Talking Point: Is There A Place For ‘Snap Mode’ On Xbox In 2024?

Not gonna lie, we actually miss it

It’s been over 10 years since Xbox introduced a new feature called “Snap Mode” that would allow Xbox One owners to watch TV or access apps at the same time as playing their favourite games, and it’s still being talked about to this day.

That’s despite the fact that Snap Mode hasn’t existed for ages now – the feature was completely removed from the Xbox One back in early 2017 for a variety of reasons, and there’s been no sign of it making a return ever since.

It’s no surprise that it was removed either, as Snap Mode was very much aligned with the previous leadership’s push for “TV”-related features, and that focus ultimately didn’t go down very well at the launch of the Xbox One in 2013.

But what about now? We’re 11 years on from a botched Xbox One launch, and we’re undoubtedly using our Xbox consoles to watch TV more than ever. Plus, we’re able to benefit from significantly more powerful hardware in the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, so there’s scope for Snap Mode to be more reliable, efficient and intelligent these days.

The big question is whether it’d be worth investing in. How many Xbox owners out there still want to watch TV on a side-screen while playing their games? What other uses could we find for Snap Mode in 2024? It’s worth thinking about!

You be the judge though – is there a place for Snap Mode on Xbox in 2024? Tell us in the poll and comments.

Fraser is the News Editor at Pure Xbox, where he spends his time reporting on the biggest stories in the world of Xbox and beyond.

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