The New Xbox 360 In Detail

It looks like the rumors are true, there is a new Xbox 360 and might I say, It has Playstation 3 written all over it.  The new 250GB Xbox 360 is much smaller and sleeker than the previous model with a black look and glossy finish, which is also equipped with built in 802.11n Wi-Fi.  This smaller model is said to have one large fan instead of two small fans for quieter operation.

Here is a list of all the specs of the new system:

• Touch Sensitive Buttons - turn the Xbox 360 on or off and eject a disc with the swipe of a finger
• Whisper Quiet - Whether you're playing a DVD disc or from the hard drive or navigating the dashboard, with the all-new and much quieter Xbox 360, the only noise you'll hear is your own laughing, cheering and playing
• Wi-Fi - Built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi for fast, easy connection to your friends and entertainment on Xbox LIVE.
• Hard Drive - 250GB internal, swappable hard drive for even more storage. To access, remove the bottom panel by pushing the small tab toward the front of the console.
• Kinect-ready - Custom Kinect port on the back of the console that directly hooks up to the Kinect sensor for controller-free fun.
• USB Slots - Five USB ports, three in the back and two in the front.
• Power Supply - Smaller and more efficient. Xbox 360 250GB and Xbox 360 Original power supplies are not interchangeable.
• Wireless Controller - The award-winning Xbox 360 Wireless Controller matches the console in all black with color-matched thumbsticks and directional pad with a touch of gloss and chrome to complete the look.
• Backward Compatible - Your favorite accessories and games will work with Xbox 360 250GB. Xbox 360 external hard drives and Memory Units are not compatible.

The Xbox 360 will be priced the same as the current 360 at $300 and is already being shipped to retailers today. Here are some detailed pictures you can check out to give you satisfaction.

Now here is what I think.  Microsoft was clearly aiming for a more PS3 like Xbox.  Even this was said by a Microsoft rep., "as quiet as a PS3" when describing Whisper Quiet. I think this is a total rip-off of the original Playstation 3 and here is my reasons why:

• The piano black and glossy look is almost identical to the Playstation 3
• The touch sensitive buttons are also straight from the PS3
• The built-in wi-fi, but that had to come sooner or later
• Even the HDD slot is practically identical

But they just can't quite get the blu-ray drive down yet, but I'm sure one day they'll just take a PS3 and write their logo on it.  

I'll keep you updated on all news E3.  Seeya then.

Dominic Sacco

PSN ID: sacco2011