Xbox One gets 'Happening Now' social hub in Alpha Skip-Ahead update

Xbox One February 2020 Home Menu
Xbox One February 2020 Home Menu (Image credit: Windows Central)

Microsoft soon drops its first Xbox One feature scheduled for the May 2020 update, with a new build headed to Alpha Skip-Ahead users within the Xbox Insider Program. The first of Xbox One updates under version 2005, referencing planned May public availability, introduces a new "Happening Now" tab for Xbox Live's social suite. That couples with various system fixes and a handful of known issues for those on the bleeding edge.

The "Happening Now" tab arrives on the Guide, designed to highlight ongoing friend activity within parties and games. The section displays up to three current sessions, factoring in favorite friends and top-played games. And in the case of no ongoing activity, the Happening Now section automatically hides.

The build also shares a handful of fixes, targeted toward an issue preventing achievements from unlocking and tracking, squashing networking bugs, and tidying up the handling of multiple languages. However, as expected from any pre-release operating system, users may encounter some known issues.

The first 2005 build rolls out at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT to Xbox Insiders enrolled in the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring, with mandatory downloads enforced on March 21 at 6 p.m. ET / 3 a.m.

The full changelog is located below, as shared via Xbox Wire.

System Update Details

OS version released: RS_XBOX_RELEASE_2005\19041.2209.200319-0000

Available: 2 p.m. PT – March 20, 2020 | Mandatory: 3 a.m. PT – March 21, 2020

New Features for Alpha Skip-Ahead

Guide

We're adding a new section to Friends called "Happening Now" which will highlight your friends who online and in a party or game you can join. Note: This will only show three results, with your favorite friends taking priority as well as games you've recently played. Also, this section will only appear if you have friends who are in a party or game you can join.

Fixes for Alpha Skip-Ahead

We've heard your feedback, and we're happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented for this 2004 build:

Achievements

Fixed an issue where achievements would not unlock or track progress correctly.

Networking

Users should now be able to connect to network when password contains trailing space. Note: Please submit feedback if you are unable to connect to network.

System

Various updates to properly reflect local languages across the console.

VUDU App

Fixed an issue that prevented the VUDU app from loading after being launched.

Known Issues for Alpha Skip-Ahead

We understand some issues have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes. These issues aren't being ignored, but it will take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution. We appreciate your patience at this time!

Audio

Users who have Dolby Atmos enabled and console display settings set to 120hz with 36 bits per pixel (12-bit) are experiencing loss of Dolby Atmos audio in some situations. Workaround: Disable 120hz or set Video Fidelity to 30 bits per pixel (10-bit) or lower.

Home

Users who use Energy-saving power mode may see the dashboard showing no network connection on boot. We are aware of the issue and investigating. Note: The dashboard will refresh once the network connection is established, but may take up to a minute.

My Games & Apps

Users have reported seeing black tiles instead of game artwork when browsing their collection. Some titles in collection may appear with a "trial" tag incorrectly in collection.

Profile Color

Sometimes users may encounter the incorrect Profile color when powering on the console.

Xbox

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Matt Brown

Matt Brown was formerly a Windows Central's Senior Editor, Xbox & PC, at Future. Following over seven years of professional consumer technology and gaming coverage, he’s focused on the world of Microsoft's gaming efforts. You can follow him on Twitter @mattjbrown.