Microsoft @ E3: New Xbox Dashboard Revealed, Support for YouTube

What has just happened: Xbox Live's Mark Whitten has demonstrated the new Xbox Live Dashboard, which comes with support for Kinect throughout the whole system. Arranged in a similar way to Microsoft's Zune operating system (or, if you want to be a bit more close to the knuckle, the PS3's Xross Media Bar), moving to the left or the right of the dashboard selects a between games, movies and friends lists with ease.

In each area options are displayed in blocks, similar to Windows Phone 7's interface. Apparently this makes things like Live TV and accessing game details "more amazing." On top of the fancy new look, support for YouTube and Bing will also be included. The new dashboard is due to hit this Autumn.

Svend thinks: I really don't think Kinect support is going to make home entertainment "more amazing" as Microsoft says. In fact, it would have been nice to have seen a more impromptu demonstration of the new Dashboard, just to be sure that we're not seeing scripted events taking place here. Regardless, the "New New New Xbox Experience" does seem a lot cleaner than the current "New New Xbox Experience," and I'm looking forward to greater Live TV in any case.