The October update makes Xbox cuddly: In addition to streaming in Dolby Vision, the revamped avatars are coming to the consoles. However, these colorful figures do not just have fans, as especially male players find the avatars too androgynous.
Microsoft has released a new Xbox update of around 698 MB that is currently being distributed. The October update brings not only Alexa skills, streaming in Dolby Vision, and new languages for the Narrator but also the revamped avatars, which, however, do not only have fans. Particularly male players feel underrepresented.
What the October update brings
New avatars: The new avatars from the October update are meant to represent various body shapes more accurately for gamers. The figures can be in wheelchairs, and amputations can also be displayed.
Additionally, the avatars are intended to reflect various moods, life circumstances, or the hobbies of the players. Further outfits and accessories for the colorful figures can be purchased in the Avatar Store. New content is to be added monthly.
The new avatars can be accessed in one’s own profile. If players do not warm up to the new figures, they can either stick with their old avatar from the Xbox 360 era or completely ignore the characters.
Skills for Cortana and Alexa: In the USA, it is now possible to operate your Xbox with the help of voice assistants Cortana and Amazon’s Alexa. It can be assumed that the skills will also be applicable here in the near future.
Streaming in Dolby Vision: Owners of an Xbox One S or Xbox One X can stream content in Dolby Vision after the update. Netflix with a premium subscription will be supported at launch, but more compatible apps are expected to follow.
Narrator with additional languages: The languages Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Swedish, and Dutch have been added to the Narrator. There is also an Australian version of English.
Players seem dissatisfied
What do players think about the update? On Reddit, players are mainly discussing the avatars, which have reportedly been released despite criticism from Xbox testers. Male players seem particularly unhappy with the colorful figures: They allegedly find the available avatars far too young and too feminine.
A post on Reddit that was supposed to thank Microsoft for representing a woman in a wheelchair has been taken over by players who are complaining about the young “hipster” avatars.
Rather than showcasing a variety of different body shapes and types of gamers, the avatars seem to look more like children or young adults. A 51-year-old player complains that there are no aging options and that his avatar looks more like he did at 21.
What do you think about the new avatars? Have you already tried the colorful figures, or will you ignore the new characters?
