Xbox gamers seem to be growing increasingly upset about the appearance of ads on the Xbox dashboard, and they’re making their feelings known online. The dashboard of the Microsoft console has certainly changed a lot over the years. Last year, a nostalgic image that shows how the Xbox home screen has evolved was making the rounds online, and the interface has only undergone more updates since.

New technology and new consoles have brought plenty of positive changes, like a wealth of personalization options for the Xbox Series X/S Dashboard. On the other hand, time has also brought setbacks, frustrations, and disappointments for some Xbox fans. Now many of these users are venting their frustration about one change in particular.

Microsoft is seemingly escalating its use of advertisements on the Xbox dashboard and is even delivering full-screen ads on startup. These ads largely feature messages that are to be expected on a console, such as previews of upcoming games and announcements for the recent Xbox Developer Direct showcase. Still, many players hold the opinion that, when they jump on their console, they want to start playing games immediately rather than viewing ads about other titles.

the fullscreen Xbox pop-up ad has returned for the Developer_Direct. I just turned on my console and got this one https://t.co/6n80uHgcgA pic.twitter.com/pdLFD2S7x4

— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) January 19, 2024

On Twitter, some Xbox users are seeing this as a "trend" and expressing annoyance as well as concern that Microsoft will continue with this policy into the future. Some are also pointing out that, given that they paid for the console and many are paying for the related subscription service, throwing ads on top seems unfair. This latest controversy follows news last summer that Xbox gamers are frustrated by dashboard changes that direct attention to the online store and away from games. Combined, these recent developments do seem to point to a pattern of Xbox seeking to promote new sales at the cost of convenience to console owners.

Whether Microsoft responds to complaints by backtracking or committing to a decrease in advertisements remains to be seen. It's worth noting that, in the past, some companies have changed their policy regarding ads in response to complaints. For example, last year Roblox made big changes to ads in the game by removing ads for NFTs and blocking them altogether for users under the age of 13 after questions were raised about its practices. Xbox users will likely want to keep an eye on whether or not Microsoft follows suit.

Posted: Jan 27, 2024 1:23 am
Related Forum: Xbox Forum

Source: https://gamerant.com/xbox-full-screen-ads/