You won’t have to wait around for Xbox Series X game updates anymore

Xbox Series X and Xbox wireless controller set to a green background
(Image credit: Shutterstock / Hopix Art)

Xbox Insiders in the Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead channels can now access a new build that speeds up how quickly your Xbox Series X|S scans for games that have updates available. 

Xbox owners may already be aware that scanning for updates can sometimes take longer than expected, so this tweak to the Xbox OS should alleviate this issue if you’ve ever found yourself staring at the ‘Updates’ menu for too long.   

Xbox engineering lead Eden Marie said on Twitter: “Xbox Alpha and Alpha Skip Ahead Insiders, today’s update includes an initial set of fixes targeted at the speed of scanning for updates in my games & apps. Tiles should appear sooner, and you may see some additional processing afterward (especially if you sort by size).”

Elaborating further, Marie provided a disclaimer that the scanning process can still be slow when you’ve got “extremely large amounts of installed content.” As such, she recommends filing bugs once the fixes have been applied, so this can be looked at further. Considering this is an initial set of fixes, we’d expect more changes to come in future updates. 

Get inside  

An Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S side by side

(Image credit: Microsoft)

If you’re interested in becoming an Xbox Insider, you don’t need to go through a registration process. All you need to do is download the Xbox Insider Hub app, which is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Better still, you don’t need to opt-in for each preview going, you can choose which ones you’re interested in. 

Just remember that these features are being beta tested, so you may encounter bugs. Some previews aren’t available to all Insiders either, as there are five “rings” by which Insiders are classified: Alpha Skip-Ahead, Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omega. You can find out more from the official FAQ.

Thanks to Xbox Game Pass, filling up your console storage is all too easy. Games frequently come and go from the subscription service, though we usually get a generous selection of new additions to compensate. Microsoft’s first-party line-up is always available too, so you can jump into Halo Infinite, Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon 5, and more at a moment’s notice. 

If you’re subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you can always try out Xbox Cloud Gaming to alleviate this storage problem, which also negates the need for updates entirely. Of course, that’s assuming your internet connection is up to the task but otherwise, we’d recommend picking up a 1TB Storage Expansion Card from Seagate.

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Henry Stockdale

Henry is a freelance writer based in Bournemouth, United Kingdom. When he's not wandering in VR or burning through his RPG backlog, he's probably planning his next D&D session.