Xbox Achievements Are Getting Their First Big Change in Years

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Xbox is updating its achievement system, but not in the way many players expected. Xbox was the first console platform to introduce achievements back in 2005 with the launch of the Xbox 360. These achievements, tracked through a point system called Gamerscore, let players earn points for completing tasks and challenges in games from all different developers. Gamerscore essentially shows how skilled a player is across a variety of titles.

I remember when Xbox achievements first came out – they were such a cool idea! It didn’t take long for other companies to jump on board. Steam was one of the first, letting PC and Mac gamers earn points for finishing things in games. Then Sony added Trophies to the PlayStation 3 around 2008. It’s awesome that both Microsoft and Sony have kept those systems going on their newer consoles. And it’s not just about current games, either! There are even websites like RetroAchievements that let you earn achievements on old games that never had them before. It’s really expanded the whole gaming experience!

Xbox Cloud Dashboard Offers Visual Changes to Achievements, No Functional Differences

Image via Microsoft

Xbox achievements have a fresh new look, according to TrueAchievements. This update happens alongside the preview of a redesigned Xbox Cloud Gaming dashboard available on the web. The new achievement icons have been updated – standard achievements now use a trophy, and rare achievements use a diamond – both with slightly darker colors and a wreath design. When you earn an achievement, the notification is more subtle, simply sliding up from the bottom of the screen instead of popping up.

This update mainly focuses on visual improvements to achievements – they’ll work as usual, without any big changes to how they function. Although Xbox has considered a major achievement system redesign in the past, this update isn’t that overhaul. Keep in mind this is a preview of the Xbox Cloud Gaming interface, so things aren’t completely finished and you might encounter some quirks. For example, regular achievements still have their familiar unlock sound, but rare achievements are currently silent when earned.

Xbox recently updated the look of its achievements, but these changes are purely cosmetic. Players were hoping for a feature similar to PlayStation’s “Platinum” Trophy – which is awarded for unlocking all other trophies in a game – but that hasn’t been added. PlayStation uses a tiered system with bronze, silver, and gold trophies based on in-game accomplishments. Xbox achievements don’t have tiers, and there’s currently no special reward for earning all the gamerscore in a game.

PlayStation’s Platinum Trophy system protects players from losing their progress. Even if a game gets new trophies through downloadable content (DLC), those are added separately, so players keep their Platinum. Xbox, however, doesn’t have this protection. Players can earn 100% of achievements in the original game, but that percentage can drop if new achievements are added with DLC. Xbox could either create a similar Platinum Trophy system, or, as a simpler solution, separate achievements into categories for the base game and any DLC, ensuring players don’t lose recognition for completing all original achievements.

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2026-01-28 22:06