Xbox One Set To Get A DLNA Media Player With Two New Designs And More Storage In The Next Update

Microsoft is planning to add DLNA media playback to the Xbox One, along with a redesigned friends list and other interface tweaks, according to the company's Director of Programming Larry "MajorNelson" Hryb. This Xbox console, previously reserved just for Microsoft employees, will be available later this year bundled with Sunset Overdrive. Microsoft had previously teased the bundle, but it's official today and available for pre-order for $399 without Kinect.

In a blog post published ahead of the company's games.com press conference in Cologne, Major Nelson confirmed that a new Media Player app would soon be available through the Xbox store, which will play media files from an attached USB flash drive or from a network connected media server that supports DLNA. The Xbox One should be compatible with most major file types, including 3gp, AVI, BMP, JPG, GIF, h264 AVCHD, MKV, MOV, MP3, MP4 and WMV HD significantly more than the Xbox 360.

The Xbox One's TV capabilities are also set to be expanded, with the ability to stream live TV to a smartglass smartphone or tablet once you connect the Xbox One Digitial TV tuner accessory. Viewers will be able to pause, play and rewind live TV, as well as change channels without interrupting game play on the Xbox One. There will be a limited preview program in UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain for the TV Tuner, ahead of a full retail release in October.

Xbox One owners will soon be able to boot straight into the TV without coming out of connected standby, and will get access to a live TV mini guide at the bottom of the screen in areas where One Guide is supported.

More gaming-focused updates will include a new Friends section, which will put all your Xbox One friends in one central location, showing their current activities, most popular games and a Gamerscore leader board. This will be added to the redesigned Snap Center, which will put Messages, parties and achievements at the side of the screen without having to pause the game.

Finally, the new Messages app will gain threaded messages for the first time, making it easier to keep track of your conversations. These newly announced features should be rolling out to the Xbox One early access program later this month, with a full rollout to every console later in the year.