Xbox One summer update includes Cortana, better Game Collection and Friend Finder, Deals with Gold, Spotlight revealed

Microsoft is readying fans for another big update for the Xbox One. Set to debut in the Preview program this summer, the update will enable fans to get together in the Xbox Live for more games.

“Starting this summer, Xbox One and the Xbox app will receive the first of two updates that will help you stay connected with friends on Xbox Live and enjoy even more games across your favourite devices,” said Mike Ybarra, Director of Program Management for Xbox, over at the Xbox Wire.

One notable feature coming to the Xbox One is Cortana, finally debuting to preview participants in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Cortana will deliver the same experience as it does on the Windows 10, but for the Xbox One, both the headset and Kinect will support Cortana voice commands.

The Xbox One New Game Collection will also be updated with a better and faster interface, thanks to the Ready to Install tab. Debuting on the Xbox One is the Facebook Friend Finder. This will also make suggestions even better for adding friends on Xbox Live.

The Xbox One will continue to be a social console. The Xbox One Summer Update will improve sharing, so that gamers can easily share screenshots, GameDVR clips and achievements.

For the Xbox Store, Microsoft is also planning to make the Xbox and Windows Store more cohesive and deliver a more streamlined experience. There will be filters, browsers, categories and other channels for fans to also discover new content. Finally, in response to the fan-requested personalisation of the Activity Feed, Xbox One will now allow players to control what they can automatically get on their feed.

The Xbox One Summer Update will start with an opt-in program for fans. Testing of features will begin as early as next week via the Xbox Preview. It will come in two updates, and it will be rolled out in waves to the Preview community.

To tide fans over with games before some expected announcements next week at the E3 2016, Major Nelson has revealed the lineup of Deals with Gold titles for the Spotlight Sale.

Until June 13, a couple of Xbox One and Xbox 360 titles and add-ons will be discounted for Xbox Live members. Some notable titles on the Xbox One include the following:

“Destiny” The Taken King Digital Collector’s Edition or Legendary Edition: 50 percent discount
‘Diablo III: Reaper of Souls’ Ultimate Evil Edition: 50 percent discount
“EA Sports FIFA 16”: 60 percent discount
“EA Sports NHL 16”: 75 percent discount
“FIFA 16” Deluxe Edition: 40 percent discount
“Rocket League”: 10 percent discount