Xbox Series X Is Getting A 4K UI Makeover: Here's Who Gets It

If you're an Xbox Series X user with a 4K TV and you've noticed that the UI on the home menu isn't as sharp as it could be, there's a good reason for that. So far, the console's UI has been rendered at 1080p, which is a strange resolution for a console that can handle 4K gaming. Microsoft is taking steps to fix that particular oversight, today rolling out a new Xbox preview that comes with a UI refresh.

Unfortunately, not everyone is eligible to receive this preview – in fact, just a small number of people will be. This new preview is only available to Xbox Insiders that are in the alpha ring, which is a select group that gets to test features earlier than nearly all other Insiders.

While that means those of us who aren't Insiders will have to keep waiting for the new Xbox Series X UI to roll out, the fact that it's entering testing now means that it can't be too far off. In any case, Microsoft announced today that this new alpha updates the home and guide menus with 4K visuals:

"With today's update, Alpha Insiders on Xbox Series X consoles connected to a 4K display can begin flighting an increased resolution UI," Microsoft said in today's release notes. "This change means Home, Guide, and other areas of the UI will be displayed in a higher native resolution for increased sharpness and text readability."

Microsoft is also delivering "various updates to properly reflect local languages across the console" with this update, but by far, the biggest part is that new UI. Unfortunately, we're not able to see the revamped UI in 4K at the moment, largely because the alpha release isn't available yet. It'll launch later today at 2 PM PDT/5 PM EDT, and it will become mandatory tomorrow, August 17th, at 3 AM PDT/6 AM EDT.

Microsoft also lists a bunch of known issues that are still being tracked, so check the release notes linked above for more details on those. Otherwise, if you're an alpha Insider with an Xbox Series X, keep an eye out for this update to land later this evening and take it for a spin.