Microsoft Updates Xbox 360 Dashboard
Over a hundred new features crammed into an update that doesn't even tax your hard drive.
If you've come to love your Xbox 360 but were annoyed by some of the quirks of the dashboard, Microsoft has good news for you. Starting Tuesday, 6 June, you'll be able to download a free dashboard update through Xbox Live that adds more than a hundred new features to the core of the system.
One of the biggest new features is the ability to have six downloads going on at once in the background. And the system is smart enough to know when you're going into a multiplayer session, so you won't have your online gaming spoiled by downloads you started earlier.
The dashboard interface is friendlier now that Microsoft has rearranged menus somewhat and added new ones, making it easier to find your games, demos and other content on your system.
Other enhancements have to do with how the Xbox 360 deals with movies and music. For instance, after the update, your music will continue to play as you navigate through the system. And the new version of the dashboard also improves movie playback, giving you not only a better picture in some cases, but also DVD bookmarks, which let you jump back to a chosen point in a movie, even if you've ejected it to play a game.
For a full run-down of all the new features you'll find in the updated dashboard, check out Microsoft's Xbox Live page.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games