How to Get the New Xbox One Experience

This fall, Microsoft, makers of the Xbox One entertainment console will attempt to make magic happen for a third time. The new Xbox One Experience is an opportunity for Microsoft to change the conversation around its Windows 10 operating system, to refocus attention on what it does best: make great software.

Microsoft refreshed the Xbox 360, its previous video game console, with new software so often that many say it felt like they had a new entertainment box every year. Cloud game saves, improved party chatting, beacons for getting groups of friends together, all were gaming features added in software updates after the Xbox 360 was on store shelves. Entertainment lovers ended up with installable apps from major streaming services, better support for video files and a Microsoft’s music streaming service.

Microsoft plans to launch the New Xbox One Experience this November. Right now it’s preparing to make the software available to members of its Xbox Preview Program. The new Xbox One Experience has a refreshed design, easier ways to do popular activities and Microsoft’s Cortana Personal Assistant. The update even comes with support for playing Xbox 360 games on the Xbox One.

Read: Early Windows 10 Xbox One Details Revealed

Here’s what we know so far about getting the new Xbox One Experience.

Getting into the Xbox Preview Program

Getting the New Xbox One Experience starts with getting accepted into Microsoft’s Xbox Preview Program. That’s the same program that began offering early access to Xbox 360 Backward Compatibility earlier this year.

The Xbox Preview Program gets users updates before they roll out for everyone else. Microsoft makes the updates available so that it can gather feedback about the features that work correctly and the features that aren’t working correctly. Users submit feedback through the a special app on the console.

To get into the Xbox Preview Program users need an invitation from Microsoft. The gamertags of friends and family can be submitted to Microsoft for consideration, but Microsoft has the final say so on who is let in. Microsoft recently announced that the Xbox Preview Program had reached capacity. Because of this the company had to slow down on the number of new people it let in.

Read: Microsoft Makes Xbox One Preview Program More Exclusive

if you’re already in the Xbox Preview Program you’ve done almost everything you need to so far.

Opt-In to the New Xbox One Experience Preview

This week Microsoft began sending out messages over Xbox Live to users who are already members of the Xbox Preview Program, according to a post on Major Nelson. It seems everyone in the Xbox Preview Program got the message, even though some speculated they’d only be going out to a certain number of people.

The message does nothing but inform users that the new Xbox One Experience is on the way and that Microsoft is looking for users to test it. When users hit Launch App in the message they’re taken to the Xbox Preview Program Dashboard. This dashboard has all the information Microsoft has made public so far.

If you’d like to get the New Xbox One Experience when its available you’ll need to select the Console Registration option inside the Xbox Preview Dashboard app on your console and switch it to the New Xbox One Experience. That’s all for now; Microsoft hasn’t sent out the update to anyone just yet. When its ready to let users get the update it’ll start approving users in what it describes as waves. The people in earlier waves will be those who’ve submitted the most feedback about their experience thus far. Even if you’re among the first people to get the message and enroll in the preview it is possible that you wont get it immediately when the preview goes live.

Why You Shouldn’t Install the New Xbox One Experience

It’s tempting, but do yourself a favor and avoid the New Xbox One Experience for now. Microsoft can’t be any clearer, but it’s in active development. There are bugs and issues. Some of them are very serious.

For this first release, Xbox Fitness, Destiny: The Taken King, Pool Nation FX, Elite: Dangerous, Skylanders,  Unmechincal, Gucamelee and Borderlands: The Handsome Collection may fail to launch. Forza 6 has a graphics issue.

Apps and video experience are affected too. ABC News, VUDU, Sling TV, WWE, Showtime Anytime, Every Street United, Overdog, Blinkbox, ReddX and TWC TV may sometimes fail to launch. Syfy, USA Now, Bravo Now, TED and MLB are have video streaming issues.

Games could get stuck in the downloading queue. Voice commands in Microsoft Edge, the console’s browser’ won’t work. Party chat and System Updates could fail. To fix all of these issues you need to restart your console. The Live TV app is seriously behind the current Xbox One experience in terms of connecting to cable boxes.

Don’t rush into testing the New Xbox One Experience blind. There are going to be issues. The only way to stay issue free is to keep the solid Xbox One software experience you have now. Getting out of the program involves a full-on reset.