Microsoft has today announced that it is pushing out a preview of the new Xbox 360 dashboard to beta testers. The new beta has a completely redesigned look that reflects the new aesthetic of Windows 8’s Metro interface, reports Winrumors.
Beta testers that were accepted into the program were informed over a week ago. At that time, Microsoft warned that there would be a delay before users could interact with the new dashboard. That wait is now over.
It also features Facebook sharing, Cloud storage for game saves and your Xbox Live profile and a new feature called Beacons that allows you to find your friends playing online easier. The update will also prep the Xbox to work with YouTube and Bing searches, including voice control via Kinect.
The Windows Phone integration with Xbox is also enabled here. You can see a demonstration of that integration here.
The Xbox Live TV service is also rolling out with this update, including tond of US and UK partners including the BBC, HBO, Comcast, Syfy and Bravo. These channels will be available to all Xbox Live Gold subscribers.
The final release of the dashboard update is due in November.
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