The Xbox Series X will have a much cleaner storefront than the current Xbox One thanks to a new update called "Mercury." Currently, purchasing games on the Xbox One can be confusing due to complex drop-down menus and icons of varying sizes.

The "Mercury" update will make the store easier to navigate thanks to an always-on side menu and more consistent content sizes. This information comes from a Windows Central report by Senior Editor Jez Corden, who experienced the Mercury experience firsthand.

He posted both screenshots and videos in his coverage, showing off the cleaner and easier to navigate Xbox Store. The current Xbox One console will receive the Mercury update when it is ready, and Corden reported that the Xbox Series X will also use this interface to sell games.

The biggest difference between the Mercury and the current Xbox One interface is that the Mercury employs a side menu that allows users to quickly navigate different ways to explore the store, including searching, selling, and browsing. In the current Xbox store, users must scroll to the top of the page to adjust options or go back to access previous menus. This can take a lot of time if the game they are looking for is not immediately available.

Additionally, the Mercury app is fully animated, making the transition from one menu to another feel seamless. Currently, when a user selects an option in the Xbox Store, it simply fades to black for a moment and then the next screen loads. All current Xbox Store features, such as reviews, trailers, and search parameters, remain intact, so users do not lose anything with a single Mercury launch.

The only pertinent question remaining seems to be whether Mercury will also be available for Windows; all Xbox Series X games will also be available for PC, and Microsoft has made considerable efforts to ensure the equivalence of PC and console releases Microsoft is making considerable efforts to ensure the equivalence of PC and console releases. This is especially so because the Microsoft Store on Windows is currently a tedious and haphazard experience.

While the Xbox Series X will not abandon the disc drive, a good digital storefront is more important than ever: the PS4 and Xbox One have seen a major shift away from physical media purchases, with more fans opting to download games instead. This trend will continue in the next generation. A superior interface alone will not win the console wars, but whichever system makes it easier to find and buy new games could have a significant advantage over the other.

It is still unclear when Mercury will be available, but from Windows Central's coverage, it appears that the app is almost ready. Expect it to be released within the next few months, and be sure to keep your Xbox connected to the Internet when the app is released; it may not be the exact interface seen on the Xbox Series X, but it should be pretty close.