Popular social networking sites Twitter and Facebook will soon be available to users of the Xbox 360 console.

Xbox Live Gold members will gain access to the sites which will be specially optimised for use on a television screen.

Silver membership holders will also get a free trial period to test the software before deciding if they would like to upgrade to Gold.

The move comes as consoles attempt to make more online content available to users, with Sony recently announcing that the new PlayStation 3 Slim will include access to the BBC’s iPlayer and a film streaming service.

A Microsoft spokesperson said that Facebook and Twitter on Xbox Live will offer a truly one-of-a-kind social experience, seamlessly integrated into the console.

They added: "Add to that exclusive access to Last.fm, Netflix, demos, trailers and discounts, we are confident that Xbox Live Gold membership is the best value in home entertainment."

One of the biggest bands in history will be strumming and singing their way over to the Xbox 360 console next month.

The Beatles: Rock Band will be released on September 9th giving fans a chance to emulate their heroes through 45 of their legendary songs.

Hits such as I Want to Hold Your Hand, Day Tripper and Here Comes the Sun are all available for up to six bandmates to join in with.

Gamers will also get access to never-heard-before studio content from recording sessions in the famous Abbey Road studio and cut scenes which give a historical flashback.

According to Ign.com, The Beatles: Rock Band is more about experiencing what it was like to be John, Paul, Ringo and George rather than creating difficult challenges for players to complete.

The game can be used with the existing Rock Band peripherals but special Beatles items such as John Lennon’s Rickenbacker 325 guitar and Ringo Starr inspired drums will also be available to buy.

The Beatles: Rock Band will also be released on PlayStation 3 and the Wii from September 9th.

Xbox 360 console developer Microsoft has revealed its state of the art Natal controller to the general public at the Gamescom festival in Cologne, Germany.

The hands-free control system uses microphones, infrared and a visual camera to portray the gamer’s movements on the screen.

A demo of Burnout Paradise previewed how the gadget works, with the user holding an imaginary steering wheel to drive the car. They would then put their foot to the floor if they wanted to accelerate or brake.

The clever part of the system is the infrared detector which picks out the outline of a player’s body by searching for warm spots. The body is scanned by the sensor and their movements can then be mapped and replicated in a game.

Kudo Tsunoda, creative director of Natal, said that the new technology would be accessible to both casual and core users.

He added: "The current controller is a barrier to some people using our console. To many users the vast array of buttons and analogue sticks is plain confusing."

Unveiling new peripherals has been the flavour of the year for the major games console developers.

First Nintendo released its Motion-Plus add-on for the Wii system, giving gamers a greater depth of manipulation over their in-game characters, and recently Sony announced its Motion Controller which will be available early next year.

The new device works in much the same way as the Wii controller, with movement being read by a set-top detector.

Sony has revealed that the BBC’s television catch-up service will soon be available to PlayStation 3 users.

The console manufacturer confirmed at the annual Gamescon festival in Germany that iPlayer will be available on a link through the PlayStation Network from September 1st.

Users can currently access the service, which allows viewers to watch TV programmes that they might have missed during the past week but they have to go through the inbuilt internet browser which can take some time.

In addition, Sony has also signed a deal with Hollywood firms to allow it to introduce a new film streaming service, which will give gamers a chance to buy or rent content and download it to their PlayStation Portable system.

Andrew House, president of Sony Computer Entertainment, said that the additions to the system will provide a simple way for PlayStation owners to enjoy movie content whenever and wherever they are.

He added: "This is no longer just for hardcore gamers, but for everyone. We believe that everyone enjoys entertainment differently and should have the choice as to what entertainment they consume and exactly how they consume it."

Sony have been forced into cutting the price of the PlayStation 3 because of a lack of sales, it has been claimed.

Production editor at GameSpot UK Alex Sassoon Coby believes that the Sony PlayStation 3 cost too much, which has led to a lag in sales behind competitors.

Sony announced the launch of the new slimline PlayStation 3 on August 19th 2009, in addition to dropping the recommended retail price to £249.99.

The Microsoft Xbox 360 has sold nearly double the number of units as the PlayStation 3 in the UK, compared to figures from VGChartz.com.

Nintendo’s Wii has outsold both the PlayStation 3 (6,417) and Xbox 360 (12,972) with 19,839 units sold, according to the website.

Mr Coby explained: "While it is not game over for them yet, they realised that they did need to change things if they wanted to close that gap."

He suggested that sales may have slowed due to "rumours of this price cut and hardware revision, from the point of view of most consumers, the unit simply costs too much".