Xbox 360 Elite Finally Announced

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Possibly the worst kept secret in gaming history, but finally the Xbox Elite has been announced. On Channel 10 last night Albert Penello showed off the black matte console, featuring HDMI output and a 120GB Hard Drive. The console will not be limited edition, as some had been suggesting, and will be released to the US and Canadian markets on the 29th April for $479.99 USD.

A HDMI cable will be included in the box, along with other black accessories; both component and composite cables, an audio adapter for use with HDMI and a black finish for the console, wireless controller and Xbox Live headset. There will be no rumoured HD-DVD drive, in-built wi-fi capabilities, nor will the console use the smaller 65nm chips.

For existing 360 Core and Premium owners, Microsoft is offering the chance to upgrade your hard drive to 120GB for $179.99, making the cost for Premium owners $580 if they include the original price of the console. Microsoft are currently working on a way to transfer existing data from a 20GB Hard Drive to a new 120GB one.

View: On 10

Video: Announcement (wmv)

(3 replies) #1 lothodon on 28 Mar 2007 - 11:26

wait a sec...

audio adapter for hdmi? i thought hdmi already had the audio as part of the cable. also, are they saying i have to pay $179 AND give them my hard drive to get the 120gb, or is that just the price of the hard drive alone?

anyone know if anything "free" comes on the new drives, like hexic hd did on the 20gig?

#1.1 cashman on 28 Mar 2007 - 11:28

I think they plan to include some demos on the new hard drive, the audio adaptor is if you want to run the audio separately to an older 5.1 sound system. You keep your hard drive when you buy the new one, they are still trying to figure a way to transfer the data to your new hard drive disk though.

#1.2 kravex on 28 Mar 2007 - 14:34

If you’re buying a 120GB hard drive to add to your old white Xbox360 then you get a cable and software to transfer it across, if you’re buying a new Elite model and have an old white one you’re going to have to wait for them to create some software to transfer it across.

#1.3 westonb_2005 on 29 Mar 2007 - 04:33

Quote - (lothodon said @ #1)

wait a sec...

audio adapter for hdmi? i thought hdmi already had the audio as part of the cable.

What if you want to use HDMI to DVI?

#2 Dakkaroth on 28 Mar 2007 - 11:51

So not worth it. :?

#3 +Cheshire Cat on 28 Mar 2007 - 12:29

Thats the version that I've been waiting for

Now I'll buy an X-box 360

I didn't like the white and I wanted HDMI

#4 +status-seeker on 28 Mar 2007 - 12:40

Great! Can't wait 'till it comes to Europe. Finally can get an Xbox360.

(3 replies) #5 spacer on 28 Mar 2007 - 12:49

This new "elite" model is nice, but I don't have an HDTV so the added HDMI isn't worth it for me. I am kinda bummed about the price of the HDD though. It costs way too much for the capacity it has. I really wish MS would have gone with a standard form-factor for the HDD so they could release cheaper, higher capacity drives.

The new black color is nice, but I didn't really have a problem with the white. My only gripe about the aesthetic side of it (for either color) is the stupid chrome disk drive. I wish they would just remove the chrome and replace it with a finish that matches the rest of the casing.

#5.1 traxor on 28 Mar 2007 - 13:22

Quote - (spacer said @ #5)

I wish they would just remove the chrome and replace it with a finish that matches the rest of the casing.

The chrome disk tray only comes on the premium consoles. If you don't like it, buy a core one.

#5.2 spacer on 28 Mar 2007 - 14:01

I wasn't aware that it did, but thanks for pointing that out. I don't think it's worth me trading in my premium 360 just for the sake of vanity, but it's nice to know. I was really refering to the Elite model because I'm pretty sure it's on the "elite" model too, no?

#5.3 +cheesegoduk on 28 Mar 2007 - 16:21

Quote - (traxor said @ #5.1)

I never noticed that :|

(1 reply) #6 ahhell on 28 Mar 2007 - 13:09

"HDMI cable will be included in the box"

I like how Microsoft stresses that point. In your face, Sony!

#6.1 PeterTHX on 01 Apr 2007 - 13:00

Gigabit ethernet? nope

Wireless 802.11g? nope

TRUE 1080p games, not upsampled 720p games? Nope.

HD DVD playback? Nope.

SD/MMC/MS Memory card reader? Nope

SACD playback? Nope

Dolby TrueHD? Nope

Multichannel PCM output? Nope

All supported by the PlayStation 3.
In your fact Microsoft!

(1 reply) #7 Aero Ultimate on 28 Mar 2007 - 13:39

Yes, just one of those things where Sony rips off their customers... with the hefty price of the PS3, they're still too greedy to include a Hdmi cable

#7.1 PeterTHX on 01 Apr 2007 - 12:56

Oh please.

At least the PS3 HDMI supports multichannel uncompressed audio.

The 360 is limited to either lossy DD/DTS or 2 channel PCM. Nor does it support HDMI 1.3 (limited to 1.2a)

Quality HDMI cables are expensive. There's evidence the cheap crappy component cable degrades the XBOX 360 720p/1080i output. I can only imagine the issues they'll have with their HDMI one.

Nor does MS have true faith in their HD DVD solution.

Is wireless built in? Nope. Is it still the overheated noisy monster? Yep.

$179 for the standalone 120GB HDD. A joke. I can get a USB 2.0/FireWire Western Digital MyBook 500GB for $229!

#8 Swordnyx on 28 Mar 2007 - 14:32

I'm switching from PS to X360 now...

I was a hardcore PS fan for 7 years (half my life) and now will finally switch to the XBOX 360 ELITE!!!

#9 El Sid on 28 Mar 2007 - 14:39

Quote - "Albert Penello"

Personally I've been working on [the 360 Elite] for a long time

Why? What have you been working on for a long time? It's not exactly a major upgrade

#10 +Volatile on 28 Mar 2007 - 14:41

All I could do during this whole video was look at that woman's lovely cleveage.

#11 Minchino on 28 Mar 2007 - 15:02

$179.99 for a 120GB drive! What on earth are they thinking.

(2 replies) #12 macrosslover on 28 Mar 2007 - 15:02

the harddrive is worth the extra $70 from getting the costs of a pro system, assuming you don't have either system, but other than that I'm disappointed in this announcement. for one they should have included their newer cooler chips in the system to make the system overall quieter, but to me the biggest traversty is not including the wi-fi built-in in this version. I mean you still have to add $100 to the cost of the system to get wi-fi, and you're basically $20 cheaper than a ps3 that has a next-generation storage format in it. you could argue which matters more for you, the extra storage you get with the 360 or the blu-ray that you get with the PS3, but the argument is there either way, and I think MS made a mistake by at least not including the wi-fi in the system.

#12.1 Express on 28 Mar 2007 - 15:56

It does have the newer smaller chip.

#12.2 +cheesegoduk on 28 Mar 2007 - 16:21

Quote - (Express said @ #12.1)

No it doesn't

(1 reply) #13 J400uk on 28 Mar 2007 - 15:06

I have been thinking about gettin a 360 for a while now and I really like the look of this one, but can I connect it up to my non-HDCP DVI 20" widescreen monitor via the HDMI port?

#13.1 macrosslover on 28 Mar 2007 - 15:27

yeah i think you can I just think it won't output 1080p in movies, not sure about games though.

#14 bluep3ace on 28 Mar 2007 - 23:22

read this on the new york times

#15 Youngy on 29 Mar 2007 - 10:42

Is there a date for UK launch yet?

#16 IceBrewedBeer on 01 Apr 2007 - 01:41

I wish the black was like a glossy black....like car paint. The primer black is kinda boring IMO.

#17 RedHook on 02 Apr 2007 - 17:28

They should create an update/trade in program

trade in your old white 360 + ($$

for the elite

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