Xbox prepares an update with longer gamertags, classic achievements and cloud gaming during downloads

Xbox Insider users are already testing several highly anticipated features that will be coming soon to Xbox Series.

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Microsoft continues to work on new improvements for Xbox Series and some of them respond directly to community requests. Members of the Xbox Insider program in the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring can already test an update that introduces changes to gamertags, Xbox 360 achievements, wish lists, and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

The company aims for players to spend less time navigating menus or waiting for downloads and more time playing. Although these novelties are still in the testing phase, everything suggests that they will eventually arrive for the rest of the users in the coming months.

These are the new features that Xbox is testing

Among the most notable new features, we find the expansion of unique gamertags up to 15 characters, compared to the current limit of 12. This will allow for greater freedom when choosing names without having to resort to abbreviations.

Microsoft has also given classic Xbox 360 games a new prominence. From now on, the game cards for these titles will display detailed information about achievements, captures, and progress directly from the new game hubs.

• Unique gamertags expanded from 12 to 15 characters.
• Hubs for Xbox 360 games, with quick access to achievements and statistics.
• Improved display of classic achievements from the user’s profile.
• Ability to play through Xbox Cloud Gaming while a game is updating or installing.
• Direct access to the game in the cloud from the game card during an update.
• Add any game to the wish list directly from its card, even if it hasn’t been released yet.

Especially interesting is the new integration with Xbox Cloud Gaming. If a compatible game requires an update and is available in the cloud through Game Pass, players can start the game immediately while the download continues in the background.

This is a feature that can save a lot of time, especially for titles with large updates, and it fits perfectly with Microsoft’s bet to combine console, cloud, and Game Pass into a single experience.