Xbox 360 is getting a new disk format, according to calls for participants in an Xbox LIVE Update Preview Program (that’s a mouthful). As of this writing, the survey is already full. Rats. However, if you were lucky enough to jump in, you would have been treated to a free copy of Halo: Reach as well as other possible rewards for participating.
So what’s so special about this new disc format? According to a Digital Foundry source, the new disc format will increase the storage capacity for game data by 1GB. The previous total amount of space for game data was roughly 6.8 GB out of a maximum 7.95 GB on a dual-layer DVD. That remaining space was left for video partitioning and anti-piracy security. Either that remaining space has been reduced or omitted, which leaves much more room for raw game data storage, which should please game developers.
