Microsoft’s latest update to the Xbox 360’s on-board operating system has gone live, bringing a number of new features to console owners.

Leading the way is the integration of Live Messenger, an updated version of Microsoft’s chat software that integrates many of the community features seen in Xbox Live.

Additional upgrades include a dedicated menu blade for the Xbox Live Marketplace, the portal used by Xbox Live members to download content, a more detailed Achievement notification pop-up and an expanded ‘Tell a Friend’ facility.

Elsewhere, the background download manager has also undergone a re-jig, now allowing for both the viewing of media whilst the download is still in progress, as well as commanding the console to automatically shut down once a download completes.

Users who have there Xbox 360 connected online will be prompted to install the update the next time they switch on.