Microsoft on Wednesday took the wraps off its Xbox 360 Elite , a new version of its video game console expected to hit stores at the end of April. The new version of the Xbox 360 will cost $479.99, still cheaper than Sony's PlayStation 3.

 

The Xbox 360 Elite, widely rumored over the past several days on gaming sites, is an upgraded version of the original Xbox 360, featuring a black exterior, 120GB hard disk drive, High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) port and high definition video cable. It also includes a matching wireless controller and Xbox Live headset.

 

The US$479.99 price tag comes in $20 less than the PlayStation 3, and the hard drive is six times the capacity of current Xbox 360 models -- enough to store a library of Xbox Live Arcade games and thousands of songs, as well as high-definition TV shows and movies downloaded from Xbox Live, according to Microsoft.

 

Xbox Live is Microsoft's online service for Xbox and Xbox 360 owners. In addition to being the rallying point for Xbox users who want to play with each other in competitive or cooperative multiplayer games, the service also features a thriving "Marketplace" that enables users to purchase content they can download to their systems. For Xbox 360 owners, Xbox Live Marketplace provides demos, arcade games, additional content for commercial game releases, television shows and movies, and more.

 

The console is the third to emerge in Microsoft's Xbox 360 family, after the $399 "standard" version and $299 "core system." Both of those systems launched in November 2005.

 

To appease the yearnings of current Xbox 360 owners, Microsoft also plans to offer the 120GB hard drive separately as an accessory for existing Xbox 360's, for $179.99.

 

When the Xbox 360 hit stores in November 2005 it was the first console to offer high-definition gaming although it's now sharing that distinction with the PlayStation 3, which launched in November 2006. Both consoles are also battling with Nintendo's Wii, which has proved surprisingly popular among consumers thanks to its innovative movement-sensitive controller. The Wii doesn't offer high-definition.

 

Here are the salient points:

 

* It's black.

* Includes a 120GB hard drive

* Includes high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port

* Comes with a wireless controller and Xbox LIVE headset, also black.

* 120GB hard drive also will be sold as a stand-alone accessory

* Release date: April 29th

* Price: $479.99

* For stand-alone HD: $179.99

Sony's reply to this news:

 

"We think every PlayStation 3 owner should have an 'elite' experience, which is why we include an internal hard drive and HDMI output in every PS3 we sell, along with the 50 GB of storage capacity on a high definition Blu-ray disc. Sony has been the strongest advocate of high definition as the future of next-generation gaming. This requires high-definition components, including HDMI output, and large storage devices to deliver and store all that rich and vivid HD content. Microsoft's announcement today [er, "tomorrow"] not only legitimizes Sony's PS3 strategy, it moves us closer to adopting universal standards in the area of high definition gaming that will benefit game developers and ultimately the end user."

 

Microsoft did not respond with "your Mom is an elite experience."

Microsoft did not respond with "your Mom is an elite experience."

 

:lol:

Damn why couldn't they make the original one black. Looks so much nicer than the original white one.