Microsoft has finally confirmed the rumours by saying that with the Creators update it will indeed be introducing a new game mode and also dropped hints about Beam which it acquired last year.
This means 2017 is going to be a very vital year for Microsoft. Apart from Windows Game Mode to improve the performance of your PC games, the updates will include another feature Beam, which will make it easier to stream than ever before on Xbox One and Windows 10 and also Microsoft will release Arena on Xbox Live, where you can play in organized tournaments or create your own, making eSports available for everyone.
Detailed reports about Game Mode and how this feature will help the gamers are only speculative at this point of time with several rumours afloat. The popular consensus is that the game mode would make the CPU, GPU, and other resources of the PC to focus on game play, thus not letting other software to bog down a smooth gaming experience much like it happens with the Xbox OS.
"Our goal is to make Windows 10 the best Windows ever for gaming. With the Creators Update, we're introducing a new feature called Game Mode. Windows Insiders will start seeing some of the visual elements for Game Mode this week, with the feature being fully operational in builds shortly thereafter. Our vision is for Game Mode to optimize your Windows 10 PC for increased performance in gaming. This is a big update for Windows; we're looking forward to Insiders getting their hands on this new feature for further testing, and we'll have much more to share on what it is and how it works soon, so stayed tuned."
It has often been pointed that Microsoft tends to neglect PC gaming and puts much more effort in the Xbox, thus this statement by Mike Ybarra is perhaps a good sign that it has finally understood the grievances and are going to rectify it this time around.
The Game mode is going to boost both traditional Win32 games and UWP (Universal Windows Platform) games. Furthermore, the update will also integrate streaming to Beam and would need only Xbox Live account and no additional software, allowing any both traditional Win32 and UWP to be streamed with ease. On a Windows 10 PC one would have to press Windows + G to pull up the Game bar and click the broadcast button to start streaming.
Streaming games to Beam
Beam will connect to the Xbox live account and will make it easier to stream the games to Beam and Xbox live community. On Xbox One, you can start streaming with one button press from inside the Guide.
"Every Xbox One will see an update coming to the Guide that will make it faster to complete common tasks. Through one press of the Xbox button on your controller, you'll be able to pull up the newly enhanced Guide as an overlay on the left side of your screen no matter what you're doing. In addition, we're rebuilding the most popular multitasking experiences for speed and ease of access. For example, you'll be able to start recording your GameDVR clips, adjust your recording length, and access your captures directly in the Guide. We'll also add a new Achievement tracking overlay, Gamerscore Leaderboard, a new Cortana design, and controls for background music, making these features easier to use."
Microsoft is improving the ways to connect with people on other social networks and thus making it easier to stay in touch with friends on Xbox live. This will include new updates to the Activity Feed, Clubs and Looking For Group (LFG), through which now you can share LFG posts in your feed.
"We're making it even easier to seek out players for any game on Xbox and Windows 10, and join communities of gamers like you," claims Microsoft.
With the Arena update on Xbox live an user can create his own tournaments and invite members of his club to join and once the tournament is over it will record the scores automatically so that the users can later share it on Xbox live and across social media.
"New tournaments are coming to Arena on Xbox Live, including those from professional tournament organizers like ESL and FACEIT. And starting with "World of Tanks" and "Killer Instinct", you'll be able to create your own Arena tournaments, with more supported titles coming over time. "
As a matter of fact, Creators Update is just getting started. Following the exciting new updates next week Microsoft will kick off some more updates from under its sleeves in the coming months.
"We're going to make your gaming experiences easier, more social, and better with innovative hardware and software features throughout the year."
