In a recent blog post, Microsoft announced a redesigned layout and experience coming to the Xbox store. Glimpses of the new layout were revealed, along with technical changes that improve the site’s overall efficiency. The update will be rolled out gradually, but some Xbox Insider members may see the new store as early as August 5th.
Above is the new sign-in page, that all users will now see before entering the actual store. Those who are not signed in will not be able to browse until doing so. Microsoft explains this change as a way to “…help parents ensure that their children are interacting with appropriate content…” They also note that signing in will provide users a more “personalized experience”, with content tailored to their interests. The update now allows for this content to be filtered, based on a selected content filter level. For example, “an 8-year old will not be able to view content in the store that is rated for a teenager.”
After the sign-in page comes the new and improved home page, shown above. This process should run a lot quicker now, with Microsoft promising improved launch speeds and browsing performance. They describe the experience of the new store, saying “…it’s faster than ever to load pages and find what you need, whether it’s checking out a sale price or watching HD trailers.” This is supplemented by a fully redesigned navigation system that allows users to “jump between shopping experiences in a snap or deep dive into something specific.” Creating a safer and much more seemless shopping experience seems to be the goal of this update.
For more information on the new layout and changes made to the Xbox Store, click here to read the full blog post, as well as view screenshots of other redesigned pages.