Xbox Preview Program is opening up to everyone
Early Access-style service rebrands as the Xbox Insider Program ahead of full launch
Microsoft is finally calling time on the Xbox Preview Program's beta, opening up the service to all Xbox users.
The Preview Program launched in a limited form in February 2014. It promised to serve as a place for Microsoft to test new updates and features for Xbox Live, but, more importantly, it would give the kind of games that had flourished on Steam Early Access a place to live on console. Ark: Survival Evolved, for example, was released on the service at the end of 2015, and sold more than 1 million units by the end of April 2016.
According to Major Nelson, the service will open to all Xbox users under a new name: the Xbox Insider Program. "This new name reflects how we are expanding to offer opt-in opportunities to provide feedback on Game and App Previews alongside System Update previews," he said. "More fans will have the ability to provide feedback directly from their Xbox One consoles. The Xbox Insider Hub will provide great opportunities to try out games, apps, and other console experiences."
The Xbox Insider Hub is the new version of the Xbox Preview Dashboard, which was rebuilt with new features to coincide with the full launch of the service.
So far, Sony hasn't announced any firm plans for a similar service on PlayStation 4.