Microsoft on Tuesday narrowed down a firm date for its fall 2011 Xbox 360 Dashboard. The Windows Metro UI styled revamp should go live on December 6, about three weeks after beta testing began. The update is expected to go live worldwide, although not every feature will follow suit due to the need for local deals.
The Dashboard update brings the app metaphor to the Xbox in earnest and will focus most on digital video apps, including live TV streaming for paid cable viewers as well as UFC, YouTube, and Vudu. It likewise brings social networking apps and music apps.
Other changes include a Bing search option to find content both online and off, Kinect optimizations for gestures and voice, and Beacons that signal a desire to play a certain game regardless of what the user is actually doing.
