Microsoft Looking To Test New Disc Format For 360 March 29, 2011

Microsoft’s Major Nelson has announced a new testing program is looking for volunteers with an Xbox 360, and it’s for a new system update which will allow the player to be compatible with a new disc format.  No details about the format has been released yet.

The Xbox 360 uses the DVD-ROM format for storage, same as what was used in the PS2, Nintendo Wii and original Xbox.  The 360 discs do include a proprietary copy protection software which makes them only compatible with the Xbox 360, which is why calling them a regular DVD-ROM is a slight misnomer.  Alternatively, Sony uses Blu-Ray in the Playstation 3, which has a much larger storage capacity than a 360 disc, and the ability to play Blu-Ray Disc movies.

Recently, Xbox 360 games like Lost Odyssey have shipped on multiple discs due to limitations in space.

The only alternate disc format add on released for the Xbox 360 was the HD-DVD player, which used a USB connection to play the ill-fated HD-DVD discs and DVDs through the Xbox 360.  The format lost it’s market share to Blu-Ray and the format is no longer supported.  It was never used to play games.