June 14, 2010 12:18 PM PDT
Xbox 360 Slim unveiled, available this week; $299
by Jeff Bakalar
The Microsoft E3 2010 press conference has just wrapped up and the company finished things with a bang, debuting a brand new slimmer and edgy all-black Xbox 360 with a 250GB hard drive and built-in Wi-Fi.
More shocking, Senior Vice-President Don Mattrick announced that this redesigned Xbox 360 will be available in stores this week for $299. Also noteworthy was the mention of a "whisper quiet" operation, which is an acknowledgment to the current 360's loud jet-engine fan system.
Judging from our product shots, the slim Xbox 360 features an on-board digital optical audio out; a standard Xbox 360 AV port; HDMI out; five total USB ports (two up front, three in back); a smaller power interface; wired Ethernet; and a custom Kinect port to its left.
An Xbox 360 250GB spec sheet also tells us that most original Xbox 360 accessories will work with the new console, though hard drives and memory units will not. The slimmer Xbox 360 also has touch-sensitive controls for power and disc tray operation.
Current Xbox 360 owners will have the option to buy a transfer cable to move data from their old console to the new one.
More on the new slim Xbox 360 as it develops.
Xbox 360 Slim unveiled, available this week; $299 | E3 2010 - CNET Reviews
These are the specs for the new Xbox 360, which include a "custom Kinect port," a new system fan that's "as quiet as a PS3," according to Microsoft, and some other noteworthy changes, like the official death of Memory Units.http://kotaku.com/5563225/new-xbox-360-specs
- Touch Sensitive Buttons - turn the Xbox 360 on or off and eject a disc with the swipe of a finger
- Whisper Quiet - Whether you're playing a DVD disc or from the hard drive or navigating the dashboard, with the all-new and much quieter Xbox 360, the only noise you'll hear is your own laughing, cheering and playing
- Wi-Fi - Built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi for fast, easy connection to your friends and entertainment on Xbox LIVE.
- Hard Drive - 250GB internal, swappable hard drive for even more storage. To access, remove the bottom panel by pushing the small tab toward the front of the console.
- Kinect-ready - Custom Kinect port on the back of the console that directly hooks up to the Kinect sensor for controller-free fun.
- USB Slots - Five USB ports, three in the back and two in the front.
- Power Supply - Smaller and more efficient. Xbox 360 250GB and Xbox 360 Original power supplies are not interchangeable.
- Wireless Controller - The award-winning Xbox 360 Wireless Controller matches the console in all black with color-matched thumbsticks and directional pad with a touch of gloss and chrome to complete the look.
- Backward Compatible - Your favorite accessories and games will work with Xbox 360 250GB. Xbox 360 external hard drives and Memory Units are not compatible.