Xbox 360 System Software - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Xbox 360 system software (or Dashboard), is the updatable software and operating system

Operating system

An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...

for the Xbox 360

Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

. It resides on a 16 MB

Megabyte

The megabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage or transmission with two different values depending on context: bytes generally for computer memory; and one million bytes generally for computer storage. The IEEE Standards Board has decided that "Mega will mean 1 000...

file system

File system

A file system is a means to organize data expected to be retained after a program terminates by providing procedures to store, retrieve and update data, as well as manage the available space on the device which contain it. A file system organizes data in an efficient manner and is tuned to the...

and has access to a maximum of 32 MB of the system's memory. While the System Software updates may sometimes provide updates to the system's firmware, it is unlikely that this occurs with many, if any, updates. The updates can be downloaded from the Xbox Live

Xbox Live

Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...

service directly to the Xbox 360 and subsequently installed. Microsoft

Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...

has also provided the ability to download system software updates from their respective official Xbox

Xbox

The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...

website to their PCs and then storage media, from which the update can be installed to the system.

The current public version of the Xbox 360 system software is 2.0.13604.0, released October 11, 2011.

The Xbox 360 game system allows users to download applications that add to the functionality of the dashboard. Most apps require that the user be signed into a valid Xbox Live Gold account in order to use the features advertised for the given app. With the exception of a few early apps, Microsoft has added partners to develop apps for the Xbox 360 system since the NXE Dashboard update in 2008.

History of Updates

Version	Release Date	Availability	Description
2.0.014XXX.0	December 6, 2011	To be released	System Software Changes Cloud Storage for Games Saves and Xbox live Profiles. Facebook Sharing. Stereoscopic 3D for games & experiences that support it. Support for dual play. Updated Standard and Kinect Dashboard with Full Voice. Skype Bing on Xbox. YouTube on Xbox 360 with Bing Search support. Updated Party chat. Beacons Xbox Live Changes ABC iView ABC iView ABC iview is a video on demand and Catch up TV service run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The service became available on 24 July 2008. This was the next step after the podcasting of programmes since July 2006. Currently, this site is only viewable to users in Australia. The site... and SBS on Demand Australia SBS on Demand SBS on Demand is a video on demand and Catch up TV service run by the Special Broadcasting Service. The service became available on 1 September 2011.- Games consoles and other devices:Xbox 360 will support iview in an upcoming update in late 2011.... . Live television on Xbox 360 with Bing Search support. RTVE RTVE The Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española, S.A. or Corporación Radiotelevisión Española is the state-owned public corporation that assumed the indirect management of the Spanish public radio and television service from Ente Público Radiotelevisión Española in 2007... . – Spain. YouTube YouTube YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos.... . BBC BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff... . Xfinity Comcast Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the... On Demand - U.S. Canal+ Canal+ Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted... . Antena 3 Antena 3 Antena 3 can refer to two television channels and a radio station:Antena 3 Antena 3 Antena 3... . – Spain. Dailymotion Dailymotion Dailymotion is a video sharing service website, headquartered in the 18th arrondissement, Paris, France. According to Comscore, Dailymotion is the second largest video site in the world after YouTube.... . Verizon. – U.S. Vevo Vevo Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009... - U.S. & Canada HBO Go - U.S. (Select providers only, much like ESPN3) Expanded Kinect Voice Support. Kinect Dashboard with Full Voice Dashboard. System Software Changes/Other Xbox 360 dashboard preview program – Fall 2011
2.0.13604.0	October 11, 2011	Public	System Software Changes/Other This is a general system maintenance update and there are no new features that will show up once the system has been updated. Update contained a compatibility patch for the new Xbox 360 Speed Wheel.
2.0.13599.0	July 19, 2011	Public	System Software Changes/Other Mandatory update that prepared for subsequent growth of the service. Anti-Piracy 2.5 scheme updated to 2.6 Reflashes the DVD drive PLDS DG-16D4S new stock firmware 0272 and locks SPI – Hitachi drives less than 78 are not flashed.
2.0.13146.0	May 19, 2011 to May 31, 2011 (Released in 6 Waves)	Public	System Software Changes Reflashes the DVD drives to support XGD3 Media : PLDS DG-16D4S, PBDS VAD6038 and PLDS DG-16D2S, to a new stock firmware : 0272, 04421C, 02510C. Also patches Samsung MS25 & MS28 – Hitachi drives less than 78 are not flashed. Anti-Piracy 2.5 scheme updated. Support for the new XGD3 disk format for games, adds 1GB of usable disk space and extra anti-piracy features to new games. Hitachi drives that have firmware less than 78 are compatible without flashing. Adds a new 1 hour Auto-Off setting in addition to the 6 hour Auto-Off setting previously available. Xbox Live Changes Adds PayPal support as a payment option for all Xbox Live Xbox Live Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002... users, except : Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... , Chile Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far... , Colombia Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the... , Czech Republic Czech Republic The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest.... , Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... , Hungary Hungary Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The... , India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... , Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... , Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... , South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... and Taiwan Taiwan Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following... . Other Minor bugfix.
2.0.12625.0	January 19, 2011	Public	System Software Changes Adds further anti-piracy 2.5 scheme to more popular games Halo: Reach Halo: Reach Halo: Reach is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360 console. Reach was released in North America, Australia, and Europe on September 14, 2010. The game takes place in the year 2552, where humanity is locked in a war with the... , Call of Duty: Black Ops Call of Duty: Black Ops Call of Duty: Black Ops is a first-person shooter video game developed by Treyarch, published by Activision and released worldwide on November 9, for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii consoles, with a separate version for Nintendo DS developed by n-Space. Announced on April 30, 2010,... and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 video game consoles and the Microsoft Windows operating system. Officially announced on February 11, 2009, the game was released worldwide on... . Fixes ‘Boot to Disc’ option.
2.0.12611.0	November 1, 2010	Public	Kinect Dashboard/System Software Changes Adds the ability to install game updates to the HDD. (select games only) Adds the new anti-piracy 2.5 scheme to newly released games Fable III Fable III Fable III is the third video game in the Fable series of action role-playing games . The game was developed by Lionhead Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360. The story focuses on the player character's struggle to overthrow the King of Albion by... , Hasbro Family Game Night 3 Hasbro Family Game Night 3 Hasbro Family Game Night 3 is a video game sequel to Hasbro Family Game Night and Hasbro Family Game Night 2. It was released on October 26, 2010 for the PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360.-Playable Games:The Game of LifeClueTwister... , Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit can refer one of several racing video games in the Need for Speed series: Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit by EA Canada released in 1998* Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 by EA Black Box released in 2002... and Assassins Creed Brotherhood Adds a visual refresh to incorporate elements of Microsoft's Metro design style. New boot screen animation with redesigned Xbox 360 orb and ribbons. Improved Avatars to 2.0 version with human-like proportions. Improved HDD load time. Xbox Live Changes Adds ESPN ESPN Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming.... as an app download via Xbox Live. Certain ISPs do not support the service. ESPN can be limited or blocked entirely. Updates Zune adding Zune Music and ZunePass functionality. Updates Game Marketplace with a Metro-style redesign and easier navigation. New codec for Xbox Live voice chat that improves communication quality. Better connection when using a wireless network adapter. Improved Netflix integration by enabling to search the entire Netflix catalog from within the console. Added Netflix support for Canada. Improved "toast" notifications. One example being "Friends using this app" now shows when a friend uses Facebook Facebook Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as... instead of it referred to as a "game" when you start it. Kinect Changes Adds a motion menu specialized for Kinect under system settings. Adds Kinect Functionality for Zune Zune Zune is a digital media brand owned by Microsoft which includes a line of portable media players, a digital media player software for Windows machines, a music subscription service known as a 'Zune Music Pass', music and video streaming for the Xbox 360 via the Zune Software, music, TV and movie... , Last.fm Last.fm Last.fm is a music website, founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. It has claimed 30 million active users in March 2009. On 30 May 2007, CBS Interactive acquired Last.fm for UK£140m .... , Sky Player Sky Player Sky Go is an online television service from Sky which launched in January 2006. The service allows users to watch live and on demand video content from their Mac, Windows PC, mobile phone or Xbox 360 via a broadband or Wi-Fi internet connection... . Adds Video Kinect as an app download via Xbox Live. This app lets players video chat with the Kinect sensor bar.
2.0.9199.0	April 6, 2010	Public	System Changes Allows up to two USB flash drives or external hard drives to be used for storing profiles, game saves, demos and more up to 16 GB each, 32GB combined. Allows content transfer to another attached storage device. Content transfer does not copy installed games. Restores to banned consoles the ability to install games to hard drive, which decreases load times and eliminates noise due to disc spin.
2.0.8955.0	October 23, 2009	Public	System Software Changes Disables support for 3rd-party memory cards (e.g. Datel Max Memory). Detects all consoles with any firmware version of Xtreme or iXtreme until 1.61. Disables hard drive installs for banned consoles, can no longer be used as a media center, and user information, such as profiles and game saves, appear corrupted when used on another console. Xbox Live Changes Enables (previously inactive) WPA2 support for the official Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter. Enabled Facebook Facebook Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as... , Twitter Twitter Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July... , Last.fm Last.fm Last.fm is a music website, founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. It has claimed 30 million active users in March 2009. On 30 May 2007, CBS Interactive acquired Last.fm for UK£140m .... and Zune Marketplace on November 17, 2009. Facebook, Twitter and Last.fm are only available to Xbox Live Gold Members.
2.0.8507.0	September 23, 2009	Public	System Software/Xbox Live Changes Mandatory update that prepared for subsequent growth of the Xbox 360 Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles... console and/or Xbox Live Xbox Live Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002... . Specifically, preparations for the additions of Facebook Facebook Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as... , Twitter Twitter Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July... , and Last.fm Last.fm Last.fm is a music website, founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. It has claimed 30 million active users in March 2009. On 30 May 2007, CBS Interactive acquired Last.fm for UK£140m .... to the dashboard.
2.0.8498.0	August 11, 2009	Public	System Software Changes Fixes The JTAG Hack. Update that fixes issues with limited games and with dashboard. Adds Display Discovery to allow console to override factory settings for HDTV resolutions and refresh rates. Also discovers the best possible resolution and refresh rates that the HDTV is capable of displaying (Selected HDTVs). Adds HDMI Reference Levels Fixes a vulnerability used to run arbitrary code. Ability to eject tray using a gamepad even when a disc is already inserted. (X Button) Improves Xbox Guide performance. Reduces hard drive game installation sizes. Adds a Clear Cache option to the storage units. Xbox Live Changes Adds the Avatar Marketplace. Adds Games on Demand to the Game Marketplace. Community Games rebranded to Indie Games. Adds the ability to rate content (Uses a 5-star rating system). Introduces Xbox Live Gold Member Veteran Status. Improves Netflix. Users can now change the instant queue from the console. Adds Netflix movie parties. Adds a "Prizes" area to Xbox LIVE Primetime. Xbox Live Primetime (Summer 2009). Play game shows with friends over Xbox Live to win Microsoft Points Microsoft Points Microsoft Points are the currency of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Games for Windows - Live Marketplace, Windows Live Gallery, and Zune online stores. The points allow users to purchase content without a credit card and to reduce the number of small credit card transaction fees, which Microsoft would... and Themes Theme (computing) In computing, a theme is a preset package containing graphical appearance details, used to customize the look and feel of an operating system, widget set or window manager.... (For example: 1 vs 100 1 vs. 100 (Xbox 360) 1 vs. 100 was a massively multiplayer online Xbox Live adaptation of the trivia game show of the same name.-Summary:There were two versions of the game, referred to as 1 vs. 100 Live and 1 vs. 100 Extended Play... ).
2.0.7371.0	April 2, 2009	Public	Other Update that fixes issues with limited games.
2.0.7363.0	February 3, 2009	Public	System Software/Other Mandatory update that fixed HDMI audio issues caused by the New Xbox Experience update.
2.0.7357.0	November 19, 2008	Public	NXE: New Xbox Experience System Software Changes Completely redesigned GUI Gui Gui or guee is a generic term to refer to grilled dishes in Korean cuisine. These most commonly have meat or fish as their primary ingredient, but may in some cases also comprise grilled vegetables or other vegetarian ingredients. The term derives from the verb, "gupda" in Korean, which literally... with a navigation system similar to that of Windows Media Center Windows Media Center Windows Media Center is a digital video recorder and media player developed by Microsoft. It is an application that allows users to view and record live television, as well as organize and play music and videos... . New pop-up/in-game Live Guide, using a redesigned version of the blades interface. New sound effects (menus only, notification sounds remain the same). Ability to preview themes before setting them. Ability to disable notifications (new messages, chat requests, etc.) or mute the notification sound. Support for 1440×900 and 1680×1050 16:10 resolutions (letterboxed) over VGA, HDMI HDMI HDMI is a compact audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed digital data. It is a digital alternative to consumer analog standards, such as radio frequency coaxial cable, composite video, S-Video, SCART, component video, D-Terminal, or VGA... and when using DVI. Ability to change to QWERTY keyboard in place of alphabetical keyboard. Xbox Live ChangesXbox Live Party allowing for eight-person chat and image sharing. Fully customizable Avatars for use in upcoming games and on Xbox Live. (Some current games also received an update on November 19 to support the new Avatars). Access Xbox Live Marketplace Xbox Live Marketplace The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content... on a PC via Xbox.com with the ability to queue downloads to the Xbox 360. Ability to watch Netflix movies on an Xbox 360. (User must be in the US, a Gold Xbox Live member, and a Netflix Unlimited subscriber) Increases the Active Downloads queue limit from 6 to 40. Other Option to install games to hard drive in order to decrease load times and to make the hardware quieter. The disc must still be present for the game to load. Information from Xbox Live regarding the game in the disc tray. Quick Launch for launching games on the console. Ability to remove games with 0 gamerscore from the profiles played games list. Upon starting any Xbox 360 game, users will be notified if any of their friends and/or party are playing the same game. Auto Start – Option to set whether you want the disc to run/or stay idle when the disc tray closes with a game or media disc inside, by default it's set to run. NOTE: Update requires 128 MB of free memory Microsoft has stated that the NXE will be released to non Xbox Live members (e.g.: on DVD in OXM) at a later date. It is now also available with certain games on the disc itself.
2.0.6717.0	August 6, 2008	Public	System Software Changes/Other Mandatory update that prepared for subsequent growth of the service.
2.0.6690.0	April 18, 2008	Public	System Software Changes/Other Mandatory update that prepared for subsequent growth of the Xbox 360 Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles... console and/or Xbox Live Xbox Live Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002... .
2.0.6683.0	December 4, 2007	Public	System Software Changes Support for MPEG-4 Part 2 MPEG-4 Part 2 MPEG-4 Part 2, MPEG-4 Visual is a video compression technology developed by MPEG. It belongs to the MPEG-4 ISO/IEC standards. It is a discrete cosine transform compression standard, similar to previous standards such as MPEG-1 and MPEG-2... video playback and AC3 audio. (With Optional Media Update) Original Xbox games played now appear in the user's played games list. Parental Timer. Xbox Guide opens significantly faster. Game gameplay fades out when console is turned off. Redesigned user interface. Improved performance. Xbox Live Changes Inside Xbox news feed. The marketplace has been redesigned and is now more organized. The user's downloaded videos are now organized by TV show and season. Social Networking Social network service A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities. A social network service consists of a representation of each user , his/her social... features. Other Players can now put their name, city of residence and a biography under their gamertag. Adds the ability to view users' friends' friends list (Friends of Friends). Xbox Live Arcade Xbox Live Arcade Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers... trial games are no longer written to Gamercard.
2.0.5787.0	September 20, 2007	Public	Other Prepared the system for communication with the Xbox 360 Big Button Controller (bundled with Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action is a video game adaptation of popular DVD-based party game of the same name exclusively for the Xbox 360. The game features over 1,800 questions. Downloadable content through Xbox Live was planned for the game for early 2008, however it never materialized. This is... ).
2.0.5766.0	August 7, 2007	Public	Other Prepared the system for communication with the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is a music video game, the third main installment in the Guitar Hero series, and the fourth title overall... Les Paul wireless guitar controller.
2.0.5759.0	May 9, 2007	Public	System Software Changes Switchable aspect ratio during video playback (Auto to Letterbox, Zoom, Stretch, Native). The information bar that turns on via the On-Screen Display (OSD) now shows exactly how much time has lapsed in the playback of the video file. Windows Media protected content (WM-DRM), which can now be streamed from the PC to the console. If the WM-DRM license is missing or corrupted, then a specific error message is displayed to the user. Bookmarking is also stored for protected content. Option to boot straight into Media Center Extender Windows Media Center Extender Windows Media Center Extenders are devices that are configured to connect via a Network link to a computer running Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows Vista Home Premium/Ultimate or Windows 7 Home Premium or higher to stream the computer's media center functions to the Extender device... mode (as well as changing the MC logo to the Vista Windows Vista Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs... version). Low-power background download function. The storage device, one core of the CPU, the fans, and any other components required for downloading remain powered, but rest of the system, such as the GPU and the disc drive, is shut off. System completely powers off once downloads are complete. Download blocks to prevent a download from starting if it will not fit onto a storage device, without deducting any points associated with the content item. Xbox Live Changes A separate, fifth blade for the Marketplace Xbox Live Marketplace The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content... . A more consistent interface for the Marketplace Xbox Live Marketplace The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content... . Option to automatically download all free Xbox Live Arcade Xbox Live Arcade Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers... games. Other Two new languages, Russian Russian language Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics... and Polish Polish language Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries... . Title of a game (when inserted into system) appears in the tray icon on the Dashboard menu. When highlighted, achievements and Gamerscore are displayed for that game based on the signed-in user. Support for MPEG-4 MPEG-4 MPEG-4 is a method of defining compression of audio and visual digital data. It was introduced in late 1998 and designated a standard for a group of audio and video coding formats and related technology agreed upon by the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group under the formal standard ISO/IEC... videos. Windows Live Messenger Windows Live Messenger Windows Live Messenger is an instant messaging client created by Microsoft that is currently designed to work with Windows XP , Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Mobile, Windows CE, Xbox 360, Blackberry OS, iOS, Java ME, S60 on Symbian OS 9.x and Zune HD... integration with the Dashboard. Support for "Reference Levels" to video. The ability to see the percentage of downloaded Video Marketplace content and where the ‘chapters’ exist for the said file. More specific “Achievement Unlocked” message, detailing the achievement unlocked and how many points it is worth.
2.0.4552.0	January 9, 2007	Public	System Software Changes Fixed a Privilege escalation Privilege escalation Privilege escalation is the act of exploiting a bug, design flaw or configuration oversight in an operating system or software application to gain elevated access to resources that are normally protected from an application or user... vulnerability in the Hypervisor Hypervisor In computing, a hypervisor, also called virtual machine manager , is one of many hardware virtualization techniques that allow multiple operating systems, termed guests, to run concurrently on a host computer. It is so named because it is conceptually one level higher than a supervisory program... that allowed non-signed code (such as Linux Linux Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds... ) to run on the Xbox 360 Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles... , with direct hardware access.
2.0.4548.0	November 30, 2006	Public	Xbox Live Changes Improved performance on wired headsets when used with a wireless controller. Other Video output issues on VGA connections fixed.
2.0.4532.0	October 31, 2006	Public	System Software Changes Support for 1080p 1080p 1080p is the shorthand identification for a set of HDTV high-definition video modes that are characterized by 1080 horizontal lines of resolution and progressive scan, meaning the image is not interlaced as is the case with the 1080i display standard.... video output. Support for the external HD DVD HD DVD HD DVD is a discontinued high-density optical disc format for storing data and high-definition video.Supported principally by Toshiba, HD DVD was envisioned to be the successor to the standard DVD format... drive attachment. Cosmetic changes to the Dashboard. Xbox Live Changes Support for Zune Zune Zune is a digital media brand owned by Microsoft which includes a line of portable media players, a digital media player software for Windows machines, a music subscription service known as a 'Zune Music Pass', music and video streaming for the Xbox 360 via the Zune Software, music, TV and movie... . Option for automatic downloading of trial versions of newly released titles in Xbox Live Arcade Xbox Live Arcade Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers... . Other Streaming of WMV files from a computer through the use of Windows Media Connect Windows Media Connect Windows Media Connect is a UPnP AV server from Microsoft for Windows XP and later Windows operating systems, to share and stream media on a Windows computer to WMC clients. The first two releases of WMC were made available as stand-alone software, and included a client as well... , connected USB device, CD or a DVD DVD A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions.... . Windows Media Player Windows Media Player Windows Media Player is a media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices... 11 as a supported streaming program.
2.0.2858.0	June 13, 2006	Public	System Software Changes/Other Improved character recognition for users with the localized Chinese language version of the dashboard on their Xbox 360(s).
2.0.2857.0	June 6, 2006	Public	System Software Changes Option to resume DVD DVD A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions.... playback from where it was last stopped. Option to boot to either a disc or the dashboard when system is turned on. New slideshow options for Photo Viewing, which can save folder layouts between sessions. Concurrent downloads, allowing multiple downloads as background tasks. Xbox Live Changes Xbox Live Marketplace Xbox Live Marketplace The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content... was reorganized.
2.0.2258.0	March 2, 2006	Public	System Software Changes/Other Prepared console for subsequent system and title updates.
2.0.2255.0	January 30, 2006	Public	System Software Changes Improvements to the Xbox Guide. Option to retain saved games when a profile is deleted. More detailed messaging for unreadable disk or region errors. Xbox Live Changes Network configuration improvements for Xbox Live members in the Netherlands. Other Increased accuracy of "last time played".
2.0.2241.0	November 22, 2005	Public	System Software Changes Update available at product launch.
2.0.1888.0	November 22, 2005	Public	First version of the Xbox 360 System Software released. Original shipped version (The backup of 2.0.1888.0 remains in the backup kernel storage).

Xbox LIVE Preview Program

Starting with the NXE Dashboard (2.0.7357.0), Larry Hryb (Xbox LIVE's Major Nelson) and other team members hosted a new segment using Microsoft Connect to allow members of the Xbox LIVE

Xbox Live

Community to get a chance to have a preview of the next dashboard. Small bug fixes & minor improvements are not included with the Preview Program, this is only limited to major releases (NXE, Kinect, Metro) which only seem to be released in the month of November of each year since the console's launch in November 2005, as well as the Preview Program's inauguration during the NXE Dashboard being rolled out in November 2008. In 2009, the Preview Program returned in August for a summer update (3 months earlier than the regular annual update). Then, the incentive returned in 2010 for the Kinect Dashboard, but users were unable to grasp the full concept of the dashboard because the Kinect sensor was not hitting store shelves until 3 days after the Kinect dashboard had rolled out to all Xbox 360 owners.

The Preview Program incentive enrollment usually starts in (approximately) the middle of October. Those who applied would be notified no later than 2 weeks after the enrollment date with the new Preview Program dashboard launching 1 week after that (first week of November). Any Xbox LIVE member may apply, but those who are Gold Members are more likely to be picked due to the many Gold Member incentives already in place. All details for an upcoming Preview Program can be located on MajorNelson.com when the time is near.

Downloadable Applications

Besides gaming, the Xbox 360 console can be used for other applications. The main requirement for any of these external services (with the exception of Twitter

Twitter

Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...

) is that you have the required available storage space. Applications are also "country specific". These downloaded applications can either be stored on a Hard Disk Drive or on a USB Flash Storage device.

Backwards compatibility

The Xbox 360 system software includes built in software emulation support for the original Xbox

Xbox

game system. Software emulation is achieved with downloadable emulation profiles, which require a hard drive. The last reported update to the list was in 2007 and support has since been discontinued for adding new titles.

History of Updates

Xbox LIVE Preview Program

Downloadable Applications

Backwards compatibility

See also