X360 Spring Update today

By Tom Bramwell Published 9 May, 2007

This morning, actually.

The first of Microsoft's biannual Xbox 360 updates for 2007 should start to filter through to users at 10am UK time this morning, 9th May, the platform holder said while we were trying to get some bloody sleep you'd think they'd turn the thing off at 3am wouldn't you.

The "Spring Update", as it's known among people who need a handy way of referring to it on the Internet, counts support for Microsoft Live Messenger among its many introductions and tweaks. Once installed, users will be able to have up to six conversations at a time with people on their friends list, regardless of whether they're on the dashboard, in a game, listening to music or watching a film, with support for up to 20 people in one conversation window. Hopefully it still has the "block" function too.

Part of the attraction is the ability to chat with people who are on their PCs as well as those messaging you from their Xbox 360s, while any of you with mobile phones that support Messenger will also be available for a bit of inter-platform banter. In addition, you will be able to see at-a-glance whether people on your Windows Live Messenger list have gamertags and then add them to a unified friends list.

Along with support for a USB keyboard, the Xbox 360 version of Live Messenger will offer an on-screen keyboard option and support for the forthcoming Xbox 360 Text Input Device due out this summer.

Live Messenger isn't the only update to the Xbox 360's functionality though, with Microsoft using the Spring Update to roll out a broad range of additions to all areas of the console's user experience - from the way that Achievements identify themselves when you unlock them to the depth of support for various media formats. A list of changes can be found on Xbox.com.

For those of you waiting eagerly for the update to hit, Xbox Live's director of programming Larry Hryb says he will post notification on the Major Nelson blog when the Live Operations team starts to roll it out across the service, hopefully within minutes of your reading these words. Or some time ago if you're trying to confuse me by reading this after lunch.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (77) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • bonker #1 5 years ago

    Bring on the bricks!

  • lennon #2 5 years ago

    Never mind that. I heard Double Dragon is out today.

  • OnlyMe #3 5 years ago

    TODAY?

    I hope so.

  • Hunam #4 5 years ago

    Double Dragon?

    /buys 10

  • Aretak #5 5 years ago

    "Double Dragon?

    /buys 10"

    Oh yeah, they look cute now, but when you have to take 20 dragons out for a walk every morning you'll regret it.

    (o/

  • andromeda #6 5 years ago

    i wouldn't want someone talking to me while watching a film!

    oh yeah and don't get too excited, D Dragon may rekindle some fond memories, but plays like a dog these days..when are we gonna see something decent on XBLA?

  • Darren #7 5 years ago

    Hmmm, lots of nice little improvements there according to that link above but no mention of whether VGA has been improved (richer colours, fixed v-sync tearing for Dead Rising which is absolutely dreadful with VGA compared with component video for some inexplicable reason, etc.) which is of more interest to me.

  • Aretak #8 5 years ago

    "when are we gonna see something decent on XBLA?"

    Symphony of the Night wasn't decent enough for you?

  • ostrasized #9 5 years ago

    when are we gonna see something decent on XBLA?
    Worms, Catan, Geometry Wars?

    Back in your hole, troll! ;-)

  • Vroom #10 5 years ago

    "when are we gonna see something decent on XBLA?"

    Don't be an spastic.

  • Dizzy #11 5 years ago

    "when are we gonna see something decent on XBLA?"

    Don't quote people on ignore list ;)

  • kangarootoo #12 5 years ago

    @andromeda

    "i wouldn't want someone talking to me while watching a film!"

    It will be an option. An OPTION you hear?

  • peteb #13 5 years ago

    i give my girlfriend the option to be silent during a film, she doesn't use it

  • peteb #14 5 years ago

    update is up now apparently, can anyone who gets it and uses vga let us know if its any better?

  • Scurrminator #15 5 years ago

    got it, wow - colour me unimpressed.

  • Disco_Stu360 #16 5 years ago

    I dont care about the messenger stuff all I want is VGA screen tearing to be fixed... oh please oh please oh please!!!

  • sanctusmortis #17 5 years ago

    Hmm, not got it so far - seems to not be up for me...

  • Darren #18 5 years ago

    I've read on the OXM360 forum that there's a new "Reference Level" setting under Display settings with this new update... anyone know what this does exactly? Is it only available under VGA? I've heard that there are three settings, default (normal), intermediate and expanded... do they affect the colours?

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #19 5 years ago

    Does this entended video support mean I can watch my downloaded Lost (I wouldn't have had to if Evil Murdoch hadn't denied Virgin the sky channels) on my Xbox without a transcoder, then?

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #20 5 years ago

    The VGA tearing is probably your TV's fault, by the way.

  • Walshicus #21 5 years ago

    Darren; go to the system blade, go to display and select one of the three different colour profiles available. Mine is now set to "Intermediate" and whilst I didn't have any colour issues before, it certainly looks a lot richer now.

  • superdelphinus #22 5 years ago

    What happened to this thing about changing the dvd read speed so it wasnt so noisy?

  • The-Bodybuilder #23 5 years ago

    >"V-sync tearing for Dead Rising which is absolutely dreadful with VGA compared with component video for some inexplicable reason, etc.) which is of more interest to me. "

    I must be the only 360 owner that hasn't suffered from v-sync issues.

  • Darren #24 5 years ago

    Mentalist(air) - "The VGA tearing is probably your TV's fault, by the way."

    Sorry but you're wrong and here's why...

    Prior to the Autumn 2006 update, Dead Rising had roughtly the same amounts of minimal v-sync tearing in both component video and VGA for me (it's difficult to say exactly the same because tearing was dependent on how much is going on onscreen, etc.). After that update though, Dead Rising had constant tearing with VGA but next-to-none with component video ON THE SAME SAMSUNG HDTV.

    Thus, I can confidentally conclude that the dashboard update messed the game up and it has nothing to do with the HDTV. I suspect Microsoft changed the VGA timings slightly which the game relies on to keep the tearing at a minimum and that's why it is so bad.

    Saint Rows, even when patched with v-sync enabled in the options, has slight tearing with VGA, noticeable on the trees and lampposts near the top of the screen, where it has none at all with component video. If the game is v-synced then there shouldn't be any tearing at all.
    Edited by 2 at 09/05/07 @ 11:48

  • Mart #25 5 years ago

    What happened to this thing about changing the dvd read speed so it wasnt so noisy?

    It stayed made up?

  • miiiguel #26 5 years ago

    I use component cables and never had this v-sync issue. I can't really tell if it's the setup or whatever, but I'm inclined to think it is.
    This v-sync issue isn't dierctly related to the 360, me thinks, a friend of mine bought a Samsung LCD, and he has terrible, terrible v-sync problems while watching normal cable TV.
    I also have a Samsung, altthough no the same model, and the image is perfect while 360ing, and very good while TVing.

  • miiiguel #27 5 years ago

    "i wouldn't want someone talking to me while watching a film! "

    That's allready configurable..., since the Autumn update 2006.

  • The-Bodybuilder #28 5 years ago

    So I guess I'm not the only one that's v-sync free? And it's throuh VGA on my tv too.

    I've only ever seen ONE single tearing, and that was once in PDZ.

  • miiiguel #29 5 years ago

    Bodybuilder: guess not, allthough I use components. Any reason why you use VGA? Is it better ?

  • Moz #30 5 years ago

    WOW that was the quickest update ever!

    The game name thing is working.

    The biggest dif i've noticed so far is that marketplace now has it's own blade! - Though it's background is a really nasty red!!!

  • BadBoyBonner #31 5 years ago

    Anyone who has played MotoGP though VGA without -sync tearing must have the default setting to 1024x768 or something. As I have yet to see a TV that dose not do it. In fact the way he program renders the image is the cause (you can read all about this on Gamasutra - in a post mortem the dev team did).

    It has nothing to do with the TV and everything to do with the program. I can confirm Dead Rising s also a prime suspect f it through VGA.

    Anyone well versed i the age old art of PC performance will be all to aware of the benefit against cot of frame rate V-Sync ensures when the machine is up against it.

    I always disabled it, and lived with the tearing, which didn't seem so bad some how at 19" but at 50" in the front room with others watching it can be a little worrying for some users.

    MS will do well to note that some users think that their 360 is about to pack in when they see it.

    Would be great to be ble to force it on or off in hardware as a system option - but be what ever the software producers wants when online to help connection synchronisation.

    edits - currently on a friends laptop with Vista running. Either it is shit and slow (vista with a couple of windows open) or I can now type faster than computers can register the keys - what a pain in the aarse checking it over.
    Edited by 1 at 09/05/07 @ 11:51

  • Darren #32 5 years ago

    miiiguel - "... a friend of mine bought a Samsung LCD, and he has terrible, terrible v-sync problems while watching normal cable TV."

    Why does that sound so very, very, very wrong! LOL

    Answer: it is simply not possible to have v-sync tearing while watching normal TV programmes as far as I'm aware anyway, either he's describing ghosting/smearing/motion-blur or there really is some other technical fault with his HDTV. Either way that is *not* v-sync tearing...

  • BadBoyBonner #33 5 years ago

    VGA is a much better picture. To check the differnce ause motoGP and look at the detil on buildings in the distance. The difference is even more pronounced if your set is actually 1360 x 768 (which mine is).

  • BadBoyBonner #34 5 years ago

    might have a set with high Ms refresh anything above 16ms normally spells trouble to the discerning viewer (i.e. me - take that shit back to the shop!lol)

  • Darren #35 5 years ago

    @The Bodybuilder - It's very much dependent on the game to be honest... unless you use VGA and play Dead Rising, Lost Planet or use component video and play Saints Row (pre-patch) and Splinter Cell: Double Agent then you might well never see it or really notice it as the better games use hybrid v-sync which ensures tearing is kept to an absolute minimum. Games like Test Drive Unlimited, Gears of War, Viva Pinata and Dead Rising use this method but they still has some minor v-sync issues from time to time but in the case of the latter it is borked up badly with VGA for whatever reason and tears all the bloody time.

  • BadBoyBonner #36 5 years ago

    "borked up badly with VGA for whatever reason and tears all the bloody time."

    And right in the middle of the screen most of the time!

    Which is a shame as at times it looks amazing (the speach given by the clown by the mono-rail is arguably the 360's finest hour. Obviously Gears is awesome non stop, but the dithered shading does detract quite heavily at times - when pheonix looks like a dirty tramp who never washes his neck.)

    edit - Vista + Laptop + only 1 gig of ram and a AMD Turion 64 + Radeon Xpress = crapiest performance I have witnessed since my 4 Mb 25Mhz 386.
    Edited by 2 at 09/05/07 @ 12:03

  • miiiguel #37 5 years ago

    Darren: I saw it myself..., don't know if the technical description is in fact "v-sync tearing" but it seems so.
    So components should be a better option than VGA?.

  • bonker #38 5 years ago

    Noone bricked yet then? :)

  • andrewwd #39 5 years ago

    Has this fixed the Dead Rising VGA tearing then?

  • Disco_Stu360 #40 5 years ago

    VGA SHOULD be better than component if they could get it to work correctly... sigh!

  • Disco_Stu360 #41 5 years ago

    this sounds promising!

    http://ww w.avforums.com/forums/showpost....

  • peteb #42 5 years ago

    dont think the region lock is active yet, was able to go on US marketplace still

  • The-Bodybuilder #43 5 years ago

    >"Bodybuilder: guess not, allthough I use components. Any reason why you use VGA? Is it better ? "

    It does look better on VGA for me. But it looks better on composite on my brother's tv.

  • The-Bodybuilder #44 5 years ago

    >"I can confirm Dead Rising s also a prime suspect f it through VGA. "

    I've never played moto go, so I can't comment.
    I have played DR however, and that was v-sync free for me.

    I don't care about the technical gibbergabber, all I know is that I'm v-sync free.

    In fairness though, I did play it b4 I downloaded the autumn update, so things may have changed.

  • The-Bodybuilder #45 5 years ago

    @ Darren.

    Well I don't know why.
    I guess I should rejoice that I am lucky.

  • lennon #46 5 years ago

    Ive seen the v-synch issue in Dead Rising but to be honest It wasnt a big issue for me certainly not to the extent that I have seen others complain about. The improvement in image quality on VGA far outweighs any downside.

  • peteb #47 5 years ago

    "In fairness though, I did play it b4 I downloaded the autumn update, so things may have changed."

    yea the autumn update messed it up, now its full of tearing, when it wasn't before

  • Hypnopedia #48 5 years ago

    Divx - Xvid?

    Stuck at work, can someone confirm yay or nay for streaming of them?

    Ta!

  • trevd72 #49 5 years ago

    I have a cheap ass LCD HD TV by Marai or something and I can honestly say I have noticed no problems with the VGA and I have played most of the games listed as having problems.

    and its running at 1360 x 768

  • angstmann #50 5 years ago

    NO to xvid and divx, I'm afraid, not with their default file extensions anyway. So far I have got .mp4 files to play successfully. These were encoded using VisualHub on the Mac using default settings for the Apple TV! Files with .mov extensions showed up but wouldn't play. I want to try a HD h264 file but I dont have any! Not sure what file format these would be in anyway. But .mkv and .avi and .ts files do NOT work straight off the bat.

  • weaselrat #51 5 years ago

    when are they going to patch an update so it can store mp3 cd's to the harddrive or play div x movies etc, save me converting them to full DVD's. Come on microsoft pull your fingers out

  • RexRunti #52 5 years ago

    Just get a transcoder (for free) like transcoder360 (I think it only works with media centre editions though) or TVersity which'll out put to PSPs as well. Oh, you'll need a pretty decent PC to get the most out of it them.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #53 5 years ago

    Transcoder output looks like shit.

    most video files from the net have already been through the MPEG encoding grinder twice already (once for the DVD / digital TV source, once again for the DivX/Xvid encode), putting them through a third produces awful output on an HDTV.

    The press release says it supports MPEG4 Part 2, which is what DivX basically is. But someone said they didn't work? Was that a DivX compressed avi?

  • Deathspleen Verified Gameplay Programmer, Capcom Games Studio Vancouver #54 5 years ago

    ... although apparantly this update stops TVersity from working / seeing your files.

    Apparantly they are aware of this and are working on a patch.

  • JackB #55 5 years ago

    I have never gotten tearing, yet I see it on tons of posts on Eurogamer. In the USA, I never ever ever see a vsync tearing post. Why?

    What is the reason for Europe's issues? Is it PAL? Different TV's? The 220hz power? I don't get it.

  • Fwing #56 5 years ago

    The update has somewhat screwed my machine. It's a US machine hooked up to a standard def Sony TV via RGB SCART. After the update my picture is dark and fuzzy - about as good as an N64 via RF lead.

    Xbox support are about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike.

  • Darren #57 5 years ago

    Well I've certainly been on US forums where users have complained of v-sync tearing with 360 games so I guess you've just not seen them but they are they, I can assure you... try the Volition forums for one, the Saints Row thread was rife with complaints about v-sync tearing from European and US users, which resulted in the developers adding a v-sync option in the patch... ;)

  • AhrimaaN #58 5 years ago

    "Xbox support are about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike. "

    Blame the irish.

  • JackB #59 5 years ago

    @Darren,

    "Well I've certainly been on US forums where users have complained of v-sync tearing with 360 games so I guess you've just not seen them but they are they, I can assure you... try the Volition forums for one, the Saints Row thread was rife with complaints about v-sync tearing from European and US users, which resulted in the developers adding a v-sync option in the patch... ;) "

    I'd like to think so, but I just ran a search on [link url=http://www.Neogaf.com.]http://www.Neogaf.com.[/link] I tried the word 360 from yesterday's posts and came up with 541 matches. I then tried tearing and didn't come up with a single one.

    Now tearing will come up if you extend the search past yesterday, but I used yesterday, because it caps out at 1,000 hits and using more than one day would get more than 1,000 "360" hits, so I just ran it for the past week and it came back with 23...

    If you look at the Eurogamer threads it's like 5 "360" instances for every "tearing" comment. Explain that? It's not a USA thing. It has something to do with Eurogamer or Europe...

    WOW, I just checked and in this single thread of 56 posts, we have 19 instances of the word tearing. This is crazy. Is it a Eurogamer conspiracy? Is it the same users posting over and over and over again about tearing? What the hell is it? Sony shills making this up? If not, what then?

    And Neogaf is way bigger than Eurogamer. 6,307,562 posts, 2,317 users online right now, 152,000 threads, 20,000 members.

    20,000 members and only 23 instances of the word "tearing" in the last 7 days???? It's a Eurogamer thing or a Europe thing. I think it might even be Eurogamer, because there must be quite a few Europeans on Neogaf.

    Go ahead and run your own search on Neogaf if you don't believe me.
    Edited by 3 at 09/05/07 @ 16:49

  • cyber_nicco #60 5 years ago

    I thought one of the main reasons to use a VGA connection instead of component was to support 1080p. Am I right? I understood component to "only" support 1080i, but I hear various things on this damn interweb thingie...

  • smelly #61 5 years ago

    doesnt make a jot of difference if the game doesnt support 1080p (most dont)

    But then, most gamers will swear blind they can tell the difference.

    Funny really.
    Edited by 1 at 09/05/07 @ 17:24

  • Beano #62 5 years ago

    @JackB: Try to read IGN's Saints Row review where they mention screen-tearing. Also GameTrailers video review shows a lot of tearing.

    SR is not the only one but maybe the 360 game with the worst tearing.

    Tearing is not isolated to EU/PAL consoles or even the 360, I just assume most gamers doesn't notice or mind it.

  • gizmo #63 5 years ago

    Great, switched on, updated.

    3 flashing red lights of death.

    Very, very, unimpressed.

  • ChocNut #64 5 years ago

    About the tearing I noticed that it increased for games like dead rising on the last update too - I havent checked yet to see if this update fixes it BUT

    The new vga settings are Extra Tasty. Vga was excellent for me already on my widescreen monitor but now its all the sweeter and more vibrant. Blacks are blacker too.

  • tap #65 5 years ago

    So, no 1440x900 VGA support then .... oh well.

  • bdaggers #66 5 years ago

    @gizmo : sorry to hear that mate. I was shitting myself when i accepted the update, cos the last one killed my old 360. This update worked sweet as a nut - "go figure" as the Yanks say. Good luck with the Xbox repair centre - make sure you get a reference number or they will take even longer to tell you what their progress is.

  • gizmo #67 5 years ago

    They've told me tough luck. My box was Dec 05 and they're saying 'Out of warranty, there is no way the update could cause this'. I've thrown my toys out of the pram and am awaiting a call back after insisting something be done as there is obviously a problem with the red ring of death. I wait with interest.

  • JackB #68 5 years ago

    @Beano, I don't doubt you can find an example of tearing somewhere at some point in time, although a video of a game is not a great example, it could have been in the video.

    All I'm saying is how can the word tearing only appear 23 times in one week on Neogaf with thousands and thousands of posters, yet it in every damn Eurogamer thread I slog thru post after post of tearing complaints.

    It doesn't make sense. Explain that to me. It's a European thing or maybe it's become some rallying cry on Eurogamer. It's so isolated an issue, that you have you give one review example out of the 200+ games. I never hear about it or see it, except for on Eurogamer.

    It's bizarre. What is the real reason?

  • MrMarbles #69 5 years ago

    @gizmo

    Microsoft should be replacing/repairing any console manufactured before January 1st 2006 for free:

    [link url=http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=67825 ]http://ww w.eurogamer.net/article.php?art...[/link]

    ...meaning that you should be eligible.

    Stick it to the man, etc.

  • KaiB #70 5 years ago

    This update rocks! finally my VGA output on my samsung lcd tv doesnt look like its been through a 24 hour wash cycle...Microsoft are so good at patching their broken software (after a few years) ! Big up yourself Microbollocks!

    Ok but seriously it works! it finally works like it should...yay!

    ok quick edit...sorry to hear that you got the ring o death .... personally I think the update is great..as far as updates go.
    Edited by 1 at 10/05/07 @ 00:13

  • Beano #71 5 years ago

    "@Beano, I don't doubt you can find an example of tearing somewhere at some point in time, although a video of a game is not a great example, it could have been in the video. "

    True, but it wasn't in this case - I owned SR and the tearing shown in the video was exactly the same as in the game.


    "It's so isolated an issue, that you have you give one review example out of the 200+ games. I never hear about it or see it, except for on Eurogamer."

    Not really - I see this mentioned on a regular basis... also on US forums. But gaming sites and "professional" reviewers often ignore this as a "minor" issue (no matter the origin of the site).
    Edited by 1 at 10/05/07 @ 02:43

  • Fyzzu #72 5 years ago

    "WOW, I just checked and in this single thread of 56 posts, we have 19 instances of the word tearing. This is crazy. Is it a Eurogamer conspiracy? Is it the same users posting over and over and over again about tearing? What the hell is it? Sony shills making this up? If not, what then?

    And Neogaf is way bigger than Eurogamer. 6,307,562 posts, 2,317 users online right now, 152,000 threads, 20,000 members. "

    @JackB: That's not overly surprising, whatever way you look at it. As soon as tearing is mentioned in any one thread, there are bound to be more responses using that same word. If the search is capped, that provides its own issues - because you're looking at an extremely small sample it's quite possible (I'd go so far as to say "likely";) that it was talked about prior to the search's beginning and no-one really wants to bring it up again just yet.

    Obviously, there are holes in this, but I'm just pointing out that it's not entirely clear-cut. For what it's worth, I've only experienced tearing once in memory, but this may simply be me not noticing it, rather than anything else.

    As for the real topic, I've not installed the update yet. I'll do it tomorrow, if I can work up the nerve..

  • DocTep #73 5 years ago

    Miiiguel... I'm guessing your friend has the old buggy version of the Samsung LCD TV firmware from a while back. There was a bug with the firmware that would cause the picture to tear, this was a widely known problem with a large batch of Samsung LCDs for a while and a quick search for "Samsung"+"tearing" over at http://www.avforums.com< /a> will give him all the information he could ever wish to read about the issue. The good news is that it's relatively easy to fix. He'll need to phone Samsung to explain he has screen tearing and needs a firmware update, and they should send him a small kit so he can update to the newer firmware which doesn't suffer from the problem. This is actually something for which a fix has been available for well over a year.

    V-synch tearing isn't possible whilst watching regular TV. V-synch tearing is something which happens within the graphics engine of the game itself and has nothing to do with the monitor/TV being used to display the image. The only time a TV itself will cause picture tearing is if there is some kind of problem with any picture processing the TV applies to the picture. I'm pretty much 100% certain this will be why he has tearing on everything, whilst you don't.

    ---------

    As for the new Dashboard update... I'm very happy as far as the improvements to VGA output are concerned! The new option to change the colours via the display options makes a huge improvement to the picture quality. In my specific case my TV has a tendency to over-strengthen reds due to the backlight technology it uses, and the only way to balance this out is to dial down the colour quite severely. Unfortunately, the TV doesn't give you control of the colours on the VGA channel, and while too much colour isn't such a problem with games it's meant that DVDs have always looked awful on my 360 - the update has fixed that finally.

    The only negative I've come across so far is a crash which happened whilst I was switching back and forth the new colour option, but given how much I was switching (and constantly moving between the dash and DVD playback on top) I wasn't really surprised. Oh, and yes, the Marketplace background colour is a touch horrid.

    Thanks for the VGA update Microsoft. About bloody time... But thanks.

  • Beano #74 5 years ago

    Agree... the new VGA setting is great, much better colors and contrast :)

    Now if only MS allow us to play PAL50-only Xbox 1 games thru VGA also....

  • kingmipper #75 5 years ago

    Gizmo,
    I had three lights of death too, seems like a pattern is emegering again as i have an launch day console too. Keep on Mircosofts case, as soon as I mentioned consoles being produced before the 1st of Jan 2006 being covered for warranty repair they arranged to fix for free... there is hope !

  • gizmo #76 5 years ago

    Thanks for the feedback guys, I shall get back on to them.

  • bushwod #77 5 years ago

    I used the messenger feature last night. It was interesting, certianly helps i ahve a USB keyboard plugged in to it. However, though don't give you a lot of viewing room to see the previous comments in the conversation.