XBOX Insiders Are Getting Game Hubs, Wishlists, and Gamertags Upgrades

Starting today, XBOX Alpha Skip-Ahead Insiders can test a bunch of new features that make gaming feel a little smoother. From longer gamertags to cloud gaming shortcuts and upgraded achievement tracking, the update covers multiple parts of the XBOX experience.

XBOX is giving players more room to stand out

Among the highlights is gamertags. Microsoft is increasing the maximum length for unique gamertags from 12 characters to 15 characters, which gives XBOX players more flexibility when creating a new online identity.

The change only applies to available and unique gamertags. Names that require suffixes or use non-Latin characters will continue to have the existing 12-character limit.

XBOX is also revisiting part of its legacy library by expanding Game Hubs to XBOX 360 titles. Players can now open the game card of an installed XBOX 360 game and quickly access achievement progress, captures, and other information without digging through menus.

Image credit: Microsoft

Less waiting, more gameplay

If a Game Pass title requires an update and supports cloud streaming, players can jump into the game immediately via XBOX Cloud Gaming while the update downloads in the background. The option will also appear directly on the game’s card whenever an installation or update is underway.

Microsoft is also making wishlists easier to use. Players can now add released games and upcoming titles directly from a game’s card, eliminating extra steps when saving something for later.

Image credit: Microsoft

For now, these features are only available to Alpha Skip-Ahead Insiders. If testing goes as expected, you can expect these features to roll out across additional XBOX Insider rings in the coming weeks.