Xbox rolling out suspend game feature to speed up downloads

A new feature on the Xbox family of consoles lets users suspend their current game to improve download speeds.

In the tweet below, Xbox engineering lead Eden Marie explains that Xbox Insiders are currently trialling the new feature for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox One. This update introduces the small 'Suspend my game' button on the downloads page of Xbox consoles, allowing downloads to speed full steam ahead while suspending your current game.

Hey Xbox Insiders! Did you notice these changes rolling out now? Suspend in the queue will let you download at full speed while making sure your game remains resumable (or quick resume-able on Series X|S). New banners in the Full Library will take you to more useful categories! pic.twitter.com/L49winRpM0March 16, 2021

By pressing this button, you're effectively suspending your current game, which you can then pick up right where you left off. When Xbox users boot up a game on their console of choice, background downloads like updates are slowed, but this feature puts the downloads back to a regular pace while maintaining your current place in whichever game you're playing.

Elsewhere in the new update for Xbox Insiders to try out, Marie reveals that there are two new tabs in the Xbox Game Pass section of the console: Recently Added, and Leaving Soon. Through this, you'll be able to get a clearer picture of which games have just recently been added to Xbox's subscription service, and which games are poised to leave relatively soon.

That's a nice new addition, considering the rapid pace at which Xbox is adding titles to Game Pass. Just earlier this week, it was announced that Outriders was coming to Xbox Game Pass on day one for console and cloud players, and shortly thereafter, Xbox revealed that Square Enix's throwback RPG Octopath Traveler would be debuting on Xbox platforms through the subscription service. The Xbox Game Pass team has been plenty busy, it would seem.

If you're still trying to get hold of Xbox's more powerful next-gen console, head over to our Xbox Series X deals guide for a list of retailers with current and projected stock.