A souped-up version of the Xbox 360, available in the US since March, will be reaching European shores on 24 August.
The 360 Elite will differ from the original 360 with the inclusion of a HDMI port, a 120GB hard drive and a black finish on the chassis.
High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) will firmly position the Elite as a media centre with support for the growing HD TV market in which the Playstation 3 is already firmly rooted.
The 120GB hard drive is detachable, allowing for future upscaling, and can be used to store all media.
The package also includes a HDMI cable and a black wireless controller and headset to match the console.
The Elite will be somewhat pricier than the 360, retailing in the US at US$479.99. The Xbox 360 core system retails in Ireland for about €299.99, while the 360 with a 20GB hard drive and wireless headset and controller costs around €400.
Microsoft also announced at the E3 gaming conference that a special edition Halo 3 Xbox 360 console would go on sale this September, disappointingly it doesn’t include a copy of the Halo 3 game but it does come in a dapper army green and gold finish.
There will also be a limited edition Halo 3 wireless controller with artwork by comic artist Todd McFarlane who has drawn both Spiderman and Spawn.
By Marie Boran
