New Xbox 360 dashboard: All about the features and changes

Overview

Microsoft is about to bring a major update to the dashboard of its Xbox 360 gaming console. U.K. customers of Xbox 360 are expected to get the update in some days. Earlier it was slated to happen on December 6, Tuesday, but the company delayed it slightly for unknown reasons. The dashboard update is to bring many spectacular features and apps to Xbox 360. You will be able to enjoy on-demand video contents from 40 entertainment providers, voice search, social media and advanced Windows Phone 7 integration with the gaming gadget. Here are more things to know about the upcoming Xbox 360 dashboard update.

New Xbox 360 dashboard

What’s great?

New Metro dashboard: Metro is Microsoft’s immensely lauded user interface for its Windows Phone 7.5 Mango mobile OS and imminent Windows 8. Metro UI realizes a fresh experience on Windows Phone-based devices. Different from the traditional phones, you will have tile shaped icons on a phone with WP7.5 Mango. Metro is on Xbox 360 also now. The new update is to bring Metro UI on Microsoft’s gaming console. You can see all Xbox 360 icons like games, music, mixed with Bing, home, social, TV and others in form of tiles.

Voice activated: It is a time technology products are coming up with voice recognition features for searching. Xbox 360 will also receive voice searching capability with the new dashboard update. You can just speak to the device to search for games, movies, TV shows and others. Moreover, you can navigate through the dashboard of the device using voice commands like Home, Xbox, Bing X-Men and just the names of other apps.

Brave new world: With the upcoming dashboard update, Microsoft intends to say that Xbox 360 is not just a gaming console. The device will get extensive features to watch contents like TV shows, movies and others. If you have an Xbox gold account, you will be able to stream TV channels via Sky. The new update will also bring TV content sources like Channel 4, Channel 5, YouTube, MSN video and many others.

Windows Phone as remote control: If you own a Windows Phone-based phone, you can just install Xbox companion app to make it a remote control for Xbox 360. You can control the gaming device using your smartphone after the update.

The Social Network: There will be a new Social menu on the dashboard after the update. This menu will list down leading social network sites like Facebook, Twitter and Kinect's video calling functionality. Well, you can quickly access social networking sites on Xbox 360.

What’s not so great?

Microsoft has just delayed the Xbox 360 dashboard update. So it is not the time to say anything about its shortfalls. It was earlier announced that Xbox 360 dashboard would get the update on December 6. But Larry Hyrb, director of programming for Microsoft Xbox Live network on Tuesday tweeted that the update was slightly delayed.

Things to watch out for

Microsoft is really a ruthless dominator in the gaming industry with its highly successful Xbox 360. When updating its dashboard, the company should make it more attractive. People keenly wait for Xbox 360’s dashboard update. The process of update could be finished in a few minutes. Gamers should get a largely exciting dashboard after the update.

Verdict

Microsoft has unexpectedly delayed the much-awaited Xbox 360 dashboard update. It was earlier reported that the company would roll out the update on Tuesday. But it has been delayed to an indefinite date now.

Word around the web

Read on what CNet’s Luke Westaway says of the Xbox 360 update,

The update brings a slew of new apps, including LoveFilm and 4oD, that go one step further towards turning your Xbox into a proper telly offering -- unless of course you own one of the older models that makes a noise like a jet engine whenever it's switched on, and sometimes when it's switched off.

Picture Gallery

New Xbox 360 dashboard

New Xbox 360 dashboard preview