The latest Xbox One Alpha Skip-Ahead preview has landed for a handful of players, and it includes an interesting feature for those whose game library has grown unwieldy.
Located in the game collection page, the “surprise me” button takes the decision making out of picking what game to boot up. Press it, and the Xbox One will select a game for you to play instead. It’s not clear if this is entirely random or based on your preferences, but it’s still an interesting idea: very much like the “I’m feeling lucky” button on Google which takes you to a search result without you having to choose.
Related: Best Xbox One games
Also, as it lives in the game collection section of the Xbox One, presumably it can only pick out titles you already have on your console – which is probably just as well if you don’t fancy waiting on something to download. But if you’re a Game Pass subscriber, a helping hand deciding which of the many titles to play would be pretty welcome.
The Surprise me button in Alpha Skip-Ahead users' Collections, located in the upper right of My Games & Apps, can help determine what to play next! Use it today. pic.twitter.com/R8QWi9aTCN
— Xbox Insider (@xboxinsider) November 11, 2019
Also in the preview is a way of customising your dashboard, letting you set up your homepage just the way you like it. Add, remove or reorder blocks, and twiddle with your background and colours to your heart’s content. Though it would be pretty surprising if Microsoft would allow you to remove ads for Xbox Live, new games and so on.
Related: Best upcoming Xbox One games
It’s not clear when these features will filter down to a stable release that’s fit for more general consumption, but it’s certainly interesting to see what’s around the corner.
Would you be happy with your Xbox One deciding what game you’re playing next, or do you want to maintain your free will? Let us know on Twitter: @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
