What is the round “X” button for at the top of the controller?
The 3D “X” button is the Xbox Guide button. Pressing this at any point when the console is switched on causes a blade (panel) to fly in from the left hand side of the screen all about you – it shows your gamertag, gamer score, gamer picture, link to the text and voice messaging screen, link to your friends list, link to a screen showing people you’re recently played with on Live, enables you to edit your profile settings, and even play and control music in the background whether you’re just in the dashboard or even playing a game. In short, it lets you manage your Xbox 360 experience. The Guide button has a second function which some would argue is more useful than the above – holding it in for a few second while the console is in standby switches the console on while holding it in while the console is on enables you to switch off the console or just the current controller – no need to get off the sofa to turn off the console anymore!
