Hidden Xbox Series X|S Features You Didn’t Know About

Xbox consoles come packed with a surprising number of features that most players never discover.

Most players don't even realize how many features Xbox consoles offer. Whether it's securing your account or optimizing visuals, these settings can make all the difference in the game. Let's take a look at some of the most helpful and lesser-known features of the Xbox that you should dive into.

Remap Everything: Custom Controller Profiles

A series of configurations called custom presets lets you remap pretty much any button on the Xbox controller in Controller and Headset Settings. You can remap all of the buttons, even if you don't have a $200 Pro Controller (it's compatible with any gamepad). Just click the button “Configure New Profile” and customize the buttons.

The recalibration feature — underutilized — is where you can adjust stick and trigger sensitivity, recalibrate vibration settings, and even correct stick drift, among other things. Please note that you may need to upgrade your controller to ensure these features work properly.

The Share button is another great customization to make. It will take a game action shot and screenshots by default if you press it. You can do a variety of things with it, however, such as start/stop recording, Xbox party chat, shortcut boot, and other shortcuts listed in the pop-up menu. 

The Share button also has dual functions: a press function and a press-and-hold function, meaning you can easily configure many different things with this single button. There's plenty more to do in this menu to give you the right configuration.

Custom Backgrounds: Dynamic Art on Your Dashboard

With the new Xbox dashboard, there is increased background space, which was ideal for dynamic artwork. A feature you can use is to have the background change automatically based on the tile or app you are using.

This will allow your Xbox to simulate a feature that changes your background and background music based on the game you select. Go to Settings> Personalization, then turn on Game Art.

Now, as you scroll through the Xbox dashboard and press the various game tiles, another special background will load in accordance with that title – and some of them are moving. There is also a customizable wallpaper feature that lets you load images from a USB stick into the menu.

Video Modes: How to best show the images

Those who have a next-generation console will want the best graphics possible. Go to Settings > General > TV and Display Options> Video Modes. You will find a series of crosses and ticks here that indicate which features your current display supports.

Don't forget to get the right HDMI cable, preferably the newer HDMI 2.1 version, to enable additional features and settings.

If enabled, activate Auto-HDR to increase the dynamic range and brightness of non-HDR games, making them look more modern. HDR10 supports 10-bit color and enhances brightness and color reproduction. Dolby Vision is a good choice for the more cinematic approach to gaming, but it may cause slight input lag in the process. 

The Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) feature on the iPhone X/S helps minimize screen tearing and make the gameplay smoother. On your TV, you can get the game mode with Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), which automatically turns it on.

Also, if the TV is an advanced next-generation set, you may even have FPS counters and panel settings in various game modes. It's worth exploring more of these with your TV remote and finding out what frame rates your games are running at; some may be running at 120 fps at 4K!

Mouse and Keyboard: Make Your Xbox a Gaming PC

You can actually use a mouse and keyboard with your Xbox — and not many players are aware of this. You don't have to use a controller for some games, like RPG MMOs or FPS titles; you can use a mouse and keyboard setup and then use your Xbox as a mini gaming PC.

They can be connected in several ways. You can get a wireless mouse and keyboard with its own USB connector that works great, or a very affordable wired mouse and keyboard that is a simple plug-and-play solution. An upside to using a mouse like a Logitech is that it has on-board memory.

They can be linked to the laptop and set to custom DPI and DPI profiles, which are saved in the mouse's onboard memory. This will then be synced to your Xbox when you plug it in, providing a little more customization than simply changing the basic sensor sensitivity.

There are also other settings you can change directly on your Xbox. Select Settings > Device and Connection > Mouse. Here, you can adjust the pointer click speed and switch between primary and secondary button mappings.

For some games, it will also be necessary to connect the controller at the same time, and then the controller's haptic feedback may be felt even when playing with the mouse and keyboard as the primary input. In the controller settings, if you don't need vibration feedback on your gamepad, you can disable it.

Co-Pilot Controllers: A Multiplayer twist!

In the controller settings, there is one thing that is worth enabling and trying out: Co-Pilot Controllers. A feature for easily connecting several Xbox gamepads to the console to play the same game, as needed for assisted play or for those who use adaptive controllers.

This can also be used creatively with a friend in a one-player game, though! You can also have two gamepads connected and split the responsibility between shooting and aiming/moving/jumping.

It can lead to some very interesting gaming sessions with games designed for one player. This can be done under Settings > Accessibility > Controller, then choosing Co-Pilot Settings and adding a second gamepad.

Dark & Light Mode: Customize your Dashboard

It is one of the underrated features on Xbox: switching between dark and light mode. Your Xbox will have a sleek, modern dark mode, with all of the Xbox's tiles appearing gray by default.

However, if you're looking for a more retro and nostalgic look, you can switch on light mode as well, which will give you a vibe similar to the Xbox 360. It resets all of the tiles to white and restores that classic Xbox feeling. On lower-brightness or dimmer screens, light mode will also enhance text readability.

There's also a way to set it so that it automatically toggles between light and dark mode as per the time of day, so you can enjoy the best of both worlds. That is entirely a matter of your taste, whether you want to do this with the auto settings.