Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2741 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Microsoft
• Released on: 2004-08-27
• Platform: Xbox
• Dimensions: 8.82 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
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

Manufacturer's Description
Bring gaming to life in your living room with the Xbox Video Game System, the essential center-piece to any home entertainment set up. Beneath the cool, tough exterior is a system capable of powering the very best single and multiplayer gaming experiences available today.Designed to push gaming to the absolute limit, the Xbox console delivers incredible graphics and cinematic sound that will drop you and your friends deep into the heart of the action. The immense range of top-class games and online gaming with Xbox Live mean there will never be another dull moment.

Customer Reviews

Here at last!!!
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!

Microsoft XBox
I was a proud owner of Sony Playstation 2 for four years with a game collection of over 100 games.
Then after recommendation from a good friend I bought the xbox as second game system wich I decided I would only use when certain games such as Halo 2 were not being released on PS2.

So I connected the xbox to my hifi system so that I had 5.1 sound, the same way I had connected PS2. I now personally though that the xbox had much better graphics and sound than the PS2. The other advantages being that you do not need a memory card, and also you can copy your favourite music cd on the xbox hard disc, and playback your recorded cd on certain games as backgroung music which is really cool, and it does not have sharp edges graphics like PS2 simply because xbox has a more powerful graphics card than the PS2.

The only disadvantage's the xbox has that it is larger and heaveir than the original, and in order to play DVD's on the xbox you need to purchase a DVD remote/DVD Playback unit seperately from the system.

I have now been a proud owner of xbox for four month, now,compare that to four years of the amount of hours that I must have spent playing the PS2.....I'am now selling my PS2 in order to build my xbox collection.

Ignore the critics, this system is amazing.
Contrary to some people's views, the Xbox is absolutely stunning. I bought mine 4 or 5 months ago and I don't regret it one bit. Why? Here's why....

Firstly there are plenty games for the xbox that are worth forking out for, it's not just Halo y'know. I own Rallisport Challenge, Unreal Championship, Splinter Cell and Dead or Alive 3. All of these are very good. And of course Halo is VERY good.

Secondly, don't be put off by the gripes over the control pad. I happen to like the huge thing! It does take a bit of getting used to, since every other pad ever invented fits IN your hand, your hands don't fit AROUND it! But it is comfy and well laid out. Then there is the excellent small controller that everyone likes. So what is the problem?

Thirdly, I really like the fact that I can use it as a jukebox. No, seriously! You can copy all your favourite tracks onto the xbox and play them. So you can make your own compilation and let it play, without swapping CDs. I like that :)

Then there is Xbox live, the DVD player built in, the surround sound and more v.good games are on the way.

And finally, ignore the people who instantly hated the xbox because of the control pad, or because it's big and heavy, or the fact it is made by Microsoft. I mean, there's one review on this page where a guy played one game on a store display, didn't like the pad, didn't like the game, so he gave the xbox a one star rating! That's not a review. That's like walking out of the cinema during the trailers and slating the film because the trailers were bad.

So if you're thinking of getting one of these babys, then all I can say is "WHY HAVEN'T YOU GOT ONE ALREADY?"