Xbox controversial update slammed as 'one big ad' by fans

Xbox fans have been heavily criticising the new "ad interface".

[Christopher]

*surprised Pikachu face*

[Jin_Sakai]

They’re the worst with dashboard interfaces. The new UI is still cluttered with endless boxes and a giant recently played games ad that isn’t even from you but instead all Xbox users.

[darthv72]

The games you recently played are shown in the upper tiles.

[Jin_Sakai]

“The games you recently played are shown in the upper tiles.”

That’s doesn’t change the fact you’ve got a whole advertisement bar of recently played games from Xbox users on the dashboard.

[darthv72]

I can see you just want to be huffy puffy just for the sake of it. You really dont care about the most played... you just want to vent. If you did then youd have the same passion for any entertainment medium that has a ranking system because its all based on what others like.

Top 40 countdown, top 10 current netflix shows / movies... top sales of titles on ps or switch or steam...

But its this box that offers a most played by others on XB. Like seriously Jin you've really lost it.

[closed_account]

Which is funny, bc they were always primarily a software company first.

[Kombatologist]

"They’re the worst with dashboard interfaces."

The blades dashboard on Xbox 360 was the pinnacle of their GUIs. They've gone downhill ever since.

[Jin_Sakai]

“But it’s this box that offers a most played by others on XB. Like seriously Jin you've really lost it.“

I’d say you have lost it. Even Xbox fans are complaining about these ads on the dashboard while you on the other hand are defending it.

[DOMination-]

I get that it doesn't look great. But calling it an advert feels a bit disingenuous

Load up a PS5 and go to the store. The very first thing you see is a massive section labelled "Top games being played in your region".

I know the response to this will be something along the lines of this being okay when Sony does it because it's in the store. And whilst I agree the store is the best place for that, it's still a "feature" that PS5 has that's exactly the same as what's being complained about here on Xbox.

Is it also an ad when Sony do it? The funny thing is, there is a genuine advert right next to this "feature" - at least on the UK PS5 store..

[PhillyDillyDee]

Not to mention they removed a lot of the customization the previous iteration had

[mjchitown]

yeah that showing ads for games a bad thing. i forgot this the hate everything xbox site

[spss11]

Or maybe many Xbox owners, like myself, are unhappy that all our home screen customization was replaced with ads.

[Hofstaderman]

Pika…?

[purple101]

cheeeeewwwww

[ChasterMies]

Microsoft put ads into Windows 11. When you buy a Microsoft product, you know your are getting ads. This is like a member of the Leopards at My Face Party complaining that leopards are their face.

[Lightning77]

Here I am thinking this was something super serious a few days ago. Then I read what the issue was and didn't even bother. Hell come September SF will be plastered adverted all over the damn place for ppl who haven't downloaded the game.

[darthv72]

Mountain.... meet mole hill

[EvertonFC]

GP is NOT sustainable, how else they gonna try and get better revenue? Did Xbox gamers expect NO ADS with GP bleeding money.
Xbox gamers want everything NOW, everything FREE, NO ADS, ALL GAMES day 1 and GP for £1 a Month and then maybe just maybe they would be happy haha.

[Asplundh]

As if there weren't ads with the last dashboard? I think you're missing the point as usual.

[anast]

You do have a point. This model needs a ton of ads to keep it going.

[DarXyde]

In its current incarnation, I wholly agree that Game Pass is not sustainable. But with ABK now clearing the FTC, I think Microsoft is clearly setting the stage for important revisions: the price hike, layoffs, AI investment, elimination of "Xbox Live" and rebranding of Game Pass to drop the "Xbox" part says to me that it's really only a matter of time before they eliminate hardware and have as much of their development done by AI as possible. They're definitely going full sub service in the next generation or two. They themselves said they wanted to become the "Netflix of gaming". At that point, you're fully a part of Microsoft and not treated as a your own division—so profitability is an afterthought at that point because Microsoft is profitable. Doubters can bookmark this if you want to.

In any case, in the spirit of discussion about ads here, I wonder how far it's going to go: will they remove/limit the ads from the UI if you have a higher tier of their services? Will they show ads in the games you play on Game Pass?

I don't know how many people are really upset about it, if it's a vocal minority, what have you. But I think if it's really as bad as people are making it out to be, they'll offer some way to limit the ads. It just doesn't make business sense to keep them in if it's really annoying their customers. My sense is that the ads aren't that bothersome to people and the issue may just be with the UI itself.

[EvertonFC]

You make excellent points and agree MS is rich but GP is bleeding money so it makes sense to make people think GP is just MS.
Also ads wil be on GP tiers but if you have GP premium you won't see ads but it'll cost you £20 for the privilege.
I hate paying £12 for YouTube premium but it's worth it just to get rid of the ads.

[Joe913]

I agree with your first statment it is only a matter of time before MS games on GP will be mostly gaas. They will be doing exactly what Sony plan on doing but you will be charged for GP then whatever microtransactions that is in the game. I think MS will do a deal with Sony that they will stop making Xbox consoles if Sony allow GP on the PS console.

[Fonsecap]

If fans let them get away with this, next you'll have an advert after you press A to start a game

[EvertonFC]

That will come soon enough, trust me.

[spss11]

This update is atrocious. They took away home screen customization and plastered ads where pins used to be. So I've set my Xbox in permanent offline mode to avoid it all, which also hammers home that I can only have two pins now. But at least no ads.

[anast]

It looks like YouTube. They are going a great job over there.

[TheTony316]

Just go back to the blades. Funny how their very first UI is still the best.

[Rockstar]

Good guy Phil!

[DivineHand125]

Let me clarify for the non Xbox users. The "ads" people are complaining about are not the traditional ads you would see from tv or websites. There is nothing from Progressive or mountain due there. What persons are complaining about is Microsoft bringing exposure to gamepass and it is being done agressively with this update.

It's not bad if you already have game pass and know most of the content on the homescreen is relevant to you but if you don't have game pass, you will feel like it is now a giant ad for the service where only the tiny section of recently played games is relevant to you up top. Everything else are games on gamepass and if you select one while not subscribed, you will be prompted to subscribe. It is now literally a gamepass box.

The interface looks similar to how Netflix looks when you open it up. There is a section right under your recently played games called recently added, then below that are some tiles and social content similar to what is on playstation for some of your games, then you have communities, coming soon to game pass, top entertainment apps, most popular on games pass(In case anyone is curious it's GTA 5 followed by Minecraft), then you have some unbisoft games, followed by featured content from the movies store, then cross platform multiplayer games, Xbox game specials, games coming soon and finally Bathesda softworks games.

[Firebird360]

There are mt dew, progressive and even McDonald's adds on the home screen. The bottom right tile is always an add and 90% of the time its non game related. Last add i literally had a big Mac on my dash board.

[DivineHand125]

This might be based on the region. I am not in the US or Europe and don't see those ads on my dash board.

[JSONEHUNDRED]

The new home screen is f'n gross. Someone tell these assholes we dont want all their garbage filling the console. Let us have control on what we see and what order it is! That goes for all consoles!

[HyperMoused]

I think i may jump ship when the PS5 Pro comes out

[Rockstar]

Seriously considering selling my Xbox when my 2 years of Game pass ultimate runs out.

[badz149]

Nice to see xbox fans being more vocal against the scumbaggery shoved down their throat by MS for once. keep it up guys!

[OhReginald]

Xbox....fans..? Why use the word fans?

[TheEnigma313]

Xbox fans tolerate this so there is no one to blame.