The June Xbox system update for Xbox Series X / S and Xbox One consoles isn’t as big as it was in previous months, but the latest firmware adds two key accessibility features for players with hearing and speech impairments, along with new parental controls and a new way to play your games to organize and apps page. We’ll discuss all of the new features, how to use them, and how to install the update.
Speech-to-text and text-to-speech for multiplayer party chat
The first of the new accessibility options, Speech-to-Text, transcribes voices from other players in party chat into on-screen text. Subtitles are displayed in a small overlay that can be moved and adjusted around the screen so that it doesn’t interfere with the game and remains easy to read.
The other new feature, Text-to-Speech, converts typed text into synthesized speech. This way, players can have a “voice” in voice chat even if they don’t have a microphone or can’t speak. The function supports multiple languages and offers multiple language options per language.
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Xbox Insiders have had access to these features since May, but now all users can turn them on in Ease of Access settings:
- Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the guide, and then go to Profile & System> Settings> Ease of Use> Game & Chat Transcription.
- Players can also text-to-speech and speech-to-text using the party chat options below. activate Options> Configure Ease of Access settings.
- Select the transcription options you want to use. On the page you will find further settings to adapt your text or voice transcriptions to your needs.
Use new parental controls and rearrange games and apps
The party chat accessibility options are the standout additions to this month’s update, but there are a few more changes worth mentioning.
- Inquiries to the parent network: Parents can now change a child’s account settings to require permission before they can play online or access other network features. The setting is in the Xbox Guide menu under Profile & System> Settings> Account> Privacy & Online Safety> Xbox Privacy. You can also turn it on in the Xbox Family Settings mobile app. When enabled, parents will receive a notification to allow network access when an account you manage tries to play online. Permissions can be granted on the console or in the Xbox Family Settings app.
- Rearrange games & apps groups: You can now rearrange group folders on the Games & Apps page. Choose Move groups Option on the Games & Apps page.
All of these features will be available once you install the June 2021 Xbox system update. Most users will get the update automatically, but you can find it under Manually in the Xbox Guide menu Profile & System> Settings> System> Updates.
