11 Essential Xbox Series X Apps You Need To Download On Your Console

Although the Xbox Series X|S faces stiff competition against the PS5 and Nintendo Switch, there are plenty of reasons to finally make the jump and purchase the console. Whether it's upcoming exclusive games such as "Starfield," great features such as Quick Resume, or its impressive backward compatibility support, the Xbox Series X|S certainly has a lot of appeal to gamers.

Of course, the system also stands out not just as a gaming console but as an entertainment hub. The Xbox Series X|S is more than capable of simply playing games, with a large collection of apps. Thanks to the console's support of UWP, it essentially allows anyone to create and publish apps, which has led to a huge amount of variety in terms of the app library.

With the Xbox Series X|S supporting such a range of non-gaming applications, it might be hard to know where to start when exploring the Microsoft Store. But these 11 essential downloads for the Xbox Series X|S should give you everything you need to get the most out of what is a very powerful console.

Microsoft first introduced Achievements with the launch of the Xbox 360 in 2005. This system awarded Gamerscore to players for completing certain tasks within games, with developers given freedom over how to allocate points and customize the objectives. Achievements have continued to be a large part of the platform, through the Xbox One era and into the Xbox Series X|S. In fact, the whole idea of Achievements has been so successful that other companies have since copied the idea, with PlayStation introducing Trophies with the PS3 in 2008.

Users can check each game's Achievements, track their progress, and see an overview of their Gamerscore within the user interface of the Xbox Series X|S. This includes descriptions for each Achievement as well as whether they have already unlocked it. However, it doesn't provide any real information about how to unlock specific Achievements or give an indication of how difficult they are. That's where the website TrueAchievements comes in. A site dedicated entirely to Achievements, it has detailed guides, video tutorials, and a specific formula for determining how hard an Achievement is to get.

Of course, navigating to the website on a different device while playing on the Xbox Series X|S isn't an ideal solution but thankfully there is an official app. Integrated into the tabs of the UI, players can get more information about the Achievements in the game they are currently playing and even get guides or watch videos to give them a better idea of how to beat difficult challenges. There are even extensive stat pages and comparison tools to see how you fare against your friends.

Unlike many of the essential apps for Xbox Series X|S, the Home Remote is one that users will have to pay for. But it doesn't feature any subscription and only incurs a small one-off cost that helps support development of the app and future updates. Home Report has previously been available on a wide array of platforms, including Android, iOS, and Windows 10 as well as the Xbox One.

What Home Remote does is effectively turn the Xbox Series X|S into a media hub that is able to control a wide array of devices. This includes the likes of Amazon's Alexa, Google's Home, and a whole host of other smart devices. Although the user interface isn't particularly pretty, it does the job well enough, giving you the chance to control everything from thermostats to lights and even televisions and refrigerators. Setup is easy and it means users don't have to worry about finding remotes or using other devices when they are in the middle of a gaming session.

Of course, there are other solutions for those using certain types of smart devices, including the Google Home app on the Xbox Series X|S. This gives players the ability to directly control everything connected to Google Home directly from the console, although it obviously only supports Google's selection of devices, meaning that Home Remote has more flexibility for those who are not specifically tied to any one manufacturer.

Discord on Xbox is now not strictly an app that gamers have to download in order to get access to its features. Previously, users had to link the app with a mobile device that also had Discord installed to get access to Voice channels and many other features that the service offers. However, that is no longer the case, with Discord on Xbox now working in a more intuitive manner that is quick and easy to navigate.

There are an array of options available to players with Discord on Xbox. Players can transfer Voice channels from other platforms they are using, such as mobile and PC, or set up a new and join existing ones from the Xbox guide. Once a Voice channel has been selected the Discord app gives a preview of all the members as well as detailing the games they are playing and what platform they are currently using.

Discord has become the go-to communication tool for gamers in recent years, although there are some interesting alternatives on the market, and is particularly useful for games with cross-play. That's because the VoIP service allows Voice channels to operate across multiple platforms, making it almost a necessity for those playing cross-platform games with friends on other systems. After all, it generally isn't possible for an Xbox user to talk directly with a PlayStation or PC gamer through normal chat built into the systems.

Modern consoles come with a large degree of personalization, allowing players to set background images and edit themes. This can help a console feel more personal to each user and fit in with their home aesthetic. Among the underused features on the Xbox Series X|S is the ability to change themes, from a wide range of available images released by Microsoft, achievement art from games, and even custom pictures that can be transferred to the console. However, unlike its predecessor, the Xbox Series X|S also supports dynamic themes. These are no-static images that have moving parts to give them a sense of being alive.

Although there is a good collection of all kinds of themes on the Xbox itself, there is an app available for the system that adds far more content. The TMX app, released by Theme My Xbox, has thousands of user-created themes that range from popular television shows and movies to breathtaking landscapes. For those who want more choice when it comes to picking a custom theme that suits their tastes, the TMX app is an essential download.

What's more impressive about this app is that it adds some extra functions not previously available. The app allows players to easily turn any screenshots they take while using the Xbox Series X|S into a background, and it has a remote feature so that users can change the theme while away from the console using a mobile phone or other smart device with the app installed.

It makes a lot of sense for home consoles to act as entertainment hubs as they are usually situated in places like bedrooms or living rooms where people consume other forms of content, such as movies, television, and movies. Thankfully, the Xbox Series X|S comes with a huge selection of video streaming apps so that gamers can also keep up to date with every film or series they could ever want.

There's plenty of choice on the Xbox Series X|S when it comes to downloading apps. Big hitters like Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Video are all available on the console, giving access to shows such as "Stranger Things," "The Mandalorian," and "Ted Lasso." However, there's also a growing collection of other apps as well. Viewers can watch user-created content through the likes of YouTube and buy movies and television shows through Rakuten TV.

More niche options are also able to be downloaded, whether it's the likes of the Rooster Teeth app for "RWBY" and "Red vs. Blue" or anime-focused apps like Crunchyroll and Funimation. There are even sports offerings, with DAZN providing access to live sports such as boxing and soccer while the WWE Network lets users live stream pay-per-view events through their Xbox console.