This week, Microsoft announced it is in the process of enhancing the user experience for Xbox owners who use OneDrive for storing their game captures. A new report from The Verge expands on how this feature will work. The tech giant has initiated tests for a feature that will enable automatic uploads of Xbox game captures to OneDrive. This testing phase is currently available to a select group of Xbox Insiders.
A novel wizard tool has been introduced to guide Xbox users in synchronizing their clips with OneDrive. This tool provides the flexibility to either upload the entire existing collection or select specific clips and screenshots for upload. However, Microsoft has cautioned that extensive collections might require an extended period for the upload process to complete, as it operates in the background.
Once the automatic upload feature is activated, future game captures will be stored in the videos folder on OneDrive, while screenshots will be saved in the pictures folder. This arrangement will facilitate easy access to these files via OneDrive on various platforms, including the web, PC, Mac, and the OneDrive mobile application.
However, there are certain limitations during this testing phase. For instance, specific video resolutions are not currently supported for automatic uploads, but Microsoft has indicated that this capability will be introduced in the future
Changing how OneDrive Stores Photos
Microsoft has informed OneDrive users of imminent modifications to its photo storage policy, according to MSPowerUser. From a specified date, images stored in the Gallery and albums will be counted individually against the user's Microsoft storage quota. This alteration could influence the storage capacity available to users.
Previously, when users selected photos from their OneDrive library to form an album on OneDrive.com, the storage size of the album was integrated into the library. However, with this change, the album's storage size will be calculated separately. To ease the transition for users, Microsoft is offering a complimentary one-time storage bonus, which will be activated when the new data policy is implemented.
This bonus will remain valid for a set duration from its issuance date. Users can monitor the bonus quantity and its expiration on the OneDrive storage management page. The news comes the same week that Microsoft discontinued its unlimited storage plan for OneDrive for Business.
The outgoing OneDrive for Business (Plan 2) was a popular choice because it let customers store as much data as they wanted, especially for things like videos and artworks. They only had to pay about $10 per person every month, without taxes. But Microsoft has stopped giving new customers this option.
Now, the main choice is OneDrive for Business (Plan 1), which gives 1TB of storage by default. This can be increased to 5TB if there are more users. Before, OneDrive for Business (Plan 2) had no limit on storage, but there were some rules. Companies had to sign up at least five users, and each user started with 1TB. More storage, up to 25TB, could be asked from Microsoft support.
