As you can see above, there’s a whole lineup of sponsored content on the splash screen that was in testing on Xbox for Xbox Insiders Alpha and Alpha-Skip users. In it, we see blocks to access all games and apps, the Microsoft Store, games leaving Game Pass and suggested games that are on the service.
This version was released in September 2022 and is now being discontinued following several users found it to be full of advertisements, as it was not possible to pin recently used games in this area, making much of the space useless for many users.
In effect, Xbox Insiders users will now see the default home screen like the one in the image above. Tested splash screen settings will be maintained.
We heard from you that the changes at the top of Home didn’t leave enough space for you to enjoy your origins and that you felt saturated. We’re working to balance experience, accessibility, function, and the needs of our community to bring you a great, fresh home screen experience.
While the idea of adding Game Pass ads was initially bad, it’s interesting to note that Microsoft is listening to users. Ivy Krislov, Senior Product Manager Leading Xbox Experiences, says more new features regarding the Home screen will be coming soon, so hopefully they’ll be ad-free and make the experience more enjoyable.
