Xbox One Getting DLNA Support, USB Media Playback, Boot-to-TV Option

Alongside Microsoft's Gamescom briefing today, the company announced a spate of new features coming to the Xbox One "within the next few months." Some of these features are included with August's Xbox One system update, while others are coming later.

Below is a breakdown of what's coming to Xbox One over the next few months. Unfortunately, Microsoft did not give concrete details on when these features will roll out publicly.

New "Friends" section -- Now availabl e for users in the preview program, this new section allows gamers to stay up to date with what games their friends are playing, as well as their gamescore, and how it has improved (we hope!) over the past 30 days.

The new Friends section

Snap Center -- This new feature will let you see messages, friends, parties, and achievements, affording you a "seamless" way to switch back and forth without needing to leave your game.

Threaded messages -- An updated Messages app will include full conversation history through threaded mes sages. Embedded links to Game DVR clips, which you can watch without leaving your game session, are also supported.

New media player support -- A new app will allow you to play media files from an attached USB device or from a home media server that supports DLNA. The preview version of the update will only work with USB devices, but DLNA support is coming soon. Once this update is applied, the Xbox One will support more media formats than Xbox 360, Microsoft says. You can see a full list of supported file formats below.

Xbox One digital TV tuner -- This device was announced last week, and arrives in Europe (UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain) this October. There is no word on a North American release.

Stream TV to SmartGlass -- Users in the regions listed above can stream TV programming across their home network to smartphones and tablets using the free SmartGlass app. They can also pause, play, and rewind TV using the app, all while gaming on Xbox One is uninterrupted.

Boot-to-TV option -- Xbox One owners can set their system to boot directly to TV when coming out of connected standby mode.

Live TV mini guide -- Supported in markets where OneGuide is available, this new guide featured at the bottom of the screen will show details about TV content current playing. This will allow you to see what's on other channels without flipping from the one you're currently on.

"We continue to be amazed by our fans' enthusiasm for our Xbox One system updates and their fantastic input," Microsoft said in a statement. "We're working hard to make Xbox One more social and the best place for a ll your games and entertainment, and we can't wait to roll out these new features, and more, in the coming months."

Xbox One compatible file types: