Microsoft somewhat unexpectedly released a new version of the Xbox Video app for Windows, aligning it more closely with the Xbox Music app that they revved quite significantly for Windows 8.1. The side-scrolling hub is replaced by all-too-common sidebar navigation, complete with a hamburger menu.
The new layout purportedly makes it easier to browse and navigate content but ultimately looks more like a web or Android app than the modern design language originally inspired by metropolitan transit signage. This design departure is accentuated by the fact that this is an Xbox service. Are we to expect that the Xbox itself may someday see media app updates that work and look nothing like the environment for which they were built?
New Movies screen
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Collection screen
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What are your thoughts on these updates? Would you rather Microsoft focus on improving the limitations of metro design, or are you happy with the changes they’re introducing to make the user experience more traditional? Let us know in the Comment section.
