Microsoft starts publicly testing an Xbox night mode

Don’t worry if you’re determined to play an Xbox game into the wee hours of the morning — those late-night sessions will soon be easier on your eyes. The Verge notes that Microsoft has started publicly testing an Xbox night mode that should make it more comfortable to play after dark. The feature can dim the screen, power button and even your controller light. An optional blue light filter theoretically helps reduce eye strain, and you can disable HDR to avoid searingly bright images.

You can manually toggle the feature if you’d like, but you can also schedule it either at fixed times or automatically based on sunset and (if you’ve been gaming long enough) sunrise.

The Xbox night mode is currently limited to testers in the very early Alpha Skip-Ahead ring. The perk will take a while to reach a polished release. Still, it’s likely to be appreciated. It’s easy to find night modes on your PC and your phone, but you haven’t really had that luxury on consoles. If all goes well, you’ll have a more consistent nighttime experience regardless of which screen you’re using.