Buzz
The June Xbox system update for Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One consoles may not be as extensive as previous updates, but it introduces two crucial accessibility features for gamers with hearing and speech impairments. Additionally, it includes new parental controls and a fresh method to organize your games and apps. We’ll explore these new features, their usage, and how to apply the update.
Speech-to-text and Text-to-speech for multiplayer party chat
The first of the new accessibility features, Speech-to-text, converts spoken words from other players in party chat into on-screen text. These captions appear in a movable overlay that can be resized and repositioned to ensure they don’t interfere with gameplay and remain easy to read.
The second new feature, Text-to-speech, converts written text into spoken words using synthesized voices. This allows players to participate in voice chats even without a microphone or if they are unable to speak. The feature supports multiple languages and provides various voice options for each language.
While Xbox Insiders have been able to use these features since May, they are now available to all users and can be activated in the Ease of Access settings:
Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the guide, then navigate to Profile & system > Settings > Ease of Access > Game and chat transcription.
Players can also enable text-to-speech and speech-to-text from the party chat options under Options > Configure Ease of Access settings.
Choose the transcription options you prefer. Additional settings are available on the page to customize text or speech transcriptions according to your preferences.
Utilize new parental controls and reorganize Games & Apps
The accessibility features for party chat are the highlight of this month’s update, but there are a few other noteworthy changes to mention.
Parental network requests: Parents can now adjust a child’s account settings to require approval before playing online or accessing network features. This setting is located in the Xbox guide menu under Profile & system > Settings > Account > Privacy & online safety > Xbox privacy. It can also be enabled via the Xbox Family Settings mobile app. When activated, parents will receive a notification to grant network access whenever a managed account attempts to play online. Permissions can be approved on the console or through the Xbox Family Settings app.
Rearrange Games & Apps groups: You can now reorder group folders on the Games & Apps page. Use the Move groups option from the Games & Apps page to customize the layout.
All these features become available after installing the June 2021 Xbox system update. While most users will receive the update automatically, you can manually check for it in the Xbox guide menu under Profile & system > Settings > System > Updates.
