Across loads of announcements from Xbox HQ, whether it’s unveiling a new game, confirming a delay to one, or talking about features that it’s going to bring to consoles soon, you’ll see plenty of references to the Xbox Insider program.
It’s a system that might sound like a member’s club or a fan community, but the reality is that you can be a part of it far more easily than you might realise. We’ve got all the details, right here.
What is Xbox Insider?
Xbox Insider is the name Microsoft has given to a program that lets its users, if they want to, test-drive bits of functionality that aren’t yet ready to go live for the entire user-base.
It’s a sort of beta-testing scheme, in many ways, but also comes with a few other perks like occasional rewards and discounts. Occasionally Insiders will even get the chance to try new games out early.
Xbox Series X
The most powerful games console ever.
That’s it! You’re in - this isn’t the sort of club that’s really snooty about who’s a member, after all.
Xbox Series S
Great for those who want to spend less for the latest games.
How do Xbox Insider tiers work?
The main complication to your membership of Xbox Insider is down to which tier of the program you find yourself in - this is a system mostly to do with how long you’ve been in Xbox Insider. There are five tiers:
Moving between tiers isn’t automatic, we should note. Once you meet the required criteria, you’ll need to open up the app to change your status manually, as follows:
That same menu will also let you leave the program if you want to go back to the vanilla experience.
How much does Xbox Insider cost?
This is a quick one - the program is completely free, regardless of what tier you get up to. That should put your mind at rest!
