Xbox One November update arrives with Google Assistant, Gamertag updates, more

Microsoft's November 2019 update for Xbox One consoles is now headed out to everyone. After a period of testing with Xbox Insiders, several new features are now rolling out to the public, including Google Assistant support, the option to use any Gamertag, text filters, and more.

Perhaps the biggest update here is support for Google Assistant. While it doesn't run on your Xbox, Google Assistant support allows you to issue commands to control your Xbox from your phone or smart speaker. It works much like the Amazon Echo integration that hit Xbox consoles several months ago, letting you turn your Xbox on, launch games, and more with your voice.

The Gamertag updates in the November 2019 update bring more choice to players on consoles. Microsoft announced a plan earlier this year to revamp Gamertags, allowing you to choose any name you want. If you pick a Gamertag that's already taken, you'll have a numbered suffix added to it. "With the November 2019 Xbox Update, these gamertag options are now supported on console, including profiles, friend lists, messages, Clubs, LFG and more," Microsoft says.

You can learn more about the Gamertag changes at Microsoft.

Another important update coming to consoles today is text filtering. As part of a bid to help players combat toxicity on Xbox, you can now set a your level of automated filtration for messages you receive on Xbox Live. There ar four tiers here, including Friendly, Medium, Mature, and Unfiltered.

There are some smaller updates included here as well. Mixer will now let you move the chat to the left or right side of the screen. There are also more languages supported for voice dictation, and the system settings menu has been condensed and simplified.

For more, you can check out Microsoft's full release notes for the November 2019 Xbox One update. Otherwise, you can download the update on your console now.

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