Microsoft is launching a new update to its official Xbox app on Android and iOS that will allow users to share their game stories.
In a blog post, Microsoft says the Xbox app will now let players create and share “Game Stories” with their friends.
The ‘Stories’ feature has been popularized by social apps like Snapchat and Instagram. Microsoft isn’t the first gaming company to get on board — Epic Games recently added Stories to its Fornite game, and Ubisoft included Snapchat-style Stories in Ghost Recon: Breakpoint last year.
Facebook Stories first debuted in March 2017, but the company has since rolled out the format across its entire family of apps, including Instagram and WhatsApp.
TikTok recently integrated some similar types of features like “Stitch“, which lets users combine short clips into a single looping video and adds Snapchat-style text, doodles, and filters. Other smaller platforms have also joined the fun, including Pinterest [which this week began testing Stories], YouTube, and Reddit.
These stories will comprise game screenshots, gameplay clips, and achievements, which can be viewed for 72 hours. To create a story, you need to tap the ‘+’ button next to your Gamertag on the Xbox app’s home screen.
Microsoft has released a new feature for its Xbox app, alongside a new Quality of Service tagging feature on its consoles, which prioritizes traffic that’s sensitive to network congestion like multiplayer gaming or party chat.
The company is advising that the QoS setting will be supported by some ISPs but warns that it should not be used with unsecured networks.
Microsoft’s announcement post says that the Stories feature is live now in Australia, and will be coming to more regions “soon”.
What do you think about these changes?
