2013 Xbox Live Update Xbox 360 Public Beta announced

Major Nelson just announced on his official blog that they have opened up the public beta for the 2013 Xbox Live Update to Xbox 360. The update promises the usual hardware improvements, but also something else; transactions will be possible using local currency.

Sign up for the 2013 Xbox Live Update Xbox 360 Public Beta – details on my blog http://t.co/cPMWzvp2ue

— Larry Hryb (@majornelson) July 5, 2013

Just last month, Microsoft revealed that they were planning to phase out Microsoft Points completely. They confirmed back then that any existing points would be converted to the local currency of that region, and that moving forward they would be accepting credit cards.

Rumors that Xbox would be ditching the system first came up late last year, when it was discovered Windows 8 had already phased out the system. Although initially received warmly, the Points system was to become a point of contention as it made the real world value of certain purchases and transactions undecipherable.

Xbox 360 owners will now be able to sign up to the beta using the console itself, but they will have to sign a confidentiality agreement for privacy reasons. There will also only be a limited number of slots available. An Xbox Beta Program tile will appear in the 360 home screen allowing you to sign up. The tile will be rolled out to each of the 41 Xbox Live enabled markets separately. Japanese fans are not a part of  the beta for now, but they will get a chance to join in later. 

If you plan to join in, be forewarned that Xbox's public betas will require frequent updates. Major Nelson promises more information and FAQ (with a still inactive link) in the future.