You can make the Xbox Series X a lot less noisy now
A more tranquil Xbox experience awaits
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The new Xbox Series X update, which rolled out yesterday, includes a number of options to mute all system sound effects. It’s perfect for those who may have auditory sensitivities or have grown sick of their Xbox making blips and wooshes when navigating the dashboard. You can even mute notification popup sounds.
If you’d like to turn off some of these noises, head to ‘Settings’ > ‘Volume & audio output’ > ‘Additional options’. From here, you can choose to mute navigation and notification sounds or pick between the two. You can also enable Mono output and choose to have the audioautomatically mute when a headset is attached– an incredibly useful feature that was previously exclusive toPS5andPS4.
These settings can also be accessed by heading to ‘Settings’ > ‘Accessibility’ > ‘Audio’ and ticking your preferred options. If you’ve ever wanted to shush yourXbox Series X, then these settings will let you do just that.
Hey Xbox! Whether you have auditory sensitivities or just want to navigate the Xbox guide, dashboard and virtual keyboard silently, here’s how to find the new “mute system sound effects” features that went out to everyone starting yesterday. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/T1jfnRVwS3April 7, 2022
These new audio options aren’t the only features included in the latest Xbox Series X|S system update. You can now also switchbetween watching TV and playing a gamesimply by hitting the Xbox button on your controller if you enable the new HDMI-CEC functionality. That’s particularly useful if you like to watch TV when waiting for a game to download or update and have a habit of misplacing your remote.
More features, more fun
The Xbox Series X andXbox Series Shave received multiple updates since launch that have added new functionality and features for players to enjoy. Not only have the consolesbecome more environmentally friendly, but there have also been a number of quality of life improvements. That includes tweaks tohow Quick Resume works, the addition of anight mode, and seeingXbox Cloud Gamingroll out.
However, one thing a system update can’t fix is the accumulation of dust building up over time and clogging up the vents of your expensive console. If you haven’tchecked your Xbox Series X’s ventsin a while, it might be worth taking a look to see what’s going on behind the scenes.
If you still haven’t got your hands onMicrosoft’s console, there’s some good news on that front too. The company appears to haveovercome the Xbox Series X stock shortagesthat have plagued its flagship console since launch, though it’s still not quite as readily available as we’d like.
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The Xbox Series S, on the other hand, has fared far better in general when it comes to stock. The more affordable Xbox continues to be easy to buy and is certainly worth considering if you can’t wait for an Xbox Series X. It isa true next-gen consoleafter all, even if it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of its more expensive bigger brother.
Adam was formerly TRG’s Hardware Editor. A law graduate with an exceptional track record in content creation and online engagement, Adam has penned scintillating copy for various technology sites and also established his very own award-nominated video games website. He’s previously worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor and once played Halo 5: Guardians for over 51 hours for charity. He is now an editor at The Shortcut.
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