October Xbox Update brings 4K dashboard on Series X consoles and new Night Mode settings

2 min. read

Published on October 21, 2021

published on October 21, 2021

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The October Update is now available for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles, and the main new feature is a nice-looking 4K dashboard on Xbox Series X. If you have your Series X console connected to a 4K TV, the Xbox dashboard, Guide, and other menus should now look sharper than ever.

“Prior to today’s update, the Xbox Series X dashboard, Guide, and other menus were upscaled from 1080p to 4K. We know players with an eye for detail and an appreciation for 4K wanted a crisp experience even when navigating the dashboard,” the Xbox team explained today. You can see the difference with the previous 1080p dashboard in the comparison image below.

Another cool addition in the October update is the new Xbox Night mode, which lets Xbox Series X|S owners dim their screen at night to make it easier to sleep after long gaming sessions. The different settings include a customizable blue light filter, and Xbox night mode works across apps and games without affecting performance, screenshots, or game clips.

Night mode also offers scheduling settings, and there are even options for adjusting the brightness of the power button on Xbox controllers as well as the power light on Xbox consoles. “If you’re a movie fan, you can now enjoy theater-like total darkness while watching your favorite films,” the Xbox team emphasized.

The October Xbox update also makes it easier to toggle accessibility features by adding a new Quick Settings menu to the Xbox Guide. This should make a big difference for families sharing a console, as quick settings will let family members quickly turn features on or off depending on their accessibility needs.

That’s it for the October Xbox update, which won’t be the last system update coming to Xbox consoles this year. Microsoft is planning to bring Xbox Cloud Gaming to Xbox gamers before the end of the year, and the Xbox team has also started testing a new feature that will automatically mute speakers when using connecting headphones to an Xbox console.

Radu Tyrsina

Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time). For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web. Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they're looking for.