There’s
a
lot
of
interesting
things
you
can
do
with
your
Xbox
Series
X,
if
you
know
where
to
look.
Photo:
Kyle
Barr
/
Gizmodo
Don’t
shoot
the
messenger,
but
even
if
you’ve
played
your
Xbox
consistently
for
the
past
four
years
and
you
think
you
know
it
inside
and
out,
you
may
still
be
surprised
by
what
your
console
is
capable
of.
Just
like
the
PlayStation
5
and
Nintendo
Switch,
the
Xbox
Series
X
and
Xbox
Series
S
have
a
bevy
of
hidden
options,
settings,
and
tricks
that
may
even
change
how
you
use
your
console.
There’s
a
lot
of
talk
about
what’s
next
in
store
for
Xbox.
Hot
on
the
heels
of
its
multi-billion
dollar
Activision
Blizzard
acquisition
(and
subsequent
layoffs),
the
company
has
expressed
its
full-throated
support
for
its
Game
Pass
subscription
service,
even
going
so
far
as
to
talk
about
putting
the
service
onto
rival
consoles.
The
question
then
becomes
what
will
happen
to
Microsoft’s
hardware
in
the
future,
especially
as
Sony
seems
geared
up
to
release
a
PS5
Pro
this
year,
and
Nintendo
also
seems
set
to
unleash
a
Switch
sequel
in
2025.
Perhaps
Microsoft
has
a
handheld
console
waiting
in
the
wings,
or
perhaps
not.
For
now,
it
seems
we’ll
be
sticking
with
the
Series
X/S
for
a
while
longer.
That
being
said,
the
current
Xbox
is
a
quality
console
that
gets
even
better
once
you
understand
all
of
what
it’s
capable
of.
It’s
never
been
easier
to
stream
your
console
to
your
phone,
tablet,
PC,
or
Mac,
and
you
have
excellent
options
to
record
4K
HDR
content
for
future
use
once
you
know
how
to
get
it
going.
Much
of
the
hidden
stuff
available
on
Xbox
is
contained
in
the
Settings
menu.
To
access
it,
go
to
the
home
screen,
go
up
to
the
top
bar,
and
select
the
Gear
Settings
icon.
You
can
access
the
same
menu
anywhere
else
by
clicking
the
Xbox
button,
scrolling
all
the
way
to
the
right,
and
then
clicking
down
to
Settings.
See
deals
on
the
Xbox
Series
X
Photo:
Kyle
Barr
/
Gizmodo
So,
Microsoft
might
have
been
on
a
completely
different
copilot
recently,
but
the
Xbox
has
a
completely
different
copilot
setting
that
combines
input
from
two
different
controllers
into
one.
This
is
an
accessibility
option
for
those
who
need
assistance
playing
their
games,
but
it
can
also
be
useful
if
you
need
to
help
a
young
one
get
past
an
especially
difficult
part
of
a
game.
In
settings,
under
Accessibility
and
Controller,
turn
your
attention
to
Copilot
Settings.
Then
scroll
down
to
Turn
on
Copilot
then
select
which
other
controller
will
also
work
with
the
first
one.
This
setting
allows
two
people
to
play
a
single-player
game
at
once,
though
it
could
also
be
a
great
option
to
grief
your
friends
as
they
play
their
favorite
games.
Don’t
worry,
we
won’t
tell.
Photo:
Kyle
Barr
/
Gizmodo
This
was
one
of
the
original
selling
features
of
the
latest
Xbox
consoles,
but
in
many
ways,
the
smart
switching
has
been
lost
to
time.
If
your
Xbox
controller
is
paired
with
another
device,
like
your
TV
or
PC,
you
can
easily
switch
between
your
console
and
that
other
device.
So
long
as
you’ve
paired
the
controller
via
Bluetooth,
you
only
need
to
hit
the
sync
button
on
the
top
of
the
controller
twice.
This
should
automatically
switch
it
to
the
last
device
you
used.
Hit
it
twice
again,
and
it
should
switch
back
to
your
console.
Photo:
Kyle
Barr
/
Gizmodo
If
you
hate
that
your
notifications
appear
at
the
bottom
of
your
screen,
there’s
an
easy
way
to
change
that.
In
your
settings
menu,
go
to
Preferences,
then
click
Notifications.
Here,
you
can
turn
off
notification
banners
completely,
but
you
can
go
one
step
further
and
customize
exactly
which
notifications
you
want
to
receive.
Under
Default
notification
position,
you
can
set
the
console
to
show
the
notifications
anywhere
on
the
top
or
bottom
of
your
screen,
ensuring
it
won’t
get
in
the
way
of
any
of
your
content.
Photo:
Kyle
Barr
/
Gizmodo
The
Xbox
has
a
built-in
magnifier
feature,
and
you
don’t
have
to
turn
it
on
in
settings.
Hold
down
the
Xbox
button
on
your
controller,
and
you
should
bring
up
the
quick
menu
to
turn
off
your
console
or
controller.
Then,
hit
the
share
button
opposite
the
menu
button
to
turn
on
the
Magnifier.
After
that,
you
can
use
the
left
thumbstick
to
scroll
around
the
screen
and
the
two
trigger
buttons
to
zoom
in
and
out.
In
the
same
way,
there’s
also
the
Narrator
screen
reader.
Photo:
Kyle
Barr
/
Gizmodo
If
you’ve
long
grown
tired
of
the
same
old
solid
color
background,
you
may
want
to
look
at
something
more
lively
in
a
dynamic
background.
Compared
to
earlier
versions
of
Xbox,
the
Series
X/S
doesn’t
make
it
too
easy
to
find
and
change.
In
settings,
go
to
General,
then
Personalization.
Under
My
Background,
scroll
all
the
way
down
to
Dynamic
Backgrounds.
If
you
have
Game
Pass,
you’ll
likely
already
have
a
ton
of
dynamic
backgrounds
available,
but
you
should
still
see
a
fair
number
from
Xbox
itself.
Photo:
Kyle
Barr
/
Gizmodo
Are
you
tired
of
having
to
put
in
a
passkey
every
time
you
log
into
your
Xbox,
but
you
also
don’t
want
any
of
your
family
or
roommates
jumping
on
your
account?
If
you
have
a
single
Xbox
controller
that
you
know
is
yours
(and
perhaps
stays
under
lock
and
key),
you
can
essentially
make
it
your
main
means
of
logging
into
your
Xbox.
In
Settings,
under
Account
and
Sign-in,
security
&
PIN,
go
down
to
where
it
says
This
controller
signs
in
Nobody.
Click
that,
then
link
your
controller
to
the
account
that’s
currently
signed
in.
As
soon
as
you
turn
on
that
controller,
you’ll
also
sign
into
your
account.
You
can
only
link
one
controller
to
one
account,
and
you’ll
need
to
make
sure
your
sign-in
credentials
are
saved
to
the
Xbox.
Photo:
Kyle
Barr
/
Gizmodo
If
you’ve
ever
been
annoyed
at
how
long
it
takes
your
Xbox
to
start
up,
that’s
because,
by
default,
the
Series
X
supports
its
“Shutdown
(energy
saving)”
compared
to
what
most
people
assume
is
a
default
sleep
mode.
This
default
console
shutoff
still
supports
automatic
updates,
unlike
the
PlayStation
5
or
Nintendo
Switch.
However,
it’s
also
slightly
slower
to
start
up,
and
if
that’s
really
a
concern,
you
can
change
it
under
settings,
then
General,
then
Power
options.
The
Xbox
makes
it
clear
that
changing
this
setting
increases
power
usage
when
powered
down
by
10
to
15W,
so
there’s
not
much
reason
to
change
it
unless
you
want
to
start
the
Xbox
remotely.
Photo:
Kyle
Barr
/
Gizmodo
With
the
console
set
to
Sleep
mode,
the
Xbox
can
essentially
act
as
a
separate
hub
for
your
select
smart
home
setup,
so
long
as
you’re
using
either
Google
Home
or
Amazon
Alexa.
Follow
the
steps
on
the
previous
slide,
and
after
your
console
is
on
Sleep
Mode,
go
back
to
Settings
and
then
down
to
Devices
&
Connections.
Choose
Digital
Assistants,
then
on
the
next
page,
make
sure
Enable
Digital
Assistants
is
selected.
Then,
you
need
to
enable
either
Google
Assistant
or
Alexa
to
access
voice
commands
on
Xbox.
For
both,
you’ll
need
to
add
the
Xbox
to
your
device
list
for
your
home.
Now
your
Xbox
should
be
enabled
with
voice
commands,
though
through
that
select
app.
For
instance,
on
Google
Assistant,
you’ll
need
to
say
“Hey
Google”
followed
by
commands
such
as
“take
a
screenshot”
or
“launch
Far
Cry
6.”
Photo:
Kyle
Barr
/
Gizmodo
Are
you
tired
of
all
those
apps
you
never
use
cluttering
up
your
top
bar
on
the
Xbox
main
menu?
You
can
go
to
the
My
Games
and
Apps
bar
at
the
top
of
the
screen,
then
scroll
over
to
each
of
your
games
and
apps.
Press
the
three-bar
Start
button
on
any
of
these
cards
to
bring
up
a
menu,
then
scroll
down
to
Add
to
Home.
This
will
center
those
games
on
the
Xbox’s
main
menu,
allowing
you
to
scroll
down
to
each
one
and
open
the
game
a
bit
more
quickly.
You’ll
also
see
some
videos
and
screenshots
captured
by
other
players
or
groups
of
online
players
looking
to
join
a
game.
Photo:
Artem
Golub
/
Gizmodo
This
is
one
of
those
features
that
has
many
wondering
if
the
days
of
specific
console
hardware
are
well
and
truly
over.
With
the
Xbox
app
installed
on
your
device,
you
should
be
able
to
remote
play
simply
by
hitting
the
small
Remote
Play
icon.
Hit
Remote
play
on
this
device
then
Continue
on
the
following
popup.
You
should
see
a
small
animation
of
a
rocket
ship
and
the
Xbox
splash
screen
before
you
see
the
Xbox
streaming
on
your
device.
You
can
connect
an
Xbox
or
third-party
controller
to
your
phone
to
play
that
way
or
use
the
default
touch
controls
that
appear
on
your
screen
when
using
a
phone
or
tablet.
Photo:
Kyle
Barr
/
Gizmodo
In-game,
you
can
record
any
gameplay
up
to
4K,
though
you’ll
need
to
go
through
settings
to
ensure
you’re
recording
at
the
optimal
resolution.
In
Settings,
go
to
Preferences,
then
Capture
&
share.
Here,
you
can
change
any
of
the
settings
you
want
for
capturing
content,
though
you
may
be
limited
when
trying
to
use
a
full
4K
HDR
recording.
Under
game
clips,
you
can
change
it
to
allow
up
to
30
seconds
of
after-action
recording
at
4K
HDR.
At
720p,
you
can
record
up
to
3
minutes
of
post-gameplay.
You
can
also
set
it
up
to
automatically
upload
to
the
Xbox
network,
AKA
your
Microsoft
account
and
your
Xbox
app,
or
to
OneDrive.
There’s
also
an
option
to
remap
the
Share
button
(the
one
below
the
Xbox
button
in
a
straight
line).
You
can
map
it
to
take
either
a
screenshot
or
a
video.
In
the
game,
if
you
want
to
access
more
functions,
hit
the
Xbox
button,
then
move
over
to
the
Capture
&
share
tab
to
access
screen
recordings.
You
can
share
your
gameplay
experience
with
your
friends
easily
enough
on
Xbox,
but
you’ll
need
to
follow
a
few
steps
to
get
it
in
a
usable
state
on
your
phone
or
computer.
In
the
Capture
&
share
tab,
go
down
to
Recent
captures.
Click
on
whatever
clip
you
recently
took,
and
then
hit
Upload.
This
should
let
you
upload
it
to
the
Xbox
Network,
and
clips
should
appear
in
your
app
in
a
.MP4
format.
Photo:
Kyle
Barr
/
Gizmodo
This
same
feature
lets
you
record
the
gameplay
you
just
took.
Again,
hit
the
Xbox
button,
then
scroll
to
the
Capture
&
share
tab.
You
can
then
scroll
down
to
Record
what
happened.
Depending
on
your
capture
settings,
you
should
have
the
option
to
record
from
15
seconds
all
the
way
up
to
3
minutes
if
you’re
willing
to
accept
a
lower-resolution
video.
Photo:
Kyle
Barr
/
Gizmodo
We
still
miss
Microsoft
Sam,
but
Microsoft
David,
Zira,
and
Mark
can
take
up
a
bit
of
the
slack.
There’s
an
accessibility
option
for
those
who
want
to
hear
their
console
read
off
their
friend’s
in-game
chats,
and
it
comes
with
the
computerized
voices
first
made
famous
by
Windows.
You
can
find
the
setting
in
Settings,
Accessibility,
Game
and
chat
transcription,
and
then
the
In-game
chat
voice
in
the
right-hand
column.
Here,
you
can
also
change
a
bunch
of
other
accessibility
options
like
text-to-speech
or
enable
a
game
reader.
Photo:
Kyle
Barr
/
Gizmodo
If
you
really
want
to
see
your
progress
toward
the
Achievements
you’re
gunning
for,
Xbox
has
a
nifty
feature
that
lets
you
plop
down
your
most-sought
Achievements
for
you
to
reference
on-screen
at
all
times.
If
you
hit
the
Xbox
button,
then
go
to
the
Game
activity
tab
on
the
top
and
hit
the
button
for
Achievements.
There
will
be
a
special
button
on
top
called
Achievement
tracker,
and
then
hit
the
small
gear
icon
right
beside
it
to
place
a
popup
anywhere
on
your
screen.
This
will
show
you
the
progress
on
your
current
achievements.
You
can
also
make
it
more
or
less
transparent
in
case
it
is
getting
too
distracting
on-screen.
Photo:
Kyle
Barr
/
Gizmodo
That
button
on
bottom
right
of
the
the
front
side
of
the
Xbox
Series
X
isn’t
just
for
pairing
controllers,
it’s
also
it’s
own
infrared
(IR)
sensor
capable
of
accepting
inputs
from
universal
remotes.
It’s
mostly
meant
to
pair
with
the
official
media
remote,
but
you
can
also
use
any
real
universal
remote.
With
HDMI-CEC
enabled
on
your
TV
(this
is
different
for
every
television,
but
many
enable
it
by
default),
go
to
Settings,
then
Devices
&
connections.
Click
on
Remote
features
and
make
sure
Enable
remote
features
is
turned
on.
Then
go
over
to
where
it
says
TV
&
A/V
power
options,
make
sure
HDMI-CEC
is
enabled,
and
then
make
sure
Use
TV
Remote
for
Console
is
turned
on.
Photo:
Kyle
Barr
/
Gizmodo
Another
small
change
hidden
under
settings
will
make
turning
on
your
TV
and
Xbox
less
hassle.
You’ll
need
a
TV
that
supports
HDMI-CEC,
but
if
so,
there
are
just
a
few
switches
you
need
to
flip
for
easy
Xbox
access.
Go
to
General,
then
TV
&
display
options,
then
select
Device
control
on
the
left
column.
You
can
then
turn
on
HDMI-CEC
and
go
through
all
the
options
of
allowing
your
console
to
control
your
TV
settings,
including
turning
it
on
changing
the
volume,
and
even
switching
your
TV
input.
Photo:
Kyle
Barr
/
Gizmodo
If
you
started
your
Xbox
and
let
Microsoft
use
your
personal
data
for
diagnostic
purposes,
you
might
have
fallen
for
the
oldest
trick
in
the
data
harvesting
playbook.
You
can
manually
set
it
if
you’re
not
keen
to
let
Xbox
keep
looking
at
your
data.
Hence,
Microsoft
no
longer
accesses
your
personal
data;
most
importantly,
you
won’t
see
any
more
personalized
ads.
In
the
settings
tab,
under
General
and
Online
safety
&
family,
go
to
Privacy
&
online
safety,
and
you
can
then
change
all
your
personalized
recommendation
settings
for
your
Xbox
and
any
permissions
for
installed
apps.
Comments