For years, Xbox gamers have grumbled about the cluttered experience of managing their digital libraries and shopping for new titles on the Microsoft Store. Between endless demos, beta versions, and a bewildering array of nearly identical game bundles, finding what you actually own—or want to buy—has sometimes felt like searching for a needle in a haystack. But now, Microsoft is rolling out a pair of updates that promise to tidy things up and restore order to the Xbox ecosystem.
On August 11, 2025, Xbox quietly released a dashboard update preview for members of its invite-only Alpha Skip-Ahead ring, as reported by the Xbox Support site. This update introduces a new “Free with Xbox” section under the Full Library tab, finally separating demos and limited-time trials from the main “Owned Games” area. It’s a quality-of-life improvement that many with large game libraries have been hoping for. No longer will players have to scroll past relics like “Bleeding Edge Beta” or “Titanfall 2 Open Multiplayer Tech Test” just to get to their actual purchased games. As Xbox Support explains, while a manual “Hide from list” option already exists, this new menu update automates the process, making it far less tedious for users with hundreds of titles in their collections.
Of course, this isn’t the only change bundled into the update. As is standard with such releases, the preview build also includes the usual round of “stability and performance fixes” to keep things running smoothly. But it’s the library reorganization that’s got the community talking. The update is currently limited to the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring—one of five tiers in the Xbox Insider program, which lets members test out new features before they’re rolled out to the wider Xbox audience. There’s no word yet on when this feature will make its way to all users, but based on past rollouts, it’s likely just a matter of weeks or months.
Interestingly, while this menu overhaul is currently exclusive to consoles, the Xbox PC app hasn’t been left out of the improvement spree. According to Xbox Support, significant updates for PC users have already landed, including a June update that aggregates game libraries from other stores into a single unified view and a July update that enables streaming of console games on PC. It seems Microsoft is intent on streamlining the gaming experience across all its platforms, even if not every feature arrives everywhere at once.
But the quest for a cleaner, more user-friendly Xbox experience doesn’t stop at library management. On August 12, 2025, Microsoft announced a much-anticipated crackdown on “bundle spamming” in the Microsoft Store—a practice that has long frustrated both gamers and legitimate developers. As detailed in a Microsoft email to developers and reported by Windows Central, the company’s new policies specifically target the proliferation of undifferentiated game bundles. These bundles, which often consist of different platform SKUs (such as Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC versions) with no meaningful content differences, have cluttered the store, manipulated search results, and made it harder for genuine new releases to get noticed.
“After an investigation, Microsoft has determined that bundles focusing on different platforms with undifferentiated content in an attempt to maximize digital shelf space are incompatible with Section 3 of the Developer Code of Conduct, as they confuse players and are an attempt to manipulate the search results for a game,” the company wrote to developers. “We will no longer enable bundles that contain different platform SKUs of the same game. Additionally, other attempts to manipulate the Store search results may result in bundles being delisted or not granted.”
The new rules, as outlined by True Achievements and Windows Central, make it clear that bundles must offer “meaningful differentiation”—such as unique content in Standard, Deluxe, or Ultimate editions, or platform-specific features like higher resolution or frame rates. Simply repackaging the same game for different consoles and flooding the store with near-identical listings is no longer permitted. The policy also prohibits bundles created solely to manipulate discounting cooldowns, search rankings, or other discovery mechanisms. Offenders could see their products delisted or denied access to the store altogether.
For many gamers and developers, these changes are a breath of fresh air. “Bundles can be a great way to get the best version of a game,” writes Sean Endicott of Windows Central. “But developers gaming the system to fill digital storefronts, work around Xbox Play Anywhere, and promote sales in a dishonest way hurt genuine bundles that are good for users and developers.” The distinction, Endicott notes, is similar to the difference between offering several varieties of a snack—where each is genuinely different—and simply spamming the shelves with the same product in slightly different packaging. In the digital world, the latter practice has led to a store experience that’s confusing, cluttered, and often unfair to both shoppers and legitimate game makers.
This isn’t just about aesthetics or convenience. Bundle spamming has also been closely tied to the controversial practice of “selling” Gamerscore—where developers publish multiple copies of the same easy-to-complete game, allowing players to rack up achievement points with minimal effort. By tightening the rules on bundles and encouraging developers to make their games Xbox Play Anywhere titles (which work across console and PC with a single purchase), Microsoft hopes to rein in both bundle spam and Gamerscore manipulation.
For the average Xbox player, these changes may seem overdue, but they’re nonetheless welcome. Anyone who’s spent time browsing the Microsoft Store—or trying to find their latest purchase amid a sea of demos and betas—knows just how frustrating the status quo has been. The new library organization and stricter store policies promise a smoother, more transparent experience, one where the games you own are easy to find and the games you want to buy aren’t buried under a mountain of copycats.
Of course, as with any change, there are likely to be growing pains. Some developers, especially those who’ve relied on aggressive bundling strategies, may balk at the new restrictions. But for the wider Xbox community, the message is clear: Microsoft is listening, and it’s taking meaningful steps to make gaming on its platforms a little less cluttered and a lot more enjoyable.
With these updates, Xbox is signaling a renewed commitment to both user experience and fair play. Whether you’re a hardcore achievement hunter, a casual gamer with a sprawling library, or a developer trying to stand out in a crowded marketplace, these changes are set to make the digital shelves a little tidier for everyone.
