Microsoft announces major 360 Dashboard update

Our pals at Joystiq just got word straight from the horse's mouth about the forthcoming Xbox 360 Dashboard update, and have posted the deets along with lots of screenshots. The biggest -- and most expected -- news is background downloading, which includes a queue with six slots for all your Halo 3 trailer and pricey Oblivion horse needs. Downloads will pause while you play online to minimize lag, but otherwise will run in the background while you go about your Dashboard business. Other improvements include a boot to Dashboard function, improved media playback and controls, full USB keyboard support, and an improved Marketplace layout to handle the influx of available content. The update will be available to Xbox Live users "in about a week," and will be eventually be available bundled with retail game discs for those without an Internet enabled 360 (all four of you).

[daniel @ May 26th 2006 8:40AM]

Now they need to give us a browser for us to surf the net with our xbox 360.

[Matt Ranlett @ May 26th 2006 8:56AM]

It's about time we got background downloading on the Xbox! It's annoying to have to wait for every download to complete before being able to go on to something else.

[Big Sam @ May 26th 2006 9:00AM]

About time!

[Nate @ May 26th 2006 9:20AM]

Hah, Leeroy, you crazy bastard.

[dave95 @ May 26th 2006 9:27AM]

Wow, awesome..........so not like Microsoft to have something look that good.

[Intrepid @ May 26th 2006 9:43AM]

Microsots XBOX 360 is an example of what the PC could be if microsoft wasn't spending so much time supporting the competition - not saying thats a bad thing, but it just shows that they know their stuff.

[xbit @ May 26th 2006 9:43AM]

Great stuff.

I really hope they've improved the CDDB for ripping CDs though. It doesn't currently recognise about 80% of my collection!

[Steve @ May 26th 2006 9:45AM]

"Now they need to give us a browser for us to surf the net with our xbox 360."

It would be awesome wouldn't it.

I'll use a Wii to do that in the meantime since MS have said they don't want to do a browser.

I really wish they'd add access to messenger, friends' msn spaces and podcasts on the 360. Oh, and internet radio.

[Intrepid @ May 26th 2006 9:45AM]

...and yes, that would be "Microsoft".

[Zadillo @ May 26th 2006 9:53AM]

I'm really glad to hear about the DVD playback update. I'm not sure that I'd switch to using the Xbox 360 for DVD playback or not, but I always thought it was a major oversight that it didn't seem to have any sort of "memory" of where you were if you turned the xbox off of took a DVD out to play a game. This at least should make it a little more useful as a normal DVD player (and gives me some more confidence in the HD-DVD add-on).

Background downloading is definitely nice too.

[JeffNLA @ May 26th 2006 9:58AM]

It's nice to see Microsoft aggressively updating the 360 for a better experience. I can't think of a single thing SONY has done for the customers! Unless you count the root kit, a balizzion different incompatible memory stick formats and of course - high prices and arrogance.

[Wow360rocks! @ May 26th 2006 10:07AM]

Right thats it i'm getting a 360, all I hear are bad things re the PS3 (cost mainly) and Wii (underpowered) but I have not heard anything bad about the 360 and when you look at that Dashboard it screams quality.

Y'know Microsoft have the best programmers in the world so you know their software is going to be quality and I love what I read about it being a media extender, when Vista comes out the 360 will shine even more!

[matt @ May 26th 2006 11:14AM]

no "fix" on DVD firmware hacks? cool!

[iDean @ May 26th 2006 11:17AM]

anyone know if the HD DVD player will read Xbox 360 DVD games? That'd be sweet if you could just use the extra drive as like a 1 disc dvd changer. Yeah im lazy.

[jwer @ May 26th 2006 11:31AM]

Nice nerdly Kafka joke, too.

[^ @ May 26th 2006 12:31PM]

"It's nice to see Microsoft aggressively updating the 360 for a better experience. I can't think of a single thing SONY has done for the customers!"

Umm... what about the web browser Sony added to the PSP last year, or the new video codecs, or the RSS support. Sony has been constantly adding new features to the PSP for the past one and a half years

[srw985 @ May 26th 2006 12:32PM]

at last... background downloads!

now we just need a web browser

[John S @ May 26th 2006 1:30PM]

What I REALLY want to see is them to make an OS for the 360. How bout being able to run the next Windows OS, Windows Vista on a processor with 3 cores at 3.2GHz each? It would be blazingly fast. That would be crazy. Just a business idea Microsoft. I want 2% profits.

[streetstealth @ May 26th 2006 1:47PM]

I saw the username in the screenshot and wondered, "will anyone in the comments get the reference?"

Thank you, jwer, for restoring my faith in the literacy of Engadget readers. :)

[Daniel Moon @ May 26th 2006 2:26PM]

you mean all 5 of us XD

[jwer @ May 26th 2006 3:18PM]

No problem!

Oh yeah, and, um, Micro$haft i$ iEviL!!! D00D!!!1!

[Matt @ May 26th 2006 3:34PM]

"15. no "fix" on DVD firmware hacks? cool!"
What in the world gave you that idea?

[Mike @ May 26th 2006 5:36PM]

Weren't they supposed to release this update during E3? AS for a web browser, you can get one if you are connected to a compter running Windows XP Media Center Edition (made by some awsome programmer). Messenger and Spaces access would be totally sweet though...

[Ryboy @ May 26th 2006 5:43PM]

mouse support? maybe? someday?

[Tim @ May 26th 2006 6:47PM]

Finally... I hated having to wait for things to download before I could starting playing again. Any chance the update will include a torrent client? haha

[CK @ May 26th 2006 10:50PM]

What's with everyone here and at joystiq congratulating MS for *finally* providing functionality that should have been there all along? You guys really like to bend over and take it from them don't you? I mean, did MS even do any usability testing on the dash before rushing the 360 out the door? Apparently not. Now that they're fixing all the annoying crap that should never have been there in the first place it's somehow the greatest thing ever.

o.O

[bans @ May 30th 2006 1:57PM]

yeah they need to have a web browser and easy access to aim.