How To: Use Real Currency on Xbox Live Right Now Instead of Those Confusing Microsoft Points

For the most part, Xbox Live is amazing, but there is one thing that has been annoying for pretty much everyone, to say the least. Microsoft Points.

Why do we have purchase points with real money, just so we can be confused at how much money we're really spending when we download games and movies with those points?

Well, Say Goodbye to 'Em

When the Xbox One was revealed, Microsoft also announced the removal of the confusing MS Points system in lieu of real currency, which will be available to everyone this fall. But if you don't want to wait, you don't have to. The beta program for the new Xbox Live 2013 is here, as revealed by Major Nelson, and signing up is simple.

How to Sign Up for the Xbox Live 2013 Beta

Public registration has already started, and if it's available in your region, you should see a Xbox Beta Program tile on the home hub of your Xbox 360 dashboard.

You can sign up for the beta program in the U.S. and in 40 other countries, except for Japan. But the beta invitation is only available for a limited time, so if you want in, you better do it quick.

You'll be directed to download the registration app, and then just follow the onscreen prompts to join the beta. You will have to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement), so keep that in mind. And if you break the rules, you could be banned from the beta program, and therefore banned from Xbox Live until the new version is released to the public this fall.

Microsoft points will be completely phased out later this year and remaining MS points on your account will be transformed into the local currency at equal to or greater than the respective value. Microsoft Points cards will also be redeemable for cash equivalencies through 2014.

Hooray, Real Money!

Have you updated to Xbox Live 2013? Do you think the scrapping of MS Points is as great as I do? Let us know in the comments section.