Xbox is making some big changes to its achievement system, and Insiders get a sneak peek before everyone else. Achievements have been a major part of the Xbox ecosystem for decades, dating back to 2005. Achievements have been a point of pride among gamers, offering an incentive to put in some extra work while playing various games.
The Xbox brand is in the midst of a major transition at the moment. The Xbox Series X/S has struggled to find the same level of success as Microsoft's past consoles, and company executives have been looking for ways to get users excited again. This year saw a major shake-up at the top with new Xbox boss Asha Sharma replacing Phil Spencer. What the future holds for the company remains to be seen, but fans are hopeful that things may start to turn around.
No, Xbox is not buying Steam
Frantic internet speculation suggesting that Xbox is getting Steam appears to be little more than an April Fool's joke.
Changes in Xbox success revealed
Xbox has been making changes to its achievements throughout 2026, and the company has even more in store. Xbox Insiders are getting these changes right now, but they will roll out to all players at some point in the future. For starters, when a player gets 100% in-game achievements, it will now be highlighted on their profile, making it easier to spot. Getting 100% success in a game is a big point of pride, especially in harder games like Elden Ring. It makes sense that some players would want to make sure their greatest achievements don't get lost among all the other games they've played.
In one of the more interesting changes, Xbox users will get the option to hide the games that appear on their profile starting later this month. After this change, players who put a lot of work into games they might be less proud of can make sure other people don't see it. It will also prevent other users from finding out how many achievements the player may have missed or tried to get in relatively simple games. The change may seem silly, but Xbox says it was one of the most requested changes by users. In an age where players don't have nearly as much privacy as they used to, it's easy to see how some might embrace this change. Hidden games will not have a negative impact on the user's player score.
In March, Xbox began offering more color customization options. With this new update, achievement notifications will now match the color suggested by the user, making them more personalized. There will also be new animations that appear when the player gets a classic or rare achievement.
Match the critics' averages
Start
Match the critics' averages
Easy (6) Medium (8) Hard (10)
The achievement changes have received a lot of praise on social media so far, with many users commenting that these options should have happened a long time ago. This update is unlikely to suddenly make Xbox a more viable brand for newcomers, but it should create a more enjoyable experience. With plans for an Xbox Series X/S successor, Project Helix, the company will need all the goodwill it can get. New consoles are always a hard sell, especially with the cost of RAM continuing to rise. Xbox has a long way to go in terms of restoring faith in the brand, but every little win helps.
