The Xbox Metro Update is finally here!
After an unexpected delay, many users flipped their Xbox's on, the morning of December 7th, and downloaded the update after much anticipation. The last major Xbox Live update took place in Fall 2008, when Xbox introduced NXE (or the New Xbox Experience).
New Features
The most obvious, and striking change that comes with the update is the new dashboard "Metro" design, which the Windows Phone and Windows 8 are built upon. There is also a greatly expanded voice and motion control for Kinect users. Users can use their hands and voices to navigate through the variety of new Xbox menus. The new beacon system allows a series of "pings", with a message that tells your friends when you want them to play a certain game.
The Metro update has introduced a cloud-saving feature, making it easier and more convenient for users to switch profiles and access their games from anywhere with an Internet connection, therefore you no longer have to drag your USB drives to friends' houses.
One thing we were hoping for with this new update, was a web browser, but it doesn't look like this will be coming any time soon. However, there is now Bing integration, and a YouTube app!
Among the apps that were previously available (Netflix, Twitter, Facebook, Last FM, Hulu Plus, which have also been made more user friendly), there are a multitude of new video, social, and music apps available for download, with several more coming soon.
First Impressions
Initially, the Metro update seems overwhelming,what with all the new tiles and tabs to scroll through. But after using it for a while, flitting around the tabs easily and effiently becomes second nature. The variety of content now available makes the update worth it.
With this update, it seems that media is becoming more integrated with Xbox, making it a very useful console, not just for gaming, but watching your favorite movies, listening to the music you love, and keeping up to date with what's going on in the world.
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