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Xbox One's 'Creators Update' removes Snap mode

Microsoft snipped Snap to make the console snappier.

David Craddock

January 25, 2017 2:20 PM

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Creators Update, the latest Xbox One Dashboard patch, removes Snap mode, a feature that let users take advantage of the console's multitasking capabilities but that Microsoft now considers a relic of the platform's past.

"We replaced Snap to improve multitasking, reduce memory use, improve overall speed, and free up resources going forward for bigger things," engineering lead Mike Ybarra wrote on Twitter.

Ybarra offered no insight into those "bigger things."

Removing Snap is the latest move in Microsoft's effort to speed up Xbox One's performance and simplify UI navigation. In a video detailing changes, an Xbox One engineer Scott Henson explained that "one of the things we've done is we've redesigned the Guide to get you the most common tasks that you perform every single day. One button press, and all those common tasks are available."

Snap is also the latest casualty in a growing list of features that debuted with the console back in 2013 but that no longer fit into Microsoft's vision. Kinect, once sold part and parcel with Xbox One, was dropped from the package back in June 2014.

Xbox One's Creators Update is still in testing phases, and began rolling out to users enrolled in its Preview program on Monday. 

David Craddock

Long Reads Editor

David L. Craddock writes fiction, nonfiction, and grocery lists. He is the author of the Stay Awhile and Listen series, and the Gairden Chronicles series of fantasy novels for young adults. Outside of writing, he enjoys playing Mario, Zelda, and Dark Souls games, and will be happy to discuss at length the myriad reasons why Dark Souls 2 is the best in the series. Follow him online at davidlcraddock.com and @davidlcraddock.