EA details changes in Origin 9.0 update

Origin 9.0, a "landmark update" to EA's digital distribution service, is set to go live in the coming days. But before it rolls out to the players who have opted into the beta updates, EA has released a few details about what the 9.0 update will entail.

"Your suggestions and feedback over the past few months have driven many of the changes you’ll see in Origin 9.0," EA said. "We’ve added a clock to Origin In-Game, increased your control over your My Games library, and made our menus more navigable. And today, we’re very excited to share a first look at what's coming."

EA has now made the Friends List a separate, free-floating window from the main client window. This makes it easy to chat both in-game and out, and easier to ignore friends by simply closing the list.

You will also see a new "more intuitive pulldown menu system" replace the old navigation. Options and settings are accessed through the Origin menu, and the Help menu has been expanded to include direct links to live chat, forums, and your order history.

Your Games Library is also more customizable with the ability to resize game images. The Download and Install buttons have been moved to a new hover card that also includes an info button to bring up the game's detail page.

Lastly, an in-game clock as been updated and the overall performance of the client has been improved, "making 9.0 an even smoother experience for Origin gamers".

To opt in to beta updates and get 9.0 early, follow these directions:

1. Launch the Origin client and log in to your account.
2. Click the gear icon and select Settings from the drop-down menu.
3. Scroll down to Origin Pre-Release Participation and check the box next to “Update to the pre-release version if available.”
4. Click Close to save your settings.