Xbox Updated Disc Format Firmware Rolling Out Today

The latest Xbox 360 System Update, which adds functionality for an updated disc format, started rolling out onto Xbox 360 consoles worldwide today, with plans for all users to receive it throughout the next couple of weeks. Larry 'Major Nelson' Hryb, director of programming for Xbox Live, posted on his blog noting that this latest update will also see a couple of extra features, including the addition of Paypal functionality. Once updated, Xbox Live users will be able to link their Paypal account to their console, and use it to buy Microsoft Points, Gold subscriptions and Games on Demand titles. Hryb warned, however, that this Paypal feature will not be available in all countries, with multiple European countries omitted, including Finland, Greece and the Czech Republic, and other areas such as Brazil, India and Russia. The new update also adds an auto-standby feature that puts your Xbox console on standby if it is left for more than an hour, in the hope of reducing power comsumption. Microsoft revealed yesterday that "a very small number of Xbox 360 owners" will find their console is not compatible with a previously released update, and in this instance, the company will replace any such console with a free Xbox 360 S. [UPDATE: Microsoft has confirmed with Gamasutra that it is a previously released system update that is causing the issue, and not this particular firmware.]