Microsoft’s Xbox team is rolling out the May update to Xbox Series X|S users right now, which makes improvements to the Quick Resume feature, adding in some new dynamic backgrounds, and an option for passthrough audio to let you enjoy your media apps with the best possible sound experience.
The news comes via an Xbox blog post from Director of Program Management at Xbox Experiences, Jonathan Hildebrant which outlines the headline features of the update.
First up are the improvements to the Xbox Series X|S’ Quick Resume feature which allows players to switch between multiple games and resume gameplay instantly from where they last left off. Following the May update, Quick Resume will have ‘improved reliability and faster load times.’
Quick Resume-compatible games are now more easily identifiable thanks to a new tag, and a new group also shows which games are currently utilizing the feature at a glance, as well as allowing you to remove them from the Quick Resume state.
Another new addition is the Audio Passthrough option available on the Volume & Audio Output settings screen. Enabling this allows your media apps like Apple TV, Disney+ and others bypass the console during the audio decoding process, allowing for the best quality listening experience with an external sound system.
Elsewhere in the update, a new ‘Motes’ pattern has been added to the Dynamic Background options to help you spruce up your home screen, and greater control for parents to control their children’s multiplayer gaming through the ‘Ask a Parent’ feature. This forces a child to ask for permission to play online in any (or specific) games from their parents before the Xbox will enable them to do so.
The May update is rolling out to Xbox Series X|S owners as of yesterday to players around the world.