Microsoft Unveils New 360 Interface, First Screens Inside

During its E3 press conference today, Microsoft announced that it will be rolling out a new look for the Xbox 360 interface this fall. Taking a page from companies like Apple and Nintendo, the new dashboard design looks less clunky and more streamlined. Pages will now be displayed as images on a 3D plane, reminiscent of the “coverflow” design used on the new iPhone and iTunes interface. As we reported earlier on Xboxist, the system will introduce new avatars which strongly resemble the “Mii” characters available on the competing Nintendo Wii.

Apart from the decision to go with cute-looking avatars and the somewhat derivative navigation system, the new design is a welcome change. This new look will also help Microsoft keep abreast of changes to the Sony Home interface, which is currently in beta but will be officially released later this year. Finally, although there were many rumors last week about a possible motion controller for the 360, the company did not make any announcement about such a device during their briefing today. That is a shame, because the new dashboard design looks like it would fit well with a motion-sensitive control device.