Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite

Launch price £300.00

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Stuff says

We can’t believe there’s no built-in Wi-Fi, but otherwise the stealthy Xbox Elite and its merry band of games make an enticing alternative to the PS3

PREVIEW

The Xbox 360 has been desperate for some attention. At the PS3’s launch parade it could do little more than stand in the background holding a ‘Gears of War’ banner. But now Microsoft has put it back in the spotlight, thanks to a new powered-up version called the Elite.

The stealthy box has just been released in the US and costs $80 more than the current Xbox Premium package. So is it worth waiting for? And how does it stack up against the PS3?

Goodbye component, hello HDMI
The Elite is different from the Premium package in three ways. The most important, particularly for those with HDTVs, is the new HDMI output. However, in our preview the Elite’s HDMI seemed to look worse than the component out on a standard 360, with fluorescent greens and an over-sharp picture. This may have been down to the way the screens were set up, but it doesn’t bode well. 

Secondly, there’s the very welcome addition of a 120GB hard-drive. This sets it up nicely for a video download service, which we're expecting in the UK by the end of the year.