Here we have a hands on look at the highly anticipated Xbox One March Update – set for the 11th. Why is this a big deal? Because it brings back many Party Chat and Friends System features from the Xbox 360 that were not present at launch for the Xbox One. I hope this trend continues bring back more Xbox 360 UI features, because it’s definitely true that “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone” – no matter how small the feature.

March 11th is going to be a big day for Xbox One as this update coincides with Titanfall’s release (they even featured the beta in this video) and the recent announcement that Twitch TV Broadcasting will be coming to Xbox One as well (story here).

“With a ton of great new multiplayer-focused features, the product update that’s coming to Xbox One in March will forever change the way you and your friends interact on Xbox Live. You’ll now be able to get into your friends list faster and customize the way you view it, allowing you to quickly get in and get gaming. Once you’re in a game, the revamped party system and “Recent Players” list will let you spend more time with your friends while also encouraging you to make new ones. In the video above, we take a closer look at what Xbox One fans can expect in March.”

Details around the improvements for Xbox One multiplayer and parties:

• Get to your friends list faster. The friends list will be front and center on the homepage of the Friends app. Click the Social tile on Home, or say “Xbox, go to Friends” to see who’s online and what they’re up to. From there you can quickly send messages and get into a party.
• Party chat will be turned on by default. When you party up, chat audio will be turned on by default.
• Chat with friends playing different games. Party chat will be separated from people playing your game, so you can chat with your friends who are online or you can chat with everyone playing the game.
• We’re adding an “Invite friends to game” option to your multiplayer titles moving forward. Similar to Xbox 360 titles, this will appear inside a games’ menu and offer a simple and quicker way to set up your multiplayer battles. Selecting “Invite friends” will let you invite friends to your game and party.
• We’re adding “Recent Players.” This is a simple list that shows you Xbox Live members you’ve recently played with, making it easier to stay in touch with people, or add new friends after your multiplayer battles.

Sources:

http://news.xbox.com/2014/02/xbox-one-march-update-video

http://news.xbox.com/2014/02/xbox-one-multiplayer-update