Italian soldiers were not allowed to retreat until too late, and in the end hundreds of thousands would surrender. After Caporetto the top Italian general was fired and replaced by someone far more competent, who managed to turn the war around for the Italians. In Isonzo, it’s a more fair fight where both sides have an equal chance of winning, if they can use all the tactical options available better than their opponents.
The release will also bring other improvements to the game, including a prestige mode and higher level cap. Additionally, for those who want more options for visual customization of their character, the Royal Units DLC is releasing alongside the free expansion and contains uniforms from the German Kingdoms of Bavaria and Württemberg. Though part of the German Empire, these states had their own distinctive uniforms which we’ve carefully recreated with the same accuracy and attention to detail as with the other uniforms in the game.
The Battle for Caporetto Begins…
Isonzo is available right now on the Microsoft Store for Xbox, and the free Caporetto expansion is out today! Plenty of time to master the art of mountain warfare before the German Empire joins the action on the Italian Front. Follow us to get the latest development news as we add the finishing touches!
We’ll see you in the trenches!
Isonzo
BlackMill Games
$29.99
World War One expands to the mountains of the Italian Front – beautiful but deadly in equal measure. Inspired by the two year struggle for control of the Isonzo river valley and the Alps during World War One, Isonzo elevates the WW1 Games Series, figuratively and literally.
From the makers of Verdun and Tannenberg…
Take part in historical offensives from the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo to the Strafexpedition. Reflecting the course of the actual battles, as the attackers advance the fighting will shift through vastly different landscapes within a single offensive: from hillside fortresses to mountain trenches and fierce urban combat on city streets. Everything is recreated based on research and field trips, from sound effects and uniforms down to the houses, vineyards and trenches you’ll be fighting over.
The new Offensive game mode puts you right in the middle of key historical offensives on the Italian Front. Lead the charge across stunning Italian landscapes as you choose your path to victory – cut paths through barbed wire, flank your enemies by following mountain trails, or man a mortar to blast a way through. Shape a dynamic battlefield by laying sandbags and wire, placing ammo crates, deploying trench periscopes or sniper shields, and more.
Call in support with a unique historically accurate flare system: flare guns can mark targets for artillery or biplane flybys, or different colored flares can be used to guide your team. Once the big guns have softened up the enemy, finish the job at close quarters with an Arditi dagger or mountaineer’s pickaxe. Man heavy machine guns, mortars and even mountain guns for more direct fire support.
Choose from six classes based on historical combat roles and build your loadout from a selection of weapons, equipment and perks linked to that class, giving flexibility and variety while staying grounded in what real soldiers might have carried. You’ll be operating wire cutters, bandaging yourself and wounded teammates, and blowing the whistle to start an assault. One shot can kill and even lighter injuries can lead to quickly bleeding out.
Being an effective soldier in Isonzo is not just about being a good marksman. Mastering the terrain is also key – the mountain can be a friend or foe. Learn how to navigate well to maintain cover and surprise your enemies or support your allies.
Finally… watch out for the dreaded poison gas. You’ve never experienced WW1 action quite like this!
Isonzo key features include:
• MOUNTAIN WARFARE: Assaulting mountain fortifications, battling through ruined towns, and fording rivers are just a few of the challenges you’ll face as you fight your way through numerous enemy positions
• TACTICAL MULTIPLAYER FPS: Choose your role and loadout carefully to survive this high altitude combat – play a sniper to pick off the enemy engineers before they can cut your wire, use rifle grenades to clear enemy machine guns, and much more
• WORLD WAR ONE GAMEPLAY: Historical Offensive game mode based on real battles and focused on the unique challenges of Alpine warfare. Fight with 30+ WW1 weapons, poisonous gas attacks, and intense artillery barrages
• BUILD FOR VICTORY: Place your own wire, sandbags, trench periscopes, and more! Whether you’re digging in or on the attack, shaping the battlefield to your advantage will be key to victory
• FACES OF WAR: Make every class your own by picking from a variety of historically class-appropriate uniforms, accessories and headgear. As a finishing touch, you can even pick your mustache from several famous period-accurate styles!
• AUTHENTIC WW1 ATMOSPHERE: Accuracy in everything from maps and weaponry to music and the uniforms – fight for the Kingdom of Italy, the German Empire or the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy
MORE GAMES IN THE AUTHENTIC WW1 GAME SERIES
Immerse yourself in more WW1 action with our other standalone titles Tannenberg and Verdun. Experience trench warfare on the Western Front in Verdun, or maneuver for control of key sectors in Tannenberg on the Eastern Front. These authentic WW1 shooters let players choose from a range of squads from across the war, as they fight for control of the ever-changing frontlines.
GAMES
Transport Fever 2: Console Edition is Bringing the Full Transport Tycoon Experience to Xbox
Today, we proudly share a sneak peek into the development of Transport Fever 2: Console Edition, and how we managed to bring the full transport tycoon experience to Xbox.
Transport Fever is a very popular and highly rated transportation tycoon franchise on PC. Its latest entry, Transport Fever 2, delivers a level of size and detail never before seen in the genre. The goal of the game is to build a successful transportation company by constructing railroads, streets, water and air lines. Starting in the 19th century, the player connects towns and industries to transport both passengers and cargo. In addition to a customizable free game mode, there is also a fully-fledged campaign mode with challenging missions set in real-world transportation history.
After the huge success of Transport Fever 2 on PC, it was only logical to bring the experience to consoles as well. Not only that, but no efforts were spared to give the console community the full experience that made the game great on PC. In order to achieve this, the engineers at Urban Games had to pull some rabbits out of their engineers’ hats.
Always providing the freshest layer of paint
One of the most cherished features of Transport Fever 2 are its highly detailed vehicles. The game comes with more than 200 lovingly hand-modeled trains, ships, and airplanes, each sporting multiple 4k textures and normal maps.
On PC, it is easily affordable to have all the models and textures in memory whenever needed, as a typical rig has 16 GB of RAM and a GPU with a dedicated extra memory. Consoles, however, are built differently. They have a unified architecture with an overall smaller amount but ultra-fast memory. The key to make it work on consoles is texture streaming, which allows to clear textures of models that are not in view anymore. Moreover, this technology is used in Transport Fever 2 to constantly load textures at the highest affordable resolution to present the stars of the show, like the classic Class A 3/5 steam locomotive, in their best coat of paint at all times.
Keeping the ground like a console pro
A trademark of Transport Fever 2 are its huge maps. During development of the game, it was always paramount to provide a real sense of scale. The engine should allow for maps where a high-speed train, such as the famous Japanese Shinkansen, can really make use of its superior speed. So, a lot of effort was put into designing a highly effective terrain rendering pipeline that can handle maps of more than 120 sq miles of size with a detail resolution of almost 1 yard. Central to this is a dynamic terrain tessellation algorithm on the CPU that, while costing a bit of extra memory, makes sure the engine can render these maps on a wide variety of PCs.
Now, enter the world of consoles with their incredibly well-designed GPUs and graphic APIs. Here, the hardware can be leveraged very well for terrain rendering by making use of the GPU tessellation feature. This feature generates the render mesh for the terrain fully on the graphics card, saving valuable processing time for the complex economy and city growth simulations. While generating more triangles, the hardware approach still costs less memory overall due to its efficiency. So vast maps can be viewed from a bird’s view high up in the sky and seamlessly zoomed in down to individual rocks on a riverbank.
Inspiring the inner architect
Finally, let’s talk about constructions, a central and defining part of the Transport Fever 2 experience. Constructions are large assemblies that consist of dozens of assets, street segments, ground decals and terrain modifications. Think of structures like airports, train stations, docks, highway crossings, and many more. Anything that is needed to build a vast transportation empire.
For a smooth construction experience, it is key that the player really feels that he has precise control over the building placement. On PC, constructions are typically built using the mouse. As the average PC user is very well adjusted to this method of input, it is sufficiently performant to calculate the entire construction each frame and place it under the cursor. However, on consoles, the best way of building constructions is to have them always kept in the center of the screen and move the camera along the map for placement. And moving the camera needs to be as smooth as silk.
So, for the console release of Transport Fever 2, the construction preview pipeline was overhauled. All dynamic calculations are now performed in the background while a static preview of the structure and its underlying ground plan are shown. Not only are constructions now completely stable in terms of FPS, but they also give feedback to the player on what environment features the construction would tear down when built.
Let’s get tycooning on console
We are very excited to bring the Transport Fever franchise to consoles for the first time ever with the release of Transport Fever 2: Console Edition on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One in February 2023, and we hope you will enjoy it as much as we did developing it.
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