According to the guys over at The Verge, who"ve got word straight from Microsoft, the new Fall 2011 Xbox 360 Dashboard will be landing on December 6th around the globe. While this is slightly later than the previously rumoured November 15th launch date, it’s still going to be a welcome refresh to the Xbox Dashboard.
For those that have been part of the Dashboard Preview program that’s been running for the past few weeks, you’ll already know what’s in store for Xbox 360 users. There is a whole new look to the Dashboard, following the Metro styling seen first in Windows Phone 7 and also on Xbox.com. You’ll also get Beacon support, a system where you can notify your friends as to when you’ll be available to play certain games.
Cloud storage for games saves will be available for Xbox LIVE Gold subscribers, and there will be integrated Facebook sharing plus a wider range of Kinect controls. The live TV streaming arrangements previously detailed by Microsoft will also be available to you depending on where you live.
This would have to be one of the bigger updates to hit the Xbox 360 console, the last time being the upgrade to NXE-style dashboard, which brought an enormous wealth of new features to the console. The Metro update we’re seeing here looks to be jam-packed, and I’ve got to admit, I’m excited for the December 6 release so I can get my hands on some cloud storage and Beacons.