Xbox's latest Discord feature update brings direct friend calling and more
Due in the "coming weeks".
Microsoft is expanding Discord support on Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One with a number of new features - including a consolidated Xbox and Discord friends list - that'll be rolling out to general users in the "coming weeks" following a bit of Insider testing.
Starting with that Xbox Friends list, Discord friends who are gaming or chatting in Discord Voice will soon appear in the "Happening now" tab alongside Xbox friends in parties or games. Additionally, if a friend is talking or streaming a game in a Discord server voice channel, that channel will also be shown in "Happening Now".
Furthermore, once the update is available, it'll be possible to initiate a Discord call, jump straight into a voice channel, or watch a friend streaming directly from the Xbox Friends list.
And on that last point, when a Discord friend is streaming their game in voice, watching directly on Xbox Series X/S or Xbox One first requires opening a conversation's member list in the Xbox guide. From there, select the profile of the person streaming in the call, choose "Watch Stream", and their gameplay will be shown full-screen.
While it'll still be a few weeks before all the above comes to consoles for general users, anyone enrolled in Microsoft's Xbox Insiders programme will have access from today.