Xbox is implementing some changes to its achievement system, though not the changes players may have hoped for. Beginning with the launch of the Xbox 360 in 2005, Xbox became the first platform to launch a console-wide achievement service, available for a variety of games from both first-party developers and third-party publishers. By completing levels, tasks and challenges in different games, players can earn Gamerscore. Gamerscore is a points system that increases after completing a game and serves as a demonstration of player skill in various titles.
The success of Xbox's achievements has led to other publishers and entities adding their own take on gaming achievements to their platforms. Valve initially followed suit by adding achievements to Steam, allowing PC and Mac users to earn points for completing games, and Sony implemented Trophies, its own achievement system, on the PlayStation 3 starting in 2008. Microsoft's and Sony's achievement systems would continue to be featured on future consoles, and even outside of the console space, websites such as RetroAchievements were created that did not retroactively add such achievements to games on older platforms.
Almost 40% of Xbox games released in 2025 were Gamerscore Shovelware
TrueAchievements reports that hundreds of low-effort Xbox releases last year were created primarily for easy achievement farming.
Xbox Cloud Dashboard offers visual changes to achievements, no functional differences
As reported on TrueAchievements, Xbox achievements have received a visual redesign. This coincides with the launch of the revised Xbox Cloud Gaming control panel, which is currently in preview via web browsers. The new achievement badges feature updated trophy and diamond icons for normal and rare achievements with slightly darker color schemes and new wreath-adorned icons. The animations that play after unlocking them are muted compared to standard popups and just slide into the bottom of the screen.
As part of this refresh, achievements will function as they normally do, with no major changes other than aesthetics. While reports suggested that Xbox wanted to rework the achievements, this new update won't be the major change that gamers might expect. Additionally, since this Xbox Cloud Gaming interface is in preview, not everything shown is complete and some quirks are present. Noticeably, while normal achievements still play the standard chime when unlocked, rare achievements have no sound when displayed on screen.
The visual changes to Xbox Achievements don't include any functional changes, so they don't include the one change Xbox players were hoping for: a “Platinum” variant of the PlayStation Trophy. On the Sony platform, players can earn Bronze, Silver, and Gold trophies depending on a specific achievement in the game, and a Platinum trophy is unlocked after each base achievement is earned. Xbox has no tier system for its achievements, nor does it offer any congratulatory rewards for getting every bit of player score in the title.
The Platinum Trophy is also useful for PlayStation players because trophies added through downloadable content are divided into different subsections in the game, so the trophy is not taken away from players if the game receives new trophies through add-ons. In comparison, Xbox players can get 100% achievements in the base game, but then lose 100% of the awards if the game gets new achievements through downloadable content. Xbox should add a Platinum Trophy equivalent, but if they can't, adding separate tiers for the base game and DLC achievements would go a long way to ensure players don't lose their success when earning each achievement.
Source: Pure Xbox
