Buyer's Guide Xbox 360 Hardware

On this page read topics, features, news, FAQ and reviews about the Xbox 360 series.

Xbox Mk 1 | Variants | Games | Xbox Live | Boards

Xbox 360 Differences

Buyer's Guide: The Xbox 360 console is available in three variants. The differences often cause confusion. The newest release is the Xbox Elite which has improved reliability and a larger hard disk. All Xbox 360 consoles have the same components (CPU, Sound, Graphics), albeit slightly different minor revisions and system specific extras listed below.

Xbox 360 Core: No hard drive, no headset, no HD cables, wired pad
Xbox 360 Arcade: 256MB (small) memory card , wireless pad
Xbox 360 Pro/Premium: 20GB hard drive, HDMI (great for gaming), wireless game pad, headset with mic, silver disk tray
Xbox 360 Elite (RECOMMENDED): Features all of above except for a 120GB hard drive, it is also black with silver disk tray

Xbox Games

The most popular Xbox 360 bundle on sale right now is the Xbox 360 premium with Smackdown Vs Raw 2007, followed closely by the PES (Pro Evolution Soccer) bundle. The top Xbox 360 game on sale in January was Lost Planet: Extreme Condition. See below for more info. For February 2007, we eagerly await the much hyped release of Crackdown. Crackdown is a hybrid driving / shoot-em up style game.

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition

Sci - Fi Shooter
1 Player (16 in multi player mode)
Xbox Live Compatible

The eight hour review from games team concluded: Sit back and shoot! Lost Planet provides lots of weapons + ammo and plenty of monsters to destroy. Varied environments from icy landscapes to volcanoes. Best in multiplayer mode - another pleaser for Xbox owners.

Xbox Live!

Xbox 360 offers an online gaming experience using Xbox Live. Choose between Gold or Silver subscription. If your 360 isn't connected to Xbox Live, then you missing out on all the fantastic online gaming the console has to offer, but also the great games available to download. Xbox Live allows you to play multi-player Xbox 360 games on the internet over your broadband connection. The service also lets you download bonus extras, such as missions, characters and vehicles for your favorite games.

Live Arcade Unplugged is the pre-packed equivalent, offering offline gamers the chance to play all the great downloadable Xbox Live titles, without subscription to Xbox Live.

White Xbox 360 - Nicely Done!

First and foremost, the new white, sleek, slim-line look of the Xbox 360 makes the parent machine look like a left over component from the Star Trek's generation of technology. The original Xbox was big and heavy, cased in black with green, which polarised opinion. Some gamers loved it, but others saw it as ugly and decided to store the box under an extended makeshift TV unit , likely constructed from PS2 games. Aside from the exterior design, the 360 is a vastly more powerful machine than its predecessor. In terms of compute and graphics power, the 360 is far more beastly, in the same way as home PCs have progressed in the same era. The premium 360 comes with a 20Gb hard drive, compared to 8Gb on the original Xbox 1. However, more significantly, the new Xbox 360 can act as a home entertainment centre - streaming pictures, music and video from portable music players, digital cameras and PCs which run Microsoft Windows XP.