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Revamped Xbox 360 dashboard rumoured for November launch

by Parm Mann on 30 September 2011, 11:57

Tags: PC, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)

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Remember the major Xbox 360 dashboard update that was previewed earlier this month?

Well, it looks as though it'll be reaching Xbox 360 consoles the world over on November 15. Microsoft's yet to specify official launch details, but the aforementioned date has appeared in an internal email sent to PayPal employees.

PayPal support, as you might recall, was added to the Xbox 360 back in May, and the leaked email purportedly asks PayPal employees to test the new dashboard ahead of launch.

Microsoft hasn't offered to confirm the date, but November 15 appears to be a logical choice. The date marks the 10th anniversary of the Xbox brand, and it's in keeping with previous November updates delivered in 2008 and 2010.

This year's update will deliver a streamlined user interface inspired by Microsoft's Metro UI, full Kinect integration, improved voice recognition and built-in Bing search.

HEXUS Forums :: 9 Comments

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Posted by Stringent - Fri 30 Sep 2011 12:26
What we on, NNNXE? :)
Posted by cheesemp - Fri 30 Sep 2011 12:44
And still no browser or iplayer and hence why my xbox is rarely on nowadays.
Posted by crossy - Fri 30 Sep 2011 13:41
cheesemp
And still no browser or iplayer and hence why my xbox is rarely on nowadays.
I must be strange then - I only use the XBox for playing games with - I must've misunderstood when I read “games console” on the box. :rolleyes: Especially with all the decent (to me at least) stuff coming out in the next two months: Ace Combat, Assassin's Creed Revelations, Forza 4, Battlefield 3 (although I think I'll do that on the PC), MW3, etc.

Joking aside, I'm not impressed with web browsers on keyboardless boxes, and I've got so many ways of getting iPlayer content that I'd never use the XBox for that. But I realise that ymmv. ;)

No, what I'd like to see - especially with the “full Kinect integration” - is a way that Kinect didn't need a six-foot square area to work. Actually some form of “desktop” mode so you could just use it to drive the XBox with hand gestures and/or voice commands from, say, three or four feet away. Apart from that, surely all MS can do is minor tweaks on the UI - there's not going to be any new features until we see the XBox360 replacement surely?

Looks like the “panel” view is the “Microsoft look” then - because that's Windows7Phone doing it, Win8 (apparently), and now XBox.
Posted by cheesemp - Fri 30 Sep 2011 16:42
crossy
I must be strange then - I only use the XBox for playing games with - I must've misunderstood when I read “games console” on the box. :rolleyes: Especially with all the decent (to me at least) stuff coming out in the next two months: Ace Combat, Assassin's Creed Revelations, Forza 4, Battlefield 3 (although I think I'll do that on the PC), MW3, etc.

Joking aside, I'm not impressed with web browsers on keyboardless boxes, and I've got so many ways of getting iPlayer content that I'd never use the XBox for that. But I realise that ymmv. ;)

I don't think thats fair. The Wii and PS3 have had both for ages. While a browser is pretty useless iplayer is not (and you need a browser for it). Truth be told I used my PS3 far more than the xbox purely because it had iplayer etc. In fact had it not YLOD on me I'm not sure i'd have kept the xbox.

Also to treat a games console nowadays as just a games console misses the whole media integration that MS/sony/Nintendo have been pushing.

I game mainly on my PC because its cheaper (lower game costs plus no subscription) so all I use my xbox for is the odd driving game with the GF and maybe a little kinect if i'm in the mood. I just feel the PS3 was a far better investment out the usage I got from it due to these two little features that MS continue to ignore…
Posted by OilSheikh - Fri 30 Sep 2011 18:49
That looks like the Windows 8 Tech preview that was released recently???

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