Friend requests on Xbox shouldn't have left in the first place

It’s been a little over a decade since friend requests on Xbox were a thing. The feature is now back as Microsoft is testing it in the invite-only Alpha Skip-Ahead on Xbox consoles and folks in PC Gaming preview on Windows PCs and handheld devices, starting this week.

The newly reintroduced friend request feature lets you send, accept, or delete requests, as friend relationships now require approval from both you and the other gamer. This new system, which updates the previous follow-only model, will allow users to manage their friend connections with added privacy and notification settings.

“Existing friends and followers will update automatically with this change. You’ll stay friends with people who had also added you as a friend previously and continue following anyone who hadn’t,” Microsoft mentions in the announcement.

The feature was a thing back in the Xbox 360 days. At that time, Microsoft axed the feature because of how unpopular it was and other criticism for its complexity and lack of notifications. Instead, it wanted to simplify the social interaction model, unlike Sony’s PlayStation which keeps the feature still.

But it’s been a mixed reaction on Xbox’s online forum. The return of friend requests sure is nostalgia after Microsoft axed the feature with Xbox One, but some also criticize the shift as unnecessary or redundant compared to the current follow-only system.

One says, “I’ve always disliked the follow system on Xbox when it launched with Xbox One. I never wanted random people and bots to follow me.”