You fire up your Xbox, ready to dive into your favorite game, but first, you’re greeted by a cluttered dashboard. System apps like Microsoft Edge or Netflix are vying for space alongside your recently played titles, and the game you actually want to play is buried somewhere in a sea of tiles. For years, Xbox fans have been vocal about wanting a Home screen that feels less like a billboard and more like, well, home. Microsoft has finally heard the call, and they’re rolling out a new set of customization options that promise to make the Xbox Home UI more personal than ever.

On May 16, 2025, Microsoft announced a series of updates to the Xbox Home UI, initially available to Xbox Insiders in the Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead rings. These changes are a direct response to a recurring complaint: the Xbox dashboard doesn’t feel personal enough. “We’ve heard from many of you that Home should feel more like your space,” says Eden Marie, principal software engineering lead for Xbox experiences. “Whether it’s surfacing your favorite games, hiding what you don’t use, or simply making Home feel less crowded, this update is a direct response to that feedback.”

The headline feature? You can now pin up to three of your recently played games or apps directly to the “recently played” list on the Home screen. These pins will stay front and center, even as you launch other titles, ensuring quick access to your go-to games. It’s a small but meaningful change for players who want their dashboard to reflect their gaming habits. Imagine having Elden Ring, Starfield, and Halo Infinite locked in place, ready to jump into without scrolling through a crowded list.

But Microsoft isn’t stopping there. They’re also introducing the ability to hide system apps—like Netflix, Microsoft Edge, or the Xbox Insider Hub—that often clutter the Home screen. For gamers who use their Xbox primarily for gaming, this is a godsend. No more wading through apps you rarely touch to get to your games. And for those who prefer a minimalist vibe, Microsoft is working on a “Reduce Tile Count” option that will let you shrink the number of visible tiles in the recently played list. This feature is still in the works, but it’s slated to hit Insider builds soon.