New Xbox 360 dashboard release date revealed

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 22 November, 2011

UPDATE: Microsoft confirms launch features.

UPDATE:

Microsoft mouthpiece Major Nelson has confirmed the 6th December launch date for the new Metro dashboard and listed the features available at its launch:

  • New personal and social features including Cloud Storage for Game Saves and LIVE Profile
  • Beacons and Facebook Sharing
  • Enhanced Family Settings
  • Integrated voice and gesture controls across the dashboard and in apps
  • Bing voice search (Available this year in the US, UK and CA)

Then, "continuing on an ongoing basis through the holiday months", apps from the previously announced list of services will launch. In the UK this will include content from the BBC, LOVEFiLM, Channel 4 and YouTube.

ORIGINAL STORY:

The new Xbox 360 dashboard launches on 6th December to all Xbox Live members, according to Kotaku.

The free update redesigns the Xbox 360 interface in the Metro style, bringing it in-line with Microsoft's Windows and Windows Phone products.

It adds extra Kinect functionality, and cloud saving for Xbox Live Gold members. New apps are expected to launch, too, including BBC and Lovefilm.

You can use the Xbox 360 controller to flick between channels that display at the top of the screen, or you can use your voice and hands to navigate and search through motion-sensing add-on Kinect.

Under the Social channel you'll find Beacons, which allow gamers to signpost what they're doing across XBL and Facebook. Facebook posting is also added, which means you'll be able to "like" a game, sending Achievements to the social network.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (95) Latest comment 6 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Vice.Destroyer #1 6 months ago

    Now that is an awesome scoop. With all the different news sources that I have, Eurogamer came through first. Well done. I'm in the beta, but without the new apps, it wasn't worth the effort of signing up. Can't wait for the good stuff.
    Edited by Vice.Destroyer at 22/11/11 @ 08:39

  • 52pickup #2 6 months ago

    I'm not so sure if this includes BBC iPlayer after all,according to this webpage: http://www.xbox.com/en-gb/Live/Partners

    Surely if it was iPlayer MS would be shouting it from the rooftops.

  • DwarfyP #3 6 months ago

    Most importantly, does this include the cloud storage for my ever increasing profile size which is above 65Mb now and takes about 1 hour to retrieve unless I carry it on my USB drive.

  • telboy007 #4 6 months ago

    @DwarfyP Not yet, not that I know. NDA and all that.

  • octo #5 6 months ago

    This will be my last dashboard update. I'm intending to finish Skyrim and then have a year off gaming until the new systems begin arriving,

  • Gusdor #6 6 months ago

    @52pickup Disappointing :(

  • kirankara #7 6 months ago

    @octo
    why would you miss out on.the twilight of a consoles life , which is usually when it gets the greatest games, whilst new consoles suffer from lack of decent games??????????

    love.the he dash, old one was horrible, and would have done anything to go back to blades. this is fairly clean and simple, thumbs up from me

  • Puriel #8 6 months ago

    8 out of 10

  • FortysixterUK #9 6 months ago

    All I want from my Xbox dashboard is the ability to shut off the windows or "tabs" I don't want.
    Most of the time, all I need is my friends list, my games list, and the system settings. Everything else is entirely un-needed and most un-wanted.
    At least give me the option to customise a "tab" so all the things I want are on the same one.

  • ED209 #10 6 months ago

    It does include iplayer. That was agreed ages ago, but waiting for the dashboard update. Which was due this week or next (now put back if kotaku are right). Also has anyone not noticed that the metro style is really ungainley and inefficient? The category headings don't even fit on the top of the phone screens, not to mention the wasted strip at the right under the arrow. This is a marketing led redesign as opposed to actual usability or aestetic improvement. The features will be good though.

  • homerramone #11 6 months ago

    The free update redesigns the Xbox 360 interface in the Metro style, bringing it in-line with Microsoft's Windows and Windows Phone products.
    Or - in laymans terms.
    The mandatory update forces users into having a dash whose interface is designed for a touch screen device filled with baggage and pish they dont care about.
    Edited by homerramone at 22/11/11 @ 09:00

  • repeater #12 6 months ago

    @FortysixterUK: Are you crazy?! How would they be able to push ads in your face every time you push a button if your suggestion was accepted?

  • MrMarbles #13 6 months ago

    Wait... the original remit of the Xbox brand was to distance itself from other Microsoft products so that it's strong in its own right.

    When did they decide it was a good idea to do a reversal on this stance?

    Are Microsoft products cooler now than they were ten years ago or something?

  • J0rdan_KZ #14 6 months ago

    The new dash is great. Much quicker to navigate and the voice features are actually amazing.

    I seriously doubt iPlayer will be on day 1. Right now, there are literally zero apps up for us UK users. ESPN and UFC are live in the US though.

  • kirankara #15 6 months ago

    @repeater

    which is why blades was best dashboard ever. Do get fed up with seeing millions of icons on screen , when i only care about 3-4 of them

  • Spong #16 6 months ago

    Glad a date has finally been announced. Would love to spill my guts about why I dislike the new Dash (being part of the preview and all that), but Microsoft have threatened to make my knees bend backwards with a baseball bat if I do.

  • 00.00.01 #17 6 months ago

    @52pickup
    Agreeing with you on that one, and as long as these apps are only usable by gold-members then it's not happening at all. BBC's programs will only become available when no extra fees are charged to access them.
    You did pay your TV-License, didn't you...

  • brokenkey #18 6 months ago

    BBC has been absent from the dashboard advert, and the mcv cover. Is it definitely still in, our are they just unable to use it in promo material?
    Edited by brokenkey at 22/11/11 @ 09:20

  • MrLovePump #19 6 months ago

    As said there is an nda on the beta but a there certainly is a little cloudyness to the situation. I believe people will be happy. Things are as fast as lightning and if you have the ability to get vocal about things, it can work out very well.

  • Spong #20 6 months ago

    I'll say this much...if you like adverts taking precedence over everything, you'll love the new Dash.

  • NeverEatYellowSnow #21 6 months ago

    I'll say this much.... Gamers will moan about fucking anything if something doesn't suit there individual needs.

    Cloud profile switching from console to console is fantastic.

  • byron_hinson #22 6 months ago

    Dislike the dash, but I dont even like the metro ui on windows phone. Taking me longer to get to areas that were easy to find before.

  • StooMonster #23 6 months ago

    @byron_hinson Wait until it's Metro UI on your Windows 8 desktop too!

  • Sodding_Gamer #24 6 months ago

    Cringy video! "it's about our technology, learning about you" YAY! Looks good though.

  • rotmm #25 6 months ago

    I'll say this much...turn on the Xbox, press A and you're straight into the game that's sitting in the drive.

  • MattRobson #26 6 months ago

    the beta appears to me as a superficial facelift. its nice and shiny and all that but all in all its JUST a menu.

    Beacons are good stuff though!

  • DozyKipper #27 6 months ago

    All I'm going to say is don't get too excited about cloud save games. :D

  • Beano #28 6 months ago

    I never understood how MS continue to get away with pushing ads on the dashboard, especially when we pay for Live Gold.

  • DwarfyP #29 6 months ago

    I have a Windows Phone 7 so I'm used to the tiled interface. Be interesting to see it on the 360.

    @telboy007 Thanks for the hint :)
    Edited by DwarfyP at 22/11/11 @ 10:29

  • Zerobob #30 6 months ago

    As long as I can play the game in the drive with just one click, easily find my other games and easily find game demos in the marketplace I'll be happy. If they muddy the waters even more with Kincet features I'll have to start asking questions of Microsoft's user experience designers.

    The current dashboard prioritises too many other dashboard elements above simply being able to find and play games. Don't get me wrong, the current dash is fairly logical, but the game in the drive, games you own, and games/demos available to download in the marketplace should literally be the first things you see. You shouldn't have to navigate menu levels to find them.

  • Harmonica #31 6 months ago

    The current dashboard is fine, by which I mean terrible from a UXE perspective (MS have no talent in this design area) but the best of their efforts so far. Aesthetically it doesn't look dated like all the others did eventually. This coat of paint is not appreciated.

    Also: up and then press A is so much effort, eh? Fat fingers much?

  • britscott #32 6 months ago

    @Zerobob All i can say is the very first tab on the new dash lets you play the game in the drive with just one click ;-)

  • J.C #33 6 months ago

    Is their a browser, For youtube etc?

  • J.C #34 6 months ago

    Post deleted at 09:51:08 12-12-2011

  • orangpelupa #35 6 months ago

    btw in this new dash. Ads is the center, literally.

    game disc is just side items. literally.

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #36 6 months ago

    I'm on the beta for this, and whilst that sorta precludes me from saying anything, I will say it's great.

  • Jay-ITFC #37 6 months ago

    @Britesparc Really!? I'm struggling to find what I want as quickly as I could before...

  • university_zippy #38 6 months ago

    'its like you're at the pub'

    It really, really isn't

  • woodnotes #39 6 months ago

    Wahey, it's old David Mitchell again!

  • RedSparrows #40 6 months ago

    Regardless of the dash, era, console et al, there are always people who seem to struggle to find their noses ;)

  • azic #41 6 months ago

    No Mention of the XBOX live hack then EG?

  • Duallusion #42 6 months ago

    I hope it'll screw pirates again.

  • LR100 #43 6 months ago

    I'm still annoyed that I have to load Zune and wait ages to view the videos I have saved to the goddamn HD!

  • byron_hinson #44 6 months ago

    @StooMonster yep. Lucky I only use windows for gaming now!

  • kangarootoo #45 6 months ago

    Two thoughts.

    1. If MS released a cheap mic, I'd quite like some of that voice controlled gubbins. I just don't want to have to buy Kinect to get it.

    2. I view the possibility of my friends finding out that I watched a Harry Potter film as a step back for technology, not a step forward.
    Edited by kangarootoo at 22/11/11 @ 13:16

  • MerricK #46 6 months ago

    @ED209 the whole point of the "title" not fitting on your screen is you know there's another "page" to slide to.

  • Biker_Bob_1971 #47 6 months ago

    Post deleted at 13:34:05 08-05-2012

  • Toothball #48 6 months ago

    @azic

    http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-10-14-xbl-accounts-hacked-to-buy-fifa-packs

    That was weeks ago, the mainstream press seem to have only noticed today.

  • MattRobson #49 6 months ago

    people know you can set the xbox to boot to disk right? I hardly ever see my 'dashboard' unless i choose too.

  • irve77 #50 6 months ago

    @kangarootoo

    Headset in every box and yet voice control reserved for kinect ... typical microsoft !

    that said if you have the space kinect at £80 is good value and can be fun

  • mossychops001 #51 6 months ago

    Post deleted at 11:49:27 04-05-2012

  • FireMonkey #52 6 months ago

    @Toothball - Well mainstream News Corp press as they obviously want to push a different 'scandal' than the current News Corp hacking scandal that has just reared it's head again.
    Edited by FireMonkey at 22/11/11 @ 12:51

  • Gastrian #53 6 months ago

    Post deleted at 13:34:05 08-05-2012

  • homerramone #54 6 months ago

    @J0rdan_KZ Much quicker to navigate and the voice features are actually amazing.

    Maybe its quicker to navigate if you were trying to use the old one with kinect.
    However, I dont want a kinect.

    Seems to me this interface is designed a 'touch' interface being primary, and a controller secondary. Since the largest % of users are still using a controller this is silly. People are not going to buy a kinect because the interface now demands it !

  • Darren #55 6 months ago

    I have the beta but I don't especially like the new dashboard. It looks cluttered, is confusing to navigate and seems even more advertising-heavy than before. I dare say I'll get used to it in time but it does seem like an unnecessary update to me as the original NXE was perfectly fine IMO. I get the feeling this update is less for general users and more for those dozen people who still own Kinect as well as more marketing opportunities for Microsoft and its partners.

  • telboy007 #56 6 months ago

    @Biker_Bob_1971 When I've tried to move my profile, cloud doesn't come up as an option.... maybe I'm a noob then. :) Oh yeah, ignore all that, NDA.

  • Darren #57 6 months ago

    P.S. Forgot to mention that the one thing I do like is the 512 MB of cloud storage, which is almost four times what my PS3 offers (I believe that has just 150 MB). I presume this feature is only for Gold subscribers though.
    Edited by Darren at 22/11/11 @ 13:30

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #58 6 months ago

    Wait... the original remit of the Xbox brand was to distance itself from other Microsoft products so that it's strong in its own right.
    When did they decide it was a good idea to do a reversal on this stance?

    Round about the time when they kicked J Allard out of the company.

    Recent articles on the death of the "Courier" tablet thing point to shift towards converging their stuff - Bing, Zune, Windows Phone, Windows-for-tablets, Desktop Windows and Xbox, as a result of a battle between Allard and Steven Sinoksky, the Windows chief, shortly after which Allard quit.

    Suff is happening now like GFWL is being rebranded Xbox Live in Windows 8 (lets hope the fix it from being shite, too).

  • lennon #59 6 months ago

    I dont mind the new update. Quick enough to get around once you start using the shoulder buttons to navigate.

    /Am I allowed to say that #NDA

  • Apostle #60 6 months ago

    @J.C nice avatar :)

  • Toothball #61 6 months ago

    @FireMonkey

    Oh probably. Someone at work even noted that the Sun's Page 3 Girl was concerned with the matter. That's when you can tell it's a serious.

  • Okamiwolf #62 6 months ago

    Watching the video, it seems to be more about warping the mind of the consumer to associate "Bing" with "search" rather than "google". Word repetition is part of the brainwashing process.

  • mad_caddy #63 6 months ago

    cloud saving for gold only......gee thanks. idiots.

  • NotSoSlim #64 6 months ago

    @Darren

    Sony probably will increase limit

  • StooMonster #65 6 months ago

    Cloud Storage for Game Saves and LIVE Profile

    Excellent, been waiting an age for this feature. Hope it makes logging into two or more Xboxes really easy.

    Enhanced Family Settings

    I hope this means I can buy downloads for my kids, e.g. Kinect Labs, and not have to mess about with my profile log-in to get them to use it. The DRM on "family" downloads is an utter PITA.

  • Lucodeath #66 6 months ago

    But is he going to make a new series of Peep Show?

  • layleeloo #67 6 months ago

    Oooh wonderful. Just as we get used to the last update, it changed again for the purposes of Kinect. Whoop de doo

  • Nova1977 #68 6 months ago

    I thought it was end of this week??

  • ProtoformX #69 6 months ago

    This is one area where the 360 does lag behind the PS3 to a rather large degree. My personal preference for playing games is always the 360 but when it comes to all the extra stuff which makes manufacturers say daft things like "The 360 isn't a videogame console" the PS3 is way out in front: It already has LOVEFiLM, BBC iPlayer, ITV Player and 4OD and is so much easier to hook up to a computer media server style. And that functionality has been there for some time. Microsoft have a lot of catching up to do here.

  • TheNonk #70 6 months ago

    Why is MS run by guys that look like they care more about their golf handicap than they do gaming?

  • CYPRIOTCleANER #71 6 months ago

    Gaming only please ffs

  • DAN.E.B #72 6 months ago

    Dont forget gaming MS it is the sole reason I bought one!!!

  • djreplay #73 6 months ago

    @lollage Yeah because PSN is so far behind with thing's like cloud storage....oh wait

  • Syrette #74 6 months ago

    @layleeloo

    The "last update" has been out for years now. Are you a bit slow when it comes to getting used to things?

    ;)


    For the record, I'm on the Metro beta and I'm already used to it. I like it a lot. I don't have any problems navigating to anywhere at all - you just need to spend a couple of minutes looking around when you first use it. New features seem great. You can't try any apps yet but we're testing the dashboard, not apps.

    There are a few flaws but these have been flagged (it is being beta tested after all!), so we'll see if they remain when its get publicly released.

  • Syrette #75 6 months ago

    Cloud storage on the PS3 requires a PS+ subscription does it not?

    Yes Sony got there first and fair play to them for that but it's an optional paid-for extra on the PS3, not standard like on 360.

  • ps-360 #76 6 months ago

    a wii rip off

  • Fozzie_bear #77 6 months ago

    Disappointing stuff, to be honest. When the hell are MS going to catch up with the important features that Sony provide? Personally, I find it a real pain in the arse typing in my credit card info all the time so I applauded Sony's policy of making it available to anyone who wants it.

  • Syrette #78 6 months ago

    @lollage

    Stop biting.

  • Badassbab #79 6 months ago

    The picture and sound quality on Loveiflm streaming is shite. Hopefully the 360 Lovefilm will at least allow the option to watch films in HD with surround sound.

    Downloaded HD X Men First Class on PS3 and was disappointed to hear it was 2 channel stereo. Can't believe Sony are behind MS in this aspect.

  • Uncompetative #80 6 months ago

    "xbox bing batman."?

    Surely it could just be:

    "bing batman."

    or, even:

    "batman, please."

    after all, no one says "please" in normal conversation these days.

  • StooMonster #81 6 months ago

    @Astro-Creature

    Are you posting on Eurogamer with your PS3's web-browser?

    Or is it really a waste of time and you're using some other more appropriate device?

  • Lawlost #82 6 months ago

    Its about.... you going out and buying a Kinnect. Still not convinced myself

  • byron_hinson #83 6 months ago

    Least the voice controls might mean some of us get a bit of use out of kinect. Used it even less than i did the wii in the end

  • BM #84 6 months ago

    No Skype integration? Bollocks.....

    or should I say "Xbox.....where's my bloody Skype?"

  • drhickman1983 #85 6 months ago

    Honestly, and this isn't a dig at Kinect, more a dig at voice recognition in general, but I feel like a total retard speaking to inanimate objects. If people like it good for them, but at this point it'd take me losing use of my limbs to make me use voice recognition for anything.

    In general, this update doesn't bother me, nor does it particularily interest me. Cloud saving could be useful, if I'm going round to play games at a friends house, but not something I *need*. The other features simply aren't things I care about at all.

  • StooMonster #86 6 months ago

    @Badassbab

    All video streaming is low quality compared to Blu-rays discs.

    For example, Microsoft's Zune movie service boasts 1080p24 movies with 5.1 DD but they're only at 5Mbps compared to Blu-ray's 40+Mbps. Twenty times less data!

    Similarly BBC iPlayer vs satellite or even Freeview is similarly only a fraction.

    Streaming in convenience over quality.

  • -cerberus- #87 6 months ago

    Oh look, another dashboard update without
    - patches being permanently installed on the harddrive, rendering a lot of DLC expansions unplayable offline
    - being able to buy content from the marketplace at the exact price it's being offered at, leaving everyone with a bunch of MSP leftovers they can't spend on anything useful.
    - optional achievement list updates, screwing up everyone's perfect 1000G the minute the game is played online.
    Edited by -cerberus- at 23/11/11 @ 00:19

  • ashmon #88 6 months ago

    @Syrette "Cloud storage on the PS3 requires a PS+ subscription does it not?

    Yes Sony got there first and fair play to them for that but it's an optional paid-for extra on the PS3, not standard like on 360"

    Standard? i think you forgot that without your live membership cloud will not be available to you.

  • byron_hinson #89 6 months ago

    @Syrette It isn't a standard on the 360. You are paying for cloud storage on the 360 the same as you are on the PS3 with plus - there is no difference.

  • NeverEatYellowSnow #90 6 months ago

    @byron_hinson

    Why would you own an Xbox without live? Pfft

  • Fab4 #91 6 months ago

    Anything interesting, in the way of media content like netflix etc, being offered to non-UK/US xbox owners? Some of us in Europe still have money you know :p

  • Quige #92 6 months ago

    I like it - it's fast, very fast.

  • XdarXideX #93 6 months ago

    Cloud storage for my saves is great. But I wonder if it will automatically update my saves with the latest ones or possibly contain a history of changes in case something goes wrong or I make a mistake. I don't want to have to manually back up my saves whenever I'm done playing.

    EDIT: Regarding the PS3/360 fanboyism going on in this thread... why is this still an issue?? People STILL actually fight over which console they think is the better one? Grow up. I doubt any of you are MS or Sony reps so what cause are you fighting for?
    Edited by XdarXideX at 23/11/11 @ 10:47

  • XdarXideX #94 6 months ago

    @Uncompetative It's more like saying someone's name before talking to them to get their attention first. Just in case you say something in normal conversation in your living room/bedroom that makes your xbox do something you didnt want it to do... such as navigate back to the dashboard.

  • Syrette #95 6 months ago

    @ashmon

    Except I'm not aware of cloud storage being Gold-only. It would be stupid if that's the case because what will people do with their cloud saves if they revert back to Silver?

    Obviously you're going to need a Live membership and an internet connection for it, so it's standard (unless you think people without the internet should be able to use cloud storage!?) procedure.

    Or are you just being facetious?