Xbox 360

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Microsoft's Next-Gen Console

Microsoft was the first to launch their newest gaming system in late 2005, trying to get an early jump on the next-gen wars.

Price: $300 for the Core System, $400 for the full package.

Processing Powerhouse

The custom-designed Xbox 360 central processing unit (CPU) runs at a breakneck speed, thanks to its three separate core processors that clock in at 3.2 GHz each.

Xbox 360 boasts a custom ATI graphics processor that clocks in at a blistering 500 MHz. If you want to get even more technical, the Xbox 360 can take advantage of more than four times as many polygons as the original Xbox console, and more than four times the number of pixels per second.

The 512 MB of RAM in Xbox 360 is eight times more powerful than the original Xbox, in terms of simple arithmetic. The system RAM gives developers a unified memory architecture. Game creators decide how to partition it, and all of the hardware components (like the CPU and GPU) can access the memory.

The HD Era

High definition is upon us, and Xbox 360 is ready. Games are required to be authored for 720p and 1080i, and all games are optimized for the 16:9 widescreen viewing ratio. That doesn't mean you have to have an HDTV to play Xbox 360 games. Xbox 360 games always look good, but they look spectacular on your high-definition display.

Hard Drive

The elegantly styled hard drive is physically very small and detachable, but it still boasts a whopping 20 GB of space. The sheer amount of downloadable content that fits on such a hard drive is staggering, and now you can rip more music onto your hard drive and play your own tunes as a soundtrack in any Xbox 360 game.

Smart Power

Xbox 360 utilizes 48 parallel shader pipelines in the GPU that developers can optimize to get the performance they want.. A huge battlefield in Kameo: Elements of Power and a shadow-laden firefight in Perfect Dark Zero look completely different and show the diverse ways just one developer, Rare, took advantage of the GPU's flexibility.

The Power of the system. Two words, Hi-Def

The folks at Xbox have taken a bold step by declaring that all games that appear on the Xbox 360 video game system will support high-definition resolutions up to 720 progressive scan and 1080 interlace. It's important to note the difference between this policy and that of the original Xbox console. With games on the original Xbox, developers had the option to support HD graphics, but Xbox 360 demands that all games feature high-definition options. To clear up some confusion, here are a few key points to bear in mind regarding high-definition support on Xbox 360.

  • You do not need a TV that supports high definition to use the Xbox 360 system. Like all consoles before it, Xbox 360 works perfectly on standard-definition TVs (the resolution for standard def is 480 interlace).
  • The high-definition support for Xbox 360 is dynamic, so even if a game is designed with 720p in mind, but your TV only supports 480p or 1080i, Xbox 360 runs the game in the best resolution your TV offers (up to 720p and 1080i).
  • If you do plan on running games in high definition with your HDTV, you'll need the Xbox 360 Component HD AV Cable, which comes standard with the Xbox 360 system (not the Xbox 360 Core System) and is sold separately as well.
  • If you're using the Xbox 360 VGA HD AV Cable to connect your Xbox 360 console to a computer monitor or TV monitor with a VGA connection, you'll have the opportunity to select from a variety of resolutions. They are:
    • 640 x 480
    • 848 x 480
    • 1024 x 768
    • 1280 x 720 (equivalent to 720p)
    • 1280 x 768
    • 1280 x 1024
    • 1360 x 768
  • Whether using the Xbox 360 Component HD AV Cable or the Xbox 360 VGA HD AV Cable, you'll find the resolution settings in the System menu on the Xbox 360 Dashboard. Select Console Settings in the System menu, and then select Display to find all your resolution options.

Xbox 360 offers unprecedented support for high-definition gaming, yet it remains flexible as well. Whether using a standard definition TV (480i), an HDTV with only one progressive scan option, or an HDTV with every available option (up to 720p and 1080i), or even a computer monitor, Xbox 360 will employ the best resolution your TV or monitor can display.

More than Games

Xbox 360 is first and foremost a gaming machine, and the number of amazing launch games and the intense focus on the gamer's experience cannot be denied. But Xbox 360 is also the center of your digital entertainment world. Not only will it play DVDs, but the system supports CDs, DVD-ROMs, DVD-R/RW, MP3s, JPEGs, and more.

Xbox 360 Online

Xbox Live®, the premier console online gaming service with more than two million members, is getting even better, with a huge new center of online commerce called Xbox Live Marketplace, and best of all, Xbox 360 is always online with your high-speed Internet connection.

Xbox Live Silver, available to anyone with an Xbox 360 or Xbox 360 Core System console, a hard drive or a memory unit, and a broadband connection, provides many free features, including messaging and downloads. The second level of service—Xbox Live Gold, with the option to play multiplayer games online—costs the same as your original Xbox Live subscription.

USB? U Bet!
Xbox 360 boasts three multi-purpose USB ports (two in front, one in back), so there is almost no end to the various accessories and other pieces of hardware that will connect to the console and interact with it. The keyword here is versatility.

You can connect and stream media from a wide range of portable music players and digital cameras, or stream your digital music, photos, and more from your connected PC with Microsoft Windows XP or Windows XP Media Center 2005 Edition.

No More Wires

Wireless integration is one of the most important aspects of Xbox 360. Right out of the box, the lightweight wireless controller—in fact, up to four lightweight wireless controllers—connect instantly to the console with no other peripherals needed.

Thanks to a cycling signal that avoids other wireless hardware in your house (such as telephones), there is never any delay between your thumb and the game.

The dedication to versatility even carries over to recharging your controller—with the Play & Charge Kit, you not only have a rechargeable controller battery, but a charge cable that actually recharges your battery pack while you're playing, or while Xbox 360 is in standby mode.

The wireless Xbox 360 controller is actually lighter than the wired Xbox Controller-S. Carry the wireless experience over to Xbox Live by plugging in the pocket-sized Wireless Networking Adapter.

Gamers First

Lest there be any doubt, one of the sharpest aspects of Xbox 360 power is somewhat unquantifiable—and that is the slate of fantastic games you play on the system and the way the inner workings of the console are all dedicated to making Xbox 360 the ultimate gaming experience. In addition to eagerly anticipated Microsoft titles like Kameo: Elements of Power, Project Gotham Racing 3, and Perfect Dark Zero, you can also anticipate the exclusive QUAKE 4, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and Call of Duty 2, to name a few—and that's just the beginning.

Xbox 360 with the hard drive is backward-compatible for an array of original Xbox titles too, which means both original and Xbox 360 gamers will be able to play in the same matches online with Xbox Live.

What the gamers want. Games

Next-Gen gaming will be taken to a whole new level but what is advantage of that if there are no games worth speaking about, Mircosoft will not disappoint with games coming out like Gears of War from Epic Games, Prey, and F.E.A.R. That will change the way people play games with hard-hitting, fast-paced action that doesn't stop.