Microsoft has unveiled its latest foray into the home entertainment space and put its Xbox family on a collision course against Apple’s Mac TV with the new Xbox Elite, which will come all in black with HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) capabilities and up to 120GB of storage.
In what it regards as seriously upping its game (no pun intended) in the face of the arrival of the Sony’s PlayStation 3 console, the Xbox 360 Elite is a reaffirmation of Microsoft’s aim to stay relevant in the HD genre.
The new console will include a 120GB hard drive, a HDMI port, a HD cable, a premium black finish for the console, wireless controller and an Xbox Live headset.
The new console, which is due to ship to Europe by late summer, is due to arrive in US stores by the end of April and will cost around US$479.99 (€359.19).
“Today’s games and entertainment enthusiast has an insatiable appetite for digital HD content,” said Peter Moore, corporate vice-president for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft.
“Xbox 360 Elite’s larger hard drive and premium accessories will allow our community to enjoy all that the next generation of entertainment has to offer,” added Moore.
The console will come with three built-in processors capable of carrying HD images of up to 1,080 pixels, surround sound and HDMI output and DVD playback.
The 120GB detachable hard drive will allow gamers to save their games and store television shows, movies, music, pictures, trailers, levels, demos and other content available from the Xbox Live Marketplace.
The hard drive is also going to be sold separately for an estimated retail price of US$179.99 (€134.69).
By John Kennedy