As Microsoft prepares to roll out its next major Xbox 360 system update, details have emerged that the new update will usher in an “updated Xbox 360 disc format”.

According to Kotaku, Microsoft is once again seeking US-based Xbox 360 owners to test out the upcoming update.

The new disc format is the most prominent change planned in the new update, with scant information available as to what exactly this new format will entail.

Possibilities include a new way of encoding data to ensure that pirates are kept from exploiting the system, the very thing which happened to Sony when their PlayStation 3 root key was discovered, allowing users to trick the console into thinking pirated software was actually legitimate.

A new way to compress data on the dics may also be on hand, an innovation which will have a much greater impact on consumers as it can allow for greater storage space on the discs.

Microsoft themselves are keeping things relatively quiet at this stage, with Lawrence Hryb (better known by his Xbox 360 gamertag 'Major Nelson'), telling Kotaku that the only additional information he could reveal was that the format change has nothing to do with Blu-ray.

If you happen to find yourself stateside, you can head over to the Microsoft Connect site to sign up, with participating users receiving a free copy of Halo: Reach, which makes us wish they'd test updates over here once in a while.