Hands-on with Xbox 360 Elite

Xbox 360 Elite: is it a must-have upgrade?

(Credit: Microsoft)

Our Xbox 360 Elite review sample showed up late yesterday afternoon, and we're working up a full review. But that's gonna be a 3,500-word monster intended more for casual gamers and tech newbies who don't know a thumbstick from a joystick or a shoulder button from a trigger. For those in the know, here's the crib sheet on the Elite.

Cosmetics: The Xbox 360 Elite has a matte-black finish. I strongly prefer it to the "iPod white" color scheme of past Xbox 360 models. The included wireless controller and Xbox Live headset are also black. The only real downside is that other black accessories for the 360 won't be immediately available--Microsoft has announced only a black Play & Charge Kit and a rechargeable battery for now. Others will no doubt follow, but you might have to "go zebra" for some add-ons in the meantime. For instance, the HD DVD drive is rumored to be available only in white for the foreseeable future.

HDMI output: This has been at the top of the Xbox 360 wish list since the console was first introduced. But it's really more of a convenience than a necessity. On the plus side, it does allow for an easy, single-cable connection to compatible HDTVs and A/V receivers--and Microsoft includes a heavy-duty HDMI cable in the box (hear that, Sony and Apple?) But the connector apparently isn't the latest and greatest HDMI 1.3 version featured on newer HDTVs, A/V receivers, and the PlayStation 3. That means anyone who adds the HD DVD drive won't be able to pass the full bandwidth Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks available on those movies--only the DVD-level Dolby Digital audio track will be available. Also, despite all the HDMI hype, you're unlikely to see a major difference between HDMI and component-video on most displays. Yes, HDMI sometimes provides a slight increase in quality, but how much of a difference is dependent on the display more than anything else. And while the Elite supposedly delivers DVD upscaling via HDMI, our initial tests found the DVD image to be just as disappointing as the earlier 360--regardless of the resolution of the image.

Bigger hard drive: The Elite's snap-on hard drive is 120GB--six times the size of the older Xbox 360, twice as large as the PS3, and three times the size of the Apple TV. You can never have enough space, so the extra capacity is a definite plus--as anyone who's downloaded even a few of the multigigabyte game demos, HD movies, and TV episodes available on Xbox Live knows. Microsoft is also pledging to deliver an IPTV service to the 360 by year's end--and if it offers any sort of DVR component, that extra space will be even more crucial. (Existing Xbox 360 owners should note that the drive will be available separately for $180, as will a transfer kit that moves the files and settings from your existing HDD to your new one.)

And that's pretty much what the Elite is delivering for its $480 price tag. The black color scheme, HDMI output, and larger hard drive are all decent step-ups from the 20GB Xbox 360 (which remains on the market for $400), but the Elite is something of a disappointment when compared to the $600 PlayStation 3. A next-gen disc player, a Wi-Fi adapter, and a flash media reader--all standard on the PS3--remain optional add-ons for the Elite. Meanwhile, other design shortcomings of the original Xbox 360 seem to have remained more or less unchanged: there are still only three USB ports, the external power brick is still the size of a Volkswagen, and the DVD drive is still annoyingly loud. Moreover, the Elite supposedly doesn't even incorporate the rumored cooler-running 65nm CPU that's been talked about for months, so the internal cooling fan still needs to work overtime (more noise). And while Microsoft has pledged that the Elite will be more reliable than the notoriously buggy first-gen Xbox 360s, there's no easy way to track that. (For the record, both our months-old original 360 and the hours-old 360 Elite have performed flawlessly.)

A new Dashboard update is scheduled to roll out next week that could certainly affect any of the software issues (such as DVD-upscaling performance). But the Elite's hardware is pretty much a done deal, and I can't help to be disappointed that Microsoft didn't step up to the plate and address more of those annoyances listed above.

The bottom line is that the Xbox 360 Elite isn't a must-have upgrade for existing 360 owners, and it doesn't bring the 360 feature set in line with that of the PlayStation 3. But here's the thing: for me, the Xbox 360--either the $400 Premium model or the new $480 Elite--still has more of the games that I like to play: Lost Planet, Gears of War, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, and--the big one--this fall's only-on-Xbox Halo 3. Until the PS3 can offer some compelling alternatives (and I have no doubt that eventually, it will), the Xbox 360 remains the better option. If you agree--and if you're going 360 for the first time--you might as well spend that extra $80 and get the Elite.

[Yeshua2]

XB 360 Elite

I own the version that came with the 20gig drive. My advise for those planning on getting a new system is to spend the extra $80 and get the Elite. The 20gig drive doesn't actually have 20gig of free space. More like 13. You will run out of space. It will cost me $179.99 to upgrade to the new drive. You're actually getting a better deal than what I got.

[sydney_boy]

**Slap Across The Face**

This is regarding to the guy that bought the 20gig X-Box 360>>> Well duh, of coarse the product that was released half a year after your product is a better deal, Microsofties has noticed how much its product sucks compared to the competition, so they release a enhanced version of the x-box 360, which doesn't do much anyway, ooo ahh,6 times more hdd space and hdmi output (not even the most recent hdmi although). OH AND LETS NOT FORGET ITS BLACK, GOTTA GET IT NOW(!) Nothanks, i think ill pass, just like ill pass on vista for now (thanks for nothing microsoft, you've just made life abit more difficult with another DEAD product)

[sydney_boy]

++++++++++ Added from the responce below

Also, serves you right for buying an x-box 360 as soon as it got released. LAWL

[Kokoro-Kun]

When will xbox Ultimate come out???

Sure, they added HDMI port and bigger harddrive (I wouldn't even consider black colour as a 'feature). but they missed some of the very important MUST-HAVE

*65nm process: quieter, less likely to die from ring of fire
*BenQ DVD player: again, quieter, won't kill your disc
*Built-in Wireless: Why do I have to put out another 100 bucks for something that is so standard nowaday??

of course, after Halo comes out, we will likely see a Halo branded Ultimate package with those issues addressed. and prabably another 75 dollars price increase. I mean, people are suckers for Halo brands.

[PrdAmrican]

Hands-on with the XBOX 360 Elite

I now have all three --- XBOX 360 Premium (stood in line for 28 hours for this --- that was fun, but won't ever do that again), XBOX Elite, and a PS/3 60G. Actually, I have a fourth 360 Premium that I got my son so we could play together. They have all worked flawless thus far.

A few observations:

Online Service:
XBOX Live is light years ahead of Sony's on-line. I am really dissapointed with the PS/3 here. It is true that MS has had Live for a lot longer, but even when it debuted on the 360, it was better that the PS/3's online. There just isn't any real reason to get online with the PS/3 other than to play online and this is inconsistent throughout the various games. True, Live cost $50/year for "GOLD" package, but, at least in this case, you gets whats you pays for.

Noise:
The new Elite is no louder than the PS/3 (I have them setting next to each other). I have not compared it to the last 360 I got, but it is quieter than my original one.

Heat:
I sure am getting tired of hearing complaints about the heat that comes out of the 360 "because it is using a 90nm core". Has anyone ever felt the heat on the PS/3? It is not slouch in this department. It is nice that the P/S is built in, but then look at the size of the thing (and weight). I remember all the complaints about XBOX1 and its size... and the PS/3 dwarfs it. Funny how this is a boon for one and a bane for another.

HiDef Movies:
Well, the cool thing is when you have both, you can just go get a movie --- doesn't matter which format you choose. So far, the quality has been excellent on both. Normal DVD's look great also. While I do no have a huge selection of HD or BR disks yet, so far the HD's seem to have more features than the BR's (probably due to the code not being finalized yet on BR). As far as movies go, can't go wrong either way.

HDMI vs. Component:
Yep, they (now) both have them. And nope, cannot tell either way. Now, I admit my game room only has a 32" LCD flatpanel but even on the larger 52" in the other room, I can see no difference. Maybe on a true 1020p 60"... but for us mere mortals, no biggie here. Since my set only has one HDMI port, I have the PS/3 using that and the 360 using component. Quality is the same. And the cheapest HDMI cable I could find for the PS/3 cost another $80. What a racket.

Horsepower:
Well, this is a really hard one to judge. I have yet to see anything (other than Folding@Home) that show's that the cell processor is really a good choice for video games (see below). The Folding@Home application for the PS/3 definitely shows that the cell is good at these types of calculations... and boy does it rock at that. Too bad it doesn't seem to fair so well at...

Games:
OK, here is where the rubber hits the pavement, the real meat and potato's of why any of us bought any of these machines. If you are buying a console to play games, there is no reason (yet anyway) to buy a PS/3. What a disappointment. Maybe Sony should of delayed the introduction another 6-12 months... First --- I have Resistance--- and I love this game. My favorite genre is FPS. A good looking game (though not spectacular) and very fun to play. Motorstorm --- awesome looking game, fun to play. Ridge Racer --- looks good, but basically nothing different than the XBOX version. F.E.A.R. --- playable... looks ok, but what the frack is up with the slow frame rates & stuttering? Terrible, should not have been released in this form. Of course, the 360 has a lot of games available --- and some of the best anywhere... Gears is absolutely beautiful to look at. F.E.A.R runs great, both Call of Duty's... come on Sony... get with it...

Game controllers:
This is probably more preference than anything, but having somewhat large hands, I like the 360 controllers size better than the PS/3. I like the rumble. The motion sensing "6-axis" thing is cool, and it is nice to be able to "shake" the controller when an alien gets his hands on you, but it still needs the rumble IMHO. The biggest annoyance, and this may just be a quirk with my controller, but occasionally (usually right in the middle of something important) the PS/3 joystick sort of starts doing its own thing.... Like throwing ALL of your grenades or running uncontrollably in some direction. Mashing buttons multiple times or pushing the PS/3 button usually resets it fairly quickly.

Conclusion:

Don't get me wrong... I love games, and I love both of the consoles I have. [I also have a PS/1, Dreamcast, Saturn, and several others (Channel F or Vectrex anyone?)]. I want both Sony and MS to succeed... competition is good for all of us. But, while I love the impressive hardware, I am not impressed with Sony's efforts thus far to give us a good gaming experience. Their online system is dis-jointed to say the least. Other than a web-browser (which can be incredibly hard to read at times), and an on-line store...it just feels a little lacking. I cannot track my points or see my friends come online. Probably not as bad as it seems, just a little spoiled with the 360. Heck, my 360 has its own blog (pretty funny actually).

The games released to date at best only match the 360's presentation and generally fall short in most areas. Hard to take after shelling out so much money only to get mediocre performance.

I guess the biggest reason to rag on Sony at this point is due to all the hype and lip-service they gave initially... "the next-gen starts when they (Sony) says it does"... "the 360 is 1.5 gen"... well... I imagine that crow has been pretty hard to swallow, and Microsoft must be smiling ear-to-ear.

Rightfully so.

[Xbox 360 Elite]

The Xbox 360 Elite is great but...

has it lost part of its value? Now that the Blu-Ray Disc has won this puts the Xbox at a slight disadvantage. People might see the dual utility gained from getting a PS3. Of course, I'm a believer that you shouldn't get a console just for movies that you can watch. So, for now the games that the xbox 360 offers now as well as Xbox Live will keep me satisfied.

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