Product Description

The Xbox 360 Core System has everything you need to jump right into next-generation games and media, and is fully expandable to the complete Xbox 360 experience.

Included in the Core System package:

Xbox 360 console:
Sexy styling that packs a punch -- three powerful core processors are poised to pump out 720p/1080i output, 16x9 cinematic aspect ratio, anti-aliasing for smooth textures, full surround sound and DVD playback right out of the box.

Xbox 360 controller
This wired controller features an extended nine-foot cable and a comfortable, enhanced ergonomic design.

Xbox 360 faceplate
Like no other console before, the Xbox 360 allows customisation and a removable faceplate that comes in stylish white, which can be swapped out with other custom faceplates to reflect gamers’ personalities or room decor.

Xbox 360 Standard AV Cable
This connects gamers to the world of Xbox 360, delivering great next-generation graphics and games using standard-definition connections.

About the Xbox
The Xbox 360 console will be the first next-gen console released and will fuse powerful hardware, software, and services to provide a dramatic leap forward in high-definition gaming and entertainment experiences.

The key technical specifications of the Xbox 360 console are unlikely to make much sense to any but the most technical. But if a custom IBM PowerPC-based CPU with three symmetrical 3.2GHz cores, a 500MHz custom ATI Graphics Processor with 10MB of embedded DRAM and unified memory architecture of 512MB GDDR3 RAM and 700MHz DDR doesn’t mean anything to you just consider this: with specs like that the Xbox 360 is already more powerful than a £2,000+ state-of-the art PC.

The Xbox 360 will also have three USB slots and both HD digital and standard audio visual outputs, which can pump out games in widescreen at 720p and 1080i resolution, complete with anti-aliasing functionality. This will result in much higher resolution games than ever seen before: the beginning of the HD (high definition) era.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4423 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Microsoft
• Released on: 2005-12-02
• Rating: Exempt
• Platform: Xbox 360

Amazon.co.uk Review
The Xbox 360 is Microsoft's successor to the Xbox console, and is the first "next generation" games console to hit the market. It has three powerful core processors which pump out 720p/1080i output (translation: graphics look great), 16x9 cinematic aspect ratio (translation: it's sort of like the cinema), anti-aliasing for smooth textures (translation: characters look less like chimps and more like people), full surround sound and DVD playback right out of the box.

A multi media experience

Xbox 360, shown with levitating wireless controller

In comparison to the Darth Vader inspired design of the original Xbox, the Xbox 360 a thing of (near) wondrous beauty.

In addition to playing games and movies, the Xbox 360 can stream music and video from a wide variety of electronic devices, including iPods and the Sony PSP.

Get Live

The Xbox 360 offers an online gaming experience via Xbox Live. This allows you to play multi-player Xbox 360 games on the internet via your broadband connection. The service also lets you download--and save on the console's hard drive--new missions, characters and vehicles for your favourite games. You can also shout real-time abuse at your opponents using the Xbox 360 headset

Choose the package that's right for you

The Xbox 360 comes in two different packages: the deluxe package includes a wireless controller, 20GB hard drive, and a number of other accessories. Alternatively, the Core System bundle has a standard wired controller and no hard drive.

Which option is right for you will depend largely on your gaming needs--are you a fan of downloadable content? Do controller wires upset the feng shui of your living room? There are pros and cons for each option: for instance, if you do plump for the Core System you will have to buy a separate memory unit if you want to save your games. Likewise, if you opt for the deluxe version you will need a steady supply of AA batteries or a rechargeable battery pack to power the wireless controller.

The Xbox 360 is only backwards compatible with a limited number of original Xbox titles, and a hard drive is required for this function.

Customer Reviews

Hi-Def not necessary....
Hi there!

Just a few words to those wondering if the 360 is worth buying if you don't have a high defenition telly.

The 360 works fab on any standard TV made during the last seven years or so. As long as your telly accepts a 60hz signal, you're good to go. This is pretty important as some games will not be playable in 50hz (techy and boring, but it's all to do with screen refresh rates).

If you're planning to use the 360 on a standard telly, the AV cables you get with either the core, or premium system, won't do it justice.

For best performance, you should get yourself the official microsoft scart cable, which carries and RGB (red, green, blue) signal. This will give you a gorgeous picture - the best you can get on a standard TV. Trust me, the picture still looks amazing and, although Hi-Def is better, you'll still be beaming.

If you still crave Hi-Def, you can always hook your 360 up to a computer monitor with the official VGA cable. However, I really wouldn't be too fussed if your TV is 28' inches or lower.

Thanks for the memory?

Well, if you plan to connect up to xbox live, then a hard drive is the best option, as you'll be able to upload your gamer profile and download updates for your console (they do this a lot; very handy, although game-specific updates, apart from those designed to fix bugs, usually cost "microsoft points", which you can pick up at Virgin or HMV). Xbox live is top banana - especially if you play co-op with friends!

If you're not venturing online, then a memory card will work just dandy and will save a lot of game data (achievements, settings, etc.).

Hope the above helps! :-)

Brilliant if You Get a Good One
Had the original XBOX, never had a PS2 so it was inevitable that I'd get a 360. I purchased mine at launch, and although I wasn't impressed with the quality of the launch games my opinion soon changed when the big guns arrived like Gears of War.

The graphics on the console are stunning, the detail as never been so intense and real. Gears of War, Call of Duty 3 and Fight Night Round 3 represent some of the best games visually and also in terms of gameplay. Obviously with the added bonus of high definition gaming it adds to detail, which offers almost surreal picture quality, although 720p is superior to 1080i simply beacause it's progressive and therefore offers smoother gameplay.

The 360 dashboard offers many feature you won't be finding on the PS3 such as connection to Windows Messenger to chat to your friends on their home computers and also built in Windows Media Center. Media Center allows you to get video, photo and sounds from all computers in your home and stream them to you TV. Above all the dashboard is very easy to use and navigate allowing you to access videos, images and music stored on the hard drive and browse files up for download on the web.

The controller differs only slightly from the original XBOX, which are larger than the PS3 ones but in my opinion it makes them more comfortable and easy to use.

I would have given the console a 5 but I've had a few technical issues with it. Not as many as other people thankfully. My system very rarely locks up but every now and again I do get the classic "Dirty Disc Error", not yet had the red ring of death (thank god)! My 360 does get roastin just like many have pointed out, and yes it's true you can pritty much fry an egg on it. My key issue has been with the DVD drive not opening when the console is stood vertically without a disc in the drive. So I have to constantely leave a disc in the drive as I don't have space to lye it flat. My other issue is how loud it tends to be, it seriously does sound like a fighter jet is taking off! The faceplates are also mass produced junk and the flaps that protect the USB and memory slots break off very easily - as I found. Microsoft did however provide a replacement.

One thing to avoid if your buying a 360 is being conned by the reduced price of the core system. Your more than likely going to purchase the extras. Infact to even save your games a memory unit is needed, which can set you back around 15 pounds. The console is nothing without the hard drive which will set you back around 70 quid. You will also lack the headset to talk to your friends if you connect up to the net and you'll have to cope with the wired controllers. Another issue is that if your buying the 360 for High Def playback then you need the component leads that come with the premium package otherwise you will also need to purchase those before you can get High Def graphics. Unless you simply just want to play a quick game and not even save it get the premium package it saves allot of money in the long run, I ended up spending around £100 more than I should have by getting the core and then upgrading later.

So to conclude, the 360 is a great console but has allot of technical issues.

Why buy the core pack?
Well I’ll tell you why. I initially ordered the premium pack for £279.99 from Amazon.co.uk because it is generally thought of as the better value pack, and it is.....depending on what type of gamer you are, but if you on a budget, maybe not, if you are reading this and have an interest in the console I’m sure you know the difference in the two packages (core and premium) and the attractions of the premium pack are aimed at gamers who already have a lavish home entertainment system (HD TV, Media Centre PC, Wireless Broadband, Xbox Live etc) and if you have that (or intend to get them) then the 360 is a great priced system and worth buying over the core pack, but me, personally, like the majority, don’t have these things and probably wont for a year or two until the prices come down, for now, like many, I have my standard PC and DSL set-up and a portable TV set in my room.

Now the items such as the HD AV cable is really only needed for a HD TV, so right out I knew I didn’t need that, the mini remote I kind of wanted because I had the Original Xbox and DVD playback kit and thought I would need one for the 360 to watch my DVD's but I did my research and found out I could use the controller to operate the DVD functions of the 360, the mini remote is there if you want it for DVD but its more aimed at using a Media Centre PC which I don’t have, so I don’t need that item either, the headset also is cool but if you don’t have or intend to take the 360 online then its pretty much useless, I am sure some games will be enabled to have voice commands set for offline gaming (Rainbow Six 3 on the Xbox for example) but I always felt kind of silly shouting out commands at my TV set (I’m sure other people in the house must have thought I was nuts). The wireless controller is a great idea and I wanted one a lot but I got to thinking how the pads lasts for 25 hours (it does warn hours before its out of power apparently) and I didn’t want to have to stop gaming and leave it charge for a while, and I know I could buy a play and charge kit and keep on going but as I said if, like me, your on a budget and you just spend nigh on £300 on a games system (and that’s before you buy any games) the last thing you want is to splash out on more expensive hardware, so it turned out that the wired pad was a selling point with me for with core pack.

Now we come to the biggest decision I had to make when choosing a package.......the hard drive, I knew I wanted, no needed this (for backwards compatibility. I decided a while back I wasn’t going to get a launch title seeing how they were nothing special, if you want my advice play the stellar Xbox games you already have and wait till spring for the real next generation games, incidentally you'll need to download an update onto your 360 hard disk from Xbox Live, if like me you don’t have Xbox Live just go to Microsoft’s homepage and download the patch, burn it to disk and pop it in the 360) to play games like Halo 2 and Half - Life 2.

When you weigh up the facts you cant deny that if you go for the core pack and buy the hard drive separate it will cost the same as the premium pack only without the free (but perhaps unnecessary) items, I knew in essence that I’m going to pay the same and get less, initially, but I thought on it and realised that if I went with the premium pack I would still want to buy the play and charge kit for the wireless controller and I knew the extra items that came in the box…..would stay in the box, the things I would actually be using I would get with either pack, I would get a 360 with a wired controller (no charging) and I would just have to get a hard drive to play my original Xbox games.

The bottom line is that your going spend 280 either way if you want to play your old games (the core pack is aimed at people who want just to play 360 games and not old ones, granted but you will still need a memory card or hard disk to save game progress), which most people will (even if you didn’t have the first Xbox the great thing with the 360 is that you can still, provided you have a hard drive, pick up the classics like Halo 1 and 2), and if you go with the premium pack your still likely to want to buy a play and charge kit, so depending on your needs you could argue that you could save money either way, if you just want a 360 for your bedroom and a normal TV go with the core pack and hard drive, you'll get value on money, if you have all the latest gear to take advantage of the 360's power, go premium, you'll get value for money.

One advantage the 360 core pack has right now is that your much more likely to get one for new years than a premium pack, only one minor regret about not getting the premium that I have, is that the premium has a chrome disk tray and the cores disk tray is just plain. Since it launched over in North America and here in Europe I have been to countless websites, forums etc and feel I know as much about the 360 as I possibly could without having it yet.