Microsoft is now rolling out the Xbox November update, which includes a heap of useful features. Starting today, all Xbox One and Series X/S owners will be able to connect to Discord voice channels directly through their console — you’ll no longer need to set things up with your phone. That should make it easier for you to chat with friends even if you’re all playing different games on different platforms (or you’re playing, say, Halo Infinite together across console, PC and mobile).
Once you’ve connected your Discord account to Xbox, simply go to the Parties & chats menu and select Discord. You’ll see your available servers and be able to pick a voice channel. You can check which of your friends are in a server or voice channel before you hop in.
Although Sony has invested in Discord, Microsoft beat it to the punch with voice integration on Xbox (including a noise suppression option on Xbox Series X/S). PlayStation is reportedly due to gain deeper Discord integration next year.
Elsewhere, Xbox users can more easily start a livestream via Twitch, Lightstream or Streamlabs thanks to built-in options. From the guide, go to Capture & share, Live streaming and then More options. In the Destination section, you’ll be able to start a stream with the Twitch, Lightstream or Streamlabs Studio apps. As part of this move, the Xbox Twitch app will now only be used for watching other streamers.
Additionally, there’s the option to ask a friend if you can join their game by going to their profile. Previously, you had to do this from the Happening now page.
There’s a new Capture app, which is in the Capture & share tab of the guide, as well as in My games & apps. Microsoft says the app improves the viewing, management and editing of your captures. You’ll be able to copy screenshots and clips to an external drive, while Xbox Series X/S systems have higher bitrate options for 720p and 1080p clips.
Other features Microsoft is now rolling out include notifications when someone shares their wish list with you (in case you want to gift them a game) and alerts when items on your wish list go on sale. You’ll be able to view more details about power consumption when your console is off versus when it’s in sleep mode.
On top of all that, Microsoft now supports controller rumble (including on third-party gamepads) for Xbox Cloud Gaming on PC and Mac if you opt to play via Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome. Rumble support for Samsung TVs will be available later this month — Samsung just announced that it’s rolling out cloud gaming services on some older smart TV models.