According to Xbox Product Chief Mark Whitten, the Xbox One‘s March update will bring back multiplayer features from the Xbox 360, with intentions of improving the multiplayer experience in advance of the release of Titanfall.
The Xbox One March update will include:
Get to your friends list faster. The friends list will be front and center on the homepage of the Friends app. Click the Social tile on Home, or say “Xbox, go to Friends” to see who’s online and what they’re up to. From there you can quickly send messages and get into a party.
Party chat will be turned on by default. When you party up, chat audio will be turned on by default.
Chat with friends playing different games. Party chat will be separated from people playing your game, so you can chat with your friends who are online or you can chat with everyone playing the game.
We’re adding an “Invite friends to game” option to your multiplayer titles moving forward. Similar to Xbox 360 titles, this will appear inside a games’ menu and offer a simple and quicker way to set up your multiplayer battles. Selecting “Invite friends” will let you invite friends to your game and party.
We’re adding “Recent Players.” This is a simple list that shows you Xbox Live members you’ve recently played with, making it easier to stay in touch with people, or add new friends after your multiplayer battles.
Also coming to Xbox One users in March is an $80 Xbox One stereo headset that supports chat and has two volume levels: one specifically for chat and the other for gaming. There will also be a $25 headset adapter that is compatible with a regular 3.5mm audio jack or an Xbox 360 2.5mm audio jack. The adapter simply plugs into the controller, allowing users to chat. Unfortunately the adapter does not support game audio, so the headset must be plugged into the console, television, or receiver directly.
It does not appear to support hearing game audio, which is only possible through stereo headsets if the headset is plugged into the Xbox One console via an optical cable or if the user is plugging their headset into a separate device, such as a TV or receiver. (via Kotaku)
The March update will most likely come to the Xbox One before the release of Titanfall on March 11, and February’s update is to be expected sometime this week.
Source: Kotaku
