| Mail |

You might also like: WoW Insider, Massively, and more

More Sites You Might Like

Xbox Live Dashboard update arrives Aug. 11

by Richard Mitchell on Jul 21st 2009 2:10PM

Microsoft has just announced that the upcoming Xbox Dashboard update will be hitting Xbox Live on August 11. The update is set to include many new features, including Games on Demand, improved Netflix performance (along with Movie Parties), Avatar Awardables, Avatar Marketplace, the ability to rate games, new Friends list sorting options and more. The announcement also mentions that previously announced Twitter, Facebook and Last.fm support is slated to arrive this fall.

Also, don't forget that Microsoft is currently accepting entrants for an upcoming preview, allowing many gamers a chance to check out the update before it's available to the general public. If you don't make it, rest assured that Joystiq will be taking the update for a spin and will be posting plenty of coverage.

Tags: dashboard, dashboard-update, microsoft, xbox, Xbox-360, xbox-live, xbox-live-update

Reader Comments (80)

Nah I'm excited for them. I wonder if they will work with previous games.

awardables? not at all, if you're excited about the avatar market place, than thats a whole other story.

This is probably what I'm most looking forward too, because it's free (unlike avatar marketplace) and it's another goal of something to work towards in a game. I'm also looking forward to being able to sort and organize my friends list.

So 'early' in this case is what, a week before everyone else?

I wonder if it'll fix my DVD drive that only reads a disc once out of every twenty attempts.

A software update isn't going to fix a hardware problem.

I know, it wasn't something I was seriously wondering about. Just being generally bitter.

:)

I just want an update for the xvid drivers. I love streaming stuff on my xbox but its performance in that front leaves a lot to be desired!

It's better than the PS3. At least xvids stream to it. With Windows 7 WMP 12 I can stream mkv's (transcoded on the fly). No trolling the PS3, it's just that it's Divx centric and xvids often do not play via streaming.

I have a media server that converts files on the fly. It takes up a hell of a lot of bandwidth to do so though so not really great for when online. It's also built for the PS3 so it's a little slower on the 360.

http://code.google.com/p/ps3mediaserver/downloads/list
In case you want to try it out.

Dang you 1 vs. 100 for making me want to dress up my avatar like a freakin' Barbie doll.... Nooooooooooo !!!!! (Camera zooms upwards while I scream on my knees looking towards the sky)....

Oh boy, even more bloat than the last update. Cannot wait. Really.

I hope you can only rate games you've actually played.

Otherwise expect tons of people to downvote games they hate but have never touched (i.e. typical internet behavior)

To true. Even better, that not only played it like an XBLA demo, that only the people that bought it may vote, otherwise, all arcade games are fare play.

True. If I were on the fence about buying a theme or pic, I would definitely be swayed if it had 3,000 1-star votes, haha

Yes, only 'Full Game Purchased' users can rate a game.

So, what happens in the UK version? The same minus Netflix?

I also can't se the point in Games on Demand... Chances are that they will cost less to buy from actual shops.

Uh oh, time to avoid the banhammer for another year @_@

Avatar marketplace? Awardables/Unlockables? August 11 is gonna be a sick day.

This is a "meh" update. The avatar awardables is welcome but the netflix improvements are pointless since it's not available where i live.

The update im really looking forward to is the one that is going to introduce last.fm on the xbox :D

I hope they fix Netflix forward/rewind feature. It takes forever to resume play if you try to rewind/forward.

Honestly.. I'm only interested in the performance improvements & the new video display options..

Apart from that, theres not much else to get too excited about to be honest.

... Now, If there was an X360 Internet Browser involved.. well, that'll change things alot.

Avatar Awardables, those for new games or old? If old, do you get them when it updates or when you get an achievement later on?

I think the actual avatar awards will be on the game disc and unlocked with achievements much like older 360 games and "gamer pics".

So to answer your question: more than likely only new games so no reason to get excited about this feature yet.

That's something i'd love to know too. Either way, i can't wait for the ODST helmet that i spotted in a screenshot some time ago :D

IT ARRIVES ON MY BIRTHDAY.

Happy birthday to me.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that unlockables will be available for older games.

However, I'm assuming that if someone created avatar gear for older game, they'd probably just add it to the Avatar Marketplace rather than create a patch or whatever so we could unlock them.

Is this going to be like the last time? "completely redesigned to shove as many ads in your face as possible the moment you turn it on!" Or will they relax and I donno, have it default to something not cheap and just plain insulting?

Sweet cant wait for the Avatar Unlockables...wow it comes on the same day my extended warrenty runs out...well my console broke so once i get the box (for some reason their still sending my boxes(i live in Canada)) im sending it in(for once it not because of the 3rod)...

I JUST THE EMAIL FOR THE NEW UPDATE, I HAVEN'T TURNED THE XBOX ON TO GET, BUT WILL SOON AND REPORT . did anyone else? Thanks Richard!!!

is this update will fix my audio problem, i cant use the analog connection , it only allows me to use the optical but I dont have Optical connection on my other TV , do you think this will fix it

Previous 50 Comments

Breaking News

Xbox Live Dashboard update arrives Aug. 11

Reader Comments (80)

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 4:26PM megapenguinx said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 6:30PM Rhamsey said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 10:01PM Mouthsmasher said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 2:36PM Martin C said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 2:49PM Omega Aero said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 2:50PM Martin C said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 2:49PM gloomcookie said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 3:21PM SmokemeaKipper said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 4:38PM megapenguinx said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 2:47PM Misframed said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 3:14PM HeyApples said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 3:19PM WiNGSPANTT from TopTierTacticsco said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 3:46PM nightmare452 said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 3:55PM WiNGSPANTT from TopTierTacticsco said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 3:33PM GordoJones88 said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 4:07PM Alex R said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 4:10PM jynxycat said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 4:18PM Red Son Rising said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 4:59PM paperless said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 5:02PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 5:28PM Enkeixpress said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 5:33PM Usr666 said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 6:30PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 6:34PM paperless said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 9:56PM Huey2k2 said

Posted: Jul 21st 2009 10:05PM Mouthsmasher said

Posted: Jul 22nd 2009 11:30AM paper said

Posted: Jul 22nd 2009 1:59PM killer rin said

Posted: Aug 1st 2009 8:30AM boondock said

Posted: Aug 26th 2009 1:58PM (Unverified) said

Info

Description

MSRP

Release Date

Genre

Developer

Publisher

Rating

Breaking News

WB conjures up Harry Potter for Kinect this fall

Featured Stories

Silver Lining: I Am Alive's unfeeling world

Game Of Thrones and the paradoxes of adaptation

Super Joystiq Podcast 004: 38 Studios meltdown, Gravity Rush, Civilization 5: Gods & Kings, Dragon's Dogma

Engadget

TUAW

Massively

WoW