Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22114 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Microsoft
• Released on: 2003-05-02
• Platform: Xbox

Amazon.co.uk Review
The stylish new limited edition Xbox console is translucent green and comes with two translucent green controllers.

With the Xbox Microsoft got it right first go. It has stunning graphics, immense power under the bonnet and little quirks to give it the edge. You can tell that every component of the Xbox has been scrutinised and all the elements play-tested so that this really is a machine created by gamers for gamers. The main processor is powered by Intel while the graphics are dealt with by NVIDIA and both have been specifically designed for the system.

What this gives you is a machine with PC power and equivalent graphics that plays on your television screen. Imagine a P4 2 GHz machine with buckets of memory and a GeForce 3 card with all the extra options--such as tri-linear, bump mapping and shadows--turned on and you might start to get close on the graphics. The set video pieces are like something out of the Final Fantasy movie and are far above anything previously seen on a console.

The eye candy doesn't stop with the cinematic sequences. Once you start playing the games themselves they ooze creativity and atmosphere. Titles such as Halo and Oddworld: Munch's Odyssey show a graphical style that make them simply the best-looking console games you will see on your TV.

It is not only graphics that Microsoft has gone to great pains to get right. Sound plays a huge part in the immersive atmosphere that the console is aiming for. To this end the Xbox boasts 256 audio channels as well as supporting Dolby Digital and Dolby Surround which all combine to give you an unrivalled audio experience. You will almost feel the bullets whizzing over your head from all directions in Halo.

The system also supports DVD playback which is accessed by a remote control sold separately. This is a good thing because you don't have to faff around pausing movies with the right trigger or left d-pad.

In Xbox you get the gaming capabilities of a top of the range PC with all the extras. You can't do your monthly accounts on it or edit your home movies but this machine is for playing with and that's what it excels at. --Jason Denwood

Customer Reviews

x-box
At last the long awaited Xbox has hit these shores and I am impressed, very impressed. I have been playing video games for over 20 years and have owned all the mainstream consoles (I'm a PS2 owner and lover too!), but have been looking forward to this machine since the day I first read about it.
Technically, this is the most advanced console ever produced and, on paper, makes both the PS2 and Gamecube look quite poor by comparison. The hard disk is a great inclusion as you no longer have to rely on small, expensive and easily damaged memory cards to save game info on. It also helps speed up loading times which is the bane of many good PS2 titles. As an added bonus, you can rip music from your favourite CDs to play in the background during games (if they support this feature). The HD and fan together, do make the console a little noisy, but not much louder than a PS2. There have been worries, that being a Microsoft baby, the Xbox would be unstable and prone to crashing, however, this is not the case. My unit has been rock steady even though it's been on almost constantly since launch day, which is more than I can say for my PS2, which has hung a number of times in the past! (This is more likely to be bad code rather than a hardware problem).
The graphics are superb, being supplied by an NVIDIA GPU (who else could be up to the job?) and rival those of a PC costing 2 thousand pounds or so! If you're in any doubt, have a look at the subtle, lifelike textures in Halo, or the incredible, fluid movement in DoA 3. The sound is amazing, especially if you have a Dolby Digital decoder. Playing Halo (which, in my opinion is one of the best games I've played in 20 years!) in 5.1 surround is something not to be missed.
The controllers have received a lot of flack with many suggesting that they are too large. I haven't found this (although they are bigger than the PS2's and took a little getting used to) but I can understand why some may not like them. The 'rumble' feature is by far the best I've experienced from any console, although that may have more to do with the implementation within the games than the controllers themselves.
The console also incorporates a network port for broadband online gaming when it becomes available (hopefully later this year) or you can link a number of Xboxes together for head to head play.
On to the price, yes, it's more expensive than the PS2, but you are getting a far more advanced piece of kit for your money and remember that the PS2 cost the same amount when it was launched.
If you are serious about your games, I can't recommend the Xbox enough. With Microsoft behind it (love 'em or hate 'em) it won't fail, and does not deserve to.
A true gamers console with a number of excellent games available, the quality of which will only get better as programers get to grips with all the tricks the box has to offer.
Already a little better than it's rivals with the potential to be in a different league(and I still love my PS2 too!!!). Happy gaming!

Limited Edition Clear Green Xbox Console.
Well, as the last few weeks, i have had a bit of trouble looking for a suitable Xbox, for my Son's Birthday. One Easter holiday afternoon we went to Comet, to try out the Xbox in the store, and my son complains about the controller, he says it is rather big, and to my surprise, it is quite big indeed. So we asked an assitant for help, and he told us about the new S-Controllers, which are said to be lighter and smaller, so we gave it a shot, with nothing to lose. The assistant plugged the S-Controller in the port in the Xbox, and to my surprise (and my Son) it certainly made a difference. Lighter and smaller, just what my Son needed.

Thanks to Amazon, they stock this really good bundle which has, not only one, but 2 S-Controllers, in a rather sleek, cool and transparent Green colour. The Xbox is also in this rather attactive Green design. So i thought i'll buy this console for my Son's birthday and guess what, he loved it. 'Better than the Black one Dad' he quoted.

Halo, Splinter Cell, Panzer Dragoon Orta and Jet Set Radio Future were the games we have brought, and certainly worth the money and buying the Xbox alone.

Brillant.

its green as can be seen
if you are thinking of buying an x-box i sugest that you buy the translucent green vesion while they are still in stock. i was thinking of buying an x-box, but then i saw the green version and it just looked so amazing i had to have it. for a bit more money you can have an x-box that looks twice as good. an original idea that gives the x-box its distinctive colour like the PS2s black and the Gamecubes purple. it is still cheaper than the PS2 even with the extra bit of cash. this is a must-buy