User interface
Microsoft released the Xbox 360 console on November 22, 2005, a year earlier than both the Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii. Having the advantage of the lead, Microsoft was able to experiment with various customization options for the consumer's individual consoles. The ability to customize the way the console looked with various themes to fit the front and sides of it was something very different for home console users. In system, the Xbox 360 Dashboard had the ability to have multiple profiles with password on the same console with each user being able to customize the dashboard to exactly fit their own unique style. There were premium themes available for purchase on the Xbox Live Marketplace apart from the default styles. Originally there were four (later five, after the introduction of the "Marketplace" blade in late 2006) tabs or sections known as the "blades" for the Xbox 360 menu, namely Xbox Live, Games, Media and System. In scrolling from left to right, each section would have a different-colored background signifying its own unique area but users also had the option to change all sections to one background color as well.[21]
At E3 2008, Microsoft announced that all Xbox 360 owners would receive a new dashboard update, called the "New Xbox Experience" (NXE), on November 19, 2008, that added several new features.[22] A major new feature was the ability to install an entire game disc onto the Xbox 360's hard drive, which decreases loading times, and significantly reduces noise due to the game being read from the hard drive and not the louder disc drive. For most games this feature also reduces the amount of time spent reading the disc, thereby helping to extend the life-span of the optical drive mechanism.[23] The Xbox Guide was redesigned. If a user has installed any game onto their Xbox 360 hard drive, they are able to immediately start the game from the guide, whether they are in a game or in the dashboard.[24] The update gives players the ability to create Avatars,[25] which were required by Xbox Live.[22] They also announced that the update supports 16:10 on VGA or HDMI, expanding the choice of resolutions.[26]
On September 22, 2010, Microsoft announced that the Xbox Live dashboard would be updated again. The new design, nicknamed the "Kinect" dashboard, would incorporate the Metro interface used in other Microsoft products, such as Zune HD and Windows Phone. As well as a new color scheme and other minor tweaks to the overall layout, the update would also include a "Kinect hub", designed specifically for the Kinect sensor for easier dashboard navigation.[27] The update was released on November 1, 2010.[28][29]
At E3 2011, it was announced that the dashboard would be updated once again to have the interface look even more like the Metro design in Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, and to include the Bing search engine. Kinect would also be updated allowing users to navigate the dashboard and Bing using their voice. Other updates would include cloud storage, YouTube access, and live television streaming.[30] The new dashboard, nicknamed the "Metro" dashboard, officially went live on December 6, 2011.[31]
On July 29, 2024, along with the discontinuation of the console's Xbox Games Store, the dashboard received an online-only update to remove most tabs, narrowing down its options to only show the remaining functionality of Xbox Live and the console's built-in features.[32][33] The Microsoft Movies and TV app was also discontinued on this date. While the store cannot process new purchases from the console, some of its functionality is available in a read-only state and can be accessed by users using various dashboard actions that were not removed after the discontinuation of the store. However, backwards-compatible Xbox 360 content that is purchased from the Microsoft Store after the Games Store's closure can be downloaded on the console, as well as any content purchased before the discontinuation of the storefront.
On June 25, 2025, the dashboard received yet another online-only update that fixed game thumbnails that were previously distorted and stretched out. It also added advertisements for Xbox Series X and Series S consoles, an easier way to get access to previous purchases, and an online profile to the homepage.[34]
