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7 essential things to do when you setup your new Xbox One S

How to get started with your new Xbox One S: Seven essential things to do as soon as you connect your shiny Xbox console to your TV.

Ding dong merrily on Santa’s digital sack, you’ve bagged yourself a new Xbox One S for Christmas. Result. Time to whip it out of the box and get gaming right away, correct?

Actually, before you start mashing buttons like your life depended on it, we have a few helpful setup tips that should give you a better overall experience with your new Xbox. These will help you to navigate your console’s menus, get access to all the latest Xbox content and become a general master of your console from the outset.

So check out these tips on how to setup that new Xbox One S correctly for the best experience possible.

How to get started with the Xbox One S: Update your console and install games

Be prepared to spend a bit of time setting up your console before you get down to the button bashing. Yup, this is Microsoft after all.

You may even want to get all the updates and game installs up and running before you go to bed, so it’ll be ready for the fun to start in the morning. Check tip 3 for more on speeding this process up.

How to get started with the Xbox One S: Get online

After you’ve setup your Wi-Fi, you’ll need to pay for an Xbox Live Gold account if you want to enjoy online gaming on your console. And let’s be honest, if you’ve got an Xbox One S, it’d be a crime to not play Halo in some form online at least once.

This will set you back £40 per year for membership. But a Live Gold membership nets you more than just online gaming; you also get four free games a month for download. They’re usually pretty good too. On top of that you’ll get up to 70 percent off new games also, so it’s money well spent for sure.

How to get started with the Xbox One S: Install your games offline

If you want to speed up the installation process for games, then pull your console offline first. You can do this by either unplugging the internet connection or by turning off the Wi-Fi in the Xbox One S’s network settings.

This little tip will get you down to mere minutes of installation time, which may have otherwise taken hours. Good news if you can’t wait to get gaming.

How to get started with the Xbox One S: Watch live TV on your console

Thanks to the Xbox OneGuide you can actually run your set-top box into your Xbox, so it acts as a central console for all your entertainment needs.

Plug the set-top box into the Xbox using the HDMI-in port and cable. Use the Settings > OneGuide section to activate the box following the TV setup section.

You can then select how you want your Xbox to start, including an option to begin right there in TV mode from the moment you power on. If you’ve got a Kinect plugged in too then you can just tell the Xbox to turn on and it’ll all fire up, ideal for quick, remote-free access to TV.

How to get started with the Xbox One S: Setup for 4K and HDR

You Xbox One S is powerful enough to run in full 4K resolution and HDR. That means better pictures with enhanced colours and a wider range between light and dark. Ultimately it’ll be a more immersive experience.

Set this up in Settings > All Settings > Display & Sounds. And check out our how to use your Xbox as a 4K HDR home entertainment system guide for full details.

How to get started with the Xbox One S: Download apps

There are plenty of great apps available for free to enjoy on the Xbox One S console. Greats like Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video, YouTube and BBC iPlayer help to extend that home hub TV functionality of the console. Then you’ve got social apps like Facebook and Twitter ideal for sharing experiences as well as keeping up on your feed.

There’s even a Domino’s pizza app that let’s you order a hot pie right to your door without leaving the console menus.

How to get started with the Xbox One S: Slap in your Xbox and 360 games

If you’ve just got the console and aren’t already overflowing with games you can always use your older console titles. The Xbox One S is backwards compatible if you want to take a trip down memory lane and play your old standard Xbox and 360 games.

Of course are are plenty of classic, and affordable, titles to be downloaded too if you subscribed to an Xbox Live Gold account.

Now that you’ve followed our setup tips and tricks, check out our in-depth guide to getting the most from your Xbox One.

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