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Eight Little Things You May Not Have Known About The Xbox 360 Fall Update


Microsoft has released a list of smaller improvements to the 360 dashboard outside of the major stuff like a UI redesign, Netflix search, and ESPN streaming video.

Check it out:

Improved voice quality – the audio codec is being updated to improve Xbox LIVE Party chat audio quality. So grab your friends and jump into a multiplayer game, catch a big sports event, watch a movie or do all three.

Improved experience for changing your Gamertag – choosing a new Gamertag? If the Gamertag you're looking for is already taken, your Avatar will spin a wheel and we will provide five other Gamertag suggestions at a time for you to choose from.
       
Streamlined in-dashboard virtual keyboard – we've taken the existing QWERTY keyboard in-dash and made it easier to use for scenarios that involve repeated text entry, for example when signing up for LIVE within the dashboard.

Improved Xbox LIVE Marketplace UI and browse experience – the Games Marketplace has been re-organized to provide streamlined access to the games and content you want, reducing the number of steps it takes to get to a download.

Avatar changes – we've made your Avatars slightly more proportional so you can better play Kinect games

Easier to get on a wireless network – trying to connect to a wireless network? With the next update, you'll see a list of all the wireless networks within range when you go into network settings. From there, you'll be able to select a new network or further configure the network you're connected to.

Ability to sign-out other controllers in the sign-in UI – we're adding the ability to sign-out profiles on other controllers in the sign-in UI within the Guide. This is especially useful when playing games like Rock Band.

New browse experience for 100% completed games – you spent a lot of time and effort earning those Achievements, so instead of only being able to view your first dozen completed games, we're giving you a new and better way to browse all of them.

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Comments
  • It's about time they change that in-dashboard keyboard! All joking aside, I'm looking forward to the changes- it feels like an early Christmas when we get a significant dashboard update. The UI interface and marketplace navigation is severely overdue. Thanks for the change Xbox... I hope these improvements are a step in the right direction.
  • Yeah what Picker of nits said, plus many more thanxs.

  • I'm happy to hear about better mic quality, sometimes you can barely understand some people.

  • Okay, if you've 100%'d more than a dozen games, you REALLY need a life. Just putting that out there.

  • I Really liked the beta. But my xbox got the RROD days after I was accepted. Makes me mad I cant use it

  • All sound good except for the wirelss network update.  Its great to have the option, but i'll be sticking with the ethernet cable(more reliable).  Good stuff.

  • 9th update... kinect sucks...

  • After the update the 360 will be completely capable running games with digital 3D. Before the update the 360 was completely capable of running them as well.

    You just have to have a TV set that supports digital 3D- the ability to do 3D has nothing to do with the console, Sony's just nice enough to focus on things that we don't even know we want (because they want you to buy their 3D TV sets).


    Anyway that "joke" aside, one of the things that looks pretty good to me is the ability to sign out the extra controllers with the primary one. I find it hilarious that Rock Band is mentioned (was that in their note, or is that GI's addition ?) because the issue was effing infuriating in that *** game.
  • Finally, the controller thing drives me insane!

  • the achievement thing got me

  • Still a crap

  • As a newbie to PS3, I wish they'd have a similar streamlining of the in-dash keyboard. Sometimes you have to enter things like names and addresses with a phone style keypad with 3-4 characters on each key, WTF?! Also like a cell phone it has predictive text that has never predicted anything correctly and often gives no predictions (how would it predict names anyway?)

  • Proportional avatars!

    (I'm unexcited)

  • How about since it cost more for all this stuff, make MS points cheaper!!!

  • WOW, the only games I made a 100% on was the two Super Mario Galaxy games for the Wii, never anything else. Probably because of college and my job, my 100% would be actually beating the game.
  • Can't wait for the new update :)

  • When is this update coming?

  • That's not bad.

  • Okay, these upgrades will make the Xbox 360 experience a lot better than it is right now, in all seriousness.

    I am excited for the achievement browsing, and the better quality, and the streamlined Marketplace...
  • This sounds great! Espically the revamped voice quality. That has been much needed for a very long time.

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