What is the Difference Between Xbox 360 Models?
90updated 9/2009
The Day Is Here
So, you've finally decided to start looking at buying an Xbox 360. Good for you, there are some great games on there. Halo 3, Grant Theft Auto 4, Bioshock, Madden, the list goes on. What you might not know is that there's more than one version of the same console floating around out there, and some of them have some very significant differences. Hopefully, this will set things straight andhelp you avoid making what might be an expensive mistake.
What Every Xbox 360 Can Do
While this will be going over the differences between the models, you should know what every single 360 can do, regardless of what SKU it is under. Naturally, All 360s can play Xbox 360 games. And every single one of them can play DVDs and CDs as well. Plus, if you have it hooked up to your network, you can include your 360 in your Microsoft Windows network, allowing you to share media between your PC and the 360.
Helpful links
- Wikipedia gives some more info on the "Red Ring of Death"
If you want some more tech specifics on what causes an Xbox to die an early death, take a look - Xbox Homepage
Microsoft has hurt themselves with their poor hardware design, but they do have some great customer service and good policies for helping out.
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The Standard- the Xbox 360 Premium
The current baseline, medium investment 360 is the Xbox 360 Premium (AKA: the 360 Pro). Providing a 20 or 60 GB hard drive which will allow you to download games, movies, music, and demos, and downloadable content providing extra content and game play to titles like Rock Band which have already been purchased. It regularly retails for around $299, and is on par for most console prices.
The 20 GB hard drive is relatively small, but for most purposes it is adequate although it might lead to deleting some demos or titles you've already purchased. Don't worry though! If you've paid for it, you will always be allowed to redownload at no cost.
In my experience, 60 GB of space is enough for all but the most prolific packrat. However, if you're like me and can't stop buying new songs for Rock Band hate to delete even the worst demo, you might still be filling that up as well.
Even among the multiple systems, there are divisions. The 360 Pro edition is split between three different hardware models.
360 Premium models made before September 2007
These models include all of the original Xbox 360 hardware, which should make you a little bit wary of the purchase. Why? Well, if you follow games much at all, you probaby have heard all about the Red Ring of Death. For those not in the know, it is an error (so named due to the three red lights in a circle that indicate what is going going on inside) caused by a number of internal problems, including over heating. 360 owners using the old hardware will suffer a failure rate of close to 50% while using these older models.
Microsoft is well aware of the problem, and if a 360 red rings they will replace your Xbox 360 free of charge, providing shipping and customer support, but you will be without a game console for a few weeks. Due to the need to replace the consoles so frequently, Microsoft has lost over a billion dollars in revenue.
Post September 2007 Premium Models
Some hope at last! The newer 360 models contain the Falcon motherboard and chipset, the newest revamp to the Xbox hardware. Significantly improved over the more failure prone machines, Xboxes made with the Falcon will only rarely have to be returned. The danger is still there, but it is a significant improvement.
Almost any new out of the box Xbox 360 will feature the updated hardware. However, if you are buying used from Ebay or a retail outlet that specializes in buying and reselling producs such as Gamestop, be careful of the older models. It is difficult to tell when they were made. There are a few tricks.
The first is to open up your Xbox and take a look, but that's a whole new article to itself. What I would sugesst is to take a look at the original box your system came packaged in if it is available. Look around the SKU info, under all of the product descriptions. If you have a 360 that came from lot 0734 or HIGHER, you're in the clear. If it is lower, then you have the original set.
Post August 31 2008 Premium Models
Begining at the end of August, Microsoft changed their premium models to include a 60 GB version. The 20 GB models subsequently had their prices cut by around $40 to $60. By December, all the 20 GB models should be phased out of stores and all new 360 Premium sales will be of the 60 GB model.
Other than the increase in space, there are no significant differences between the most recent 20 GB models and the 60 GB models.
Scraping the Bottom of the Value Barrel -The Xbox 360 Arcade
I can say one thing for the Xbox 360 Arcade: it is cheap. At a $199, it costs about the same as the famously affordable Nintendo Wii. But it comes as no surprise that you get what you pay for. The package comes with a measly 256 MB hard drive, capable of holding very little data. If you own an 360 Arcade, you will not be able to download most game demos and certainly not any movies. At best, you will be able to download some of the smaller Xbox Live Arcade titles, but even some of those are coming in too big for the Arcade to handle now.
A truly inferior product, the Arcade lacks the mutability of 360. What makes Microsoft's product so distinct is the vast number of downloads, small independent games, and wide array of demos and other content. Losing this makes the 360 a significantly less attractive console. Even the multi-player experience will suffer.
While you can still play online with the Arcade, you will not be able to download any patches or new content, leaving you behind your peers. As a consolation prize, the Arcade comes with a few pack-in arcade-style games, but they're definitely not worth what you lose. ONLY buy the Xbox Live Arcade if you never, ever, ever, ever plan on going online with your system in all the years that you will on an Xbox.
Worse still, it has split the 360 market, making developers strip their games of features to be able to include content that people using the Arcade can still participate in. It takes an especially bad console to punish even the people who didn't buy it.
Crap, I already bought an Arcade. What should I do?
If you already bought an Arcade model and I just made you feel bad, I apologize. You can always trade in your Arcade and buy one of the better models. MIcrosoft does offer an external Xbox 360 Hard Drive if you want to bring your gaming machine into the twenty-first century. Be warned though: it is expensive. Costing a pricey $150,you get an extra 120 GB of space. It might be worth picking up if you were planning to go form the Arcade to the Elite model, but if you just want to be able to play the new Halo 3 maps, your better off trading in for a Premium.
In the past, Microsoft has offered deals to upgrade the Arcade with a removable hard drive and included an XBox Live subscription deal. It is unclear if this is still being offered. Call Microsoft support for information.
Paying for Quality- The Xbox 360 Elite
The top of the line, the Xbox 360 elite comes packed in with a 120 GB hard drive. Your 360 can fill up fast, and with this roomy bad boy, you'll never have to delete anything ever again. At $399 dollars, it is the most pricey of the available models, but a great value. Costing only one hundred dollars more than little brother Premium, The Elite comes with a $150 hard drive, making this a 50 dollar savings.
If you plan on using the Xbox Live online features (and why wouldn't you, its what makes the Xbox unique from all the other console systems) this is the one for you. Otherwise, this package is the same as the Premium.
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Other Models
There are a few other models available, although they aren't currently on the shelves or are specialty kits.
- Xbox 360 Core: Part of the original launch, this was replaced by the Arcade. Like the Arcade, this is junk. In fact, it is even worse - it was shipped with no hard drive at all. If you're buying used, avoid at all costs
- Halo 3 Special Edition: No longer available, this was a special offer during the release of last year's hit Halo 3. Coming in a distinctive green finish, this console is otherwise similar to the Premium system still on sale.
- An Elite style system was announced September of 2009 to be released with Modern Warfare 2. This will be the first XBox 360 with 250 Gigs of memory. It will also come with a wireless headset and two wireless controllers. The price on this has not yet stabilized, but this limited addition console gives a clear picture of where the 360 is going in the future.
Do I even want an Xbox 360?
Well, I don't know, do you?
They are great systems, but they have only limited backward compatibility to original Xbox games. For the most part, they are categorically better than the Playstation 3, although the 360 can not play Blu-Ray, which is a major selling point of the Playstation 3
Prices are dropping, and 360s are very affordable, though. If you're looking to take up a gaming system with a great library of titles to enjoy, I would say make this your choice.
Finally, this is only a quick and dirty over-view. There are some more specific differences between editions that cover very hard-core nuts and bolts aspects of the system I didn't want to go into since this is more of a shopper's guide, and some more similar differences between newer-and-later edition models. If you have any questions not answered, leave a comment or get in touch with me and I'll see what I can do about either giving you the answer or editing it in.
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Comments
im thinking of buying an xbox premium. my only concern is, will it run on reuglar tv or do i have to buy an hd tv in order for the system to run? please respond and thanks..
Hi Fred
All XBox 360 models will run on Standard Def (SD) or High Def (HD) televisions. Naturally you will get more bang for your buck out of the HD TV, but it still looks great on SD. The only thing other than slightly reduced image fidelity I have noticed is that the writing/text displays smaller and grainer than you'd like on SD, but it depends on the game.
the only games that i`ll probably buy or play on it is nba 2k9 and madden..or other sport games..and rpg also. you think i`ll still enjoy playing them with the use of an sdtv? coz right now i really don`t have enough money to buy an hdtv..which i really would love to have. thanks again.
I have done about 80% of my gaming on an SD TV, and I enjoyed it just fine. If your SD TV is under 24 inches, you might be having some problems with the text being too small, like I said (check reviews, it varies), but sports and racing games have always been pretty good when I played them.
Will the xbox standard be able to play star wars the force unleashed?
Diego-
Yes, I have played the demo for Force Unleashed on a standard, and it ran just fine.
i just wanna play the game i dont care about the Xbox Live but im still not sure which to buy
There's way too many variations of each console these days, I know plenty of clueless parents who have no idea which console to buy their kids. I have a PS3 and it was a big enough pain having to choose which one to get then, at least they have been cutting back on the models. I remember the days when a console came as one type and nothing else. I know there's the cost arguement but when you have to spend more on extras and addons it sort of defeats the object. Plus I think the idea of selling a cut down version of a console is a bad idea in general.
Thanks for this hub though, cleared alot of confusion up for me :)
I definitely agree. Pretty much all of the major consoles have screwed the pooch in one way or another. The PS3, if it is possible, is even more confusing to buy than a 360. I counted and I think there are seven different types of PS3s, all with varying degrees of backward compatibility.
What about the xbox 360 (60 GB version)? What would be a better choice...to get a 20GB PRO with an extra controller and a game like the force unleashed for around $350 or to get the 60GB standard system for $300? Are the 20GB and the 60GB the same except for hdd size?
Yeah, that needs to be updated. The 60 Gigs were just being released when I started to write that, so I hadn't had any tech specs or experiences with them yet. They are, as far as I have seen, a complete replacement of the 20 Gig Premium/Pro model, so everything said there would be applicable to the 60 GB. MS lowered the price of the 20GB model, but it also looks like they will no longer be produced.
As to what you should buy, The bigger hard drive is definitely worth the money, but only if you plan to use it. If you only want to play casually and aren't downloading many games or demos, the 20 GIG is fine, but if you're a heavy user the 60 GB is probably the better buy.
Thanks for the question, it reminded me I have to keep up with the news some more.
Does the arcade xbox run all of the 360 games at the same level that the others do? What I mean is graphics and sound quality of course.
Chris- The short answer is yes, with a BUT
the Xbox 360 Arcade will play all games with the same quality as other games out of the box. However, if a game requires a patch or has an update, you may not be able to take advantage of the graphical update or bug fixes. due to the lack of hard drive space.
But in general the quality should be the same as the other 360 models.
i'm a reader in Hong Kong looking to buy an Xbox for X'mas, there has been a nice deal they have been promoting across the city for Arcade version running at about $1700 HKD (USD$217 net. there is no tax on anything). After reading your review im confident not to get the arcade version. But the 20GB version runs at USD$358 which is way overpriced comparing to the price you can get it in the US. I think there is a high chance that it will drop in the next few months to at least the US value or less since the economy is so bad now... hopefully... ! I would like to say thanks for your review and it has been VERY helpful!
i have bought a xbox 360 60gb version but i am scared of the rrod,s(red ring of death)after how many hours of playing should i take a break
Abinhav, the 60 Gig is going to be (relatively) less likely to have a Red Ring. If you are really concerned, I would sugesst anyone turn off any console after 3 or 4 hours, especially if it is not placed in a well ventilated area.
However, I have left my newer model 360 on over night with no ill effects, so I would not stress out over it. Besides, even if you get a Red Ring, you're only out of a console for three weeks because MS will repair it ship it, and transfer the hard drive for free.
thanks len cannon. should the xbox be in a vertical position and should i put on the air conditioner while playing. and what are the neccessary accessories for the xbox.is fifa 09 released on xbox360 in india.
len conan if a red ring comes for one time will it come in the second time that is after repairing.and when do you come online on this hub in indian time
is fifa 09 and fifa soccer 09 the same
Abhinav, I believe that a vertical Xbox usually has a slightly smaller chance of overheating than one placed on its side. However, if you do put it on its side, it will usually be fine as long as you do not cover it with lots of things are put some type of cloth over it.
I am not sure when Fifa 09 comes out in India, but I do know that it should probably come out the same time in India as it does in Europe, so you can look for that.
The thing about 360 Arcade being a load of junk is a load of crap.
NO you dont need a hard drive to play online, patches DO NOT take up external memory space, and for the love of god the only things your missing out on is the hard drive (which can be bought cheap seperately anyway) and the HD lead (if you dont use HDMI by now then tbh your living in the past, upgrade your TV ;)). Map packs, depending on the game, should have no problem storing on the memory unit either, such as the flashback map pack for gears of war 2, it all depends on how much more money you really want to waste by downloading expensive crap from the marketplace.
This comparison was fail, end of.
Well, Mickey obviously both myself AND Microsoft disagree with you. Right now, they're offering ways of expanding the hard drive capacity for below market value for unfortunate 360 owners. Developers hate it, the users suffer from decreased options, and will likely be phased out due to the way it has split the user base. Burnout: Paradise features a free DLC that doubles the play time of the game that is completely unavailable to Arcade users, and that is just the start of the Arcade disaster.
If you're happy with your Arcade, more power to you. But you will be hard pressed to find anyone involevd either the tech media or software development who is happy about what Microsoft has done with the Arcade.
IF I BUY AN XBOX360 STANDERD,WILL I BE MAKING A BIG MISTAKE,BECAUES I WANT TO KNOW WHICH ONE IS BETTER AND WHICH ONE YOU WOULD RATHER HAVE!!!!!:)
I think the standard is a good buy for the money. If you really want the extra space, the bigger hard drive on the elite is nice, but that is a judgement call.
Len,
Does the Halo 3 edition XBOX 360 have the same RROD problems and such as the original XBOX 360's or were they released with the fixes like the newer Pro's also what is the size of their HD's
Thanks
Mike-
I am not 100% sure, but I do remember reading that the Halo 3 edition was actually one of the first batches to ship with the new hardware. So it should red ring less than older models
THANKS, I've been looking to buy for bout a whole month already! i dont know what to buy. im going to be playin madden and halo3 mostly, maybe some other sport games also online. im leaning to get the 60g model at a retail store like best buy or toys "r" us! im i making the right choice or will i be ok with regular 256mb model? thanks again sorry so long
Well, I think it is a good buy. You know best, just think about how much you plan to use it.
I'll have to remember to check up on this guide when I'm buying my next xbox 360... My little brother totally dominates the playtime for the last one I bought ~_~
Sorry if my last post seemed a little coarse, was slightly annoyed at your arguments against it.
The Arcade is indeed a bad base pack, but considering buying the peripherals (hard drive etc) seperately is somewhat cheaper than buying the premium pack, it seems like a better choice. The only thing you arent getting is the chrome finish to the disc tray, and that has no effect on the performance of the machine.
Forgot to mention you can get a hard drive for $20 off the xbox website in anticipation of the new xbox experience :)
Hey, This site has helped me out alot, but Im still not sure. I need to buy an xbox 360. Im almost certain that we are only playing Rock Band 2, downloading songs for RB2, and getting some other store bought regular games. Is an xbox 360 premium with 60GB ok for this type of simple gaming?
The premium is perfect for that type of gaming. I would only sugesst the elite for people who plan to download movies/etc. as well as DLC. My friend is a rock band fiend and only after having it for a year did he fill up his 20 GB with new tracks, so you should be in good shape. Thanks for the question.
im planning to buy an x box and im just going to play games like sport games not much online though whick xbox is more for me
If you're only going to play games like Madden or NBA Live, you could probably get away with just using the arcade. I do know they offer regular roster updates to match up with mid-season trades, but I don't think they take up much HD space.
so your saying len that the xbox 360 arcade
will have the same graphics as the xbox 360 premiuin or elite
and i wont have pay more for it
I am saying many things, but I believe that is one of them
360 hd can be purchased new for very affordable prices via ebay.
120gb hd, can be found for under 100.00 regularly.
20 gb for around 30.00
What is the process fro replacing ring of death 360's? I can pick them up for around 40.00$ MS will fix them? Or do they need to have proof of warranty and receipt?
Len,
I there a great difference between the X Box 360 and Playstation3.I'm torn apart. i don't really which of them get.
Just wanted to say THANK YOU for the detailed info. I came across your site searching for info on the MANY different versions of XBOX 360 and what they offer. You were able to answer all of my questions, and for that, I am appreciative.
Sunforged- When you replace a RROD'd xbox, they will ship you an empty box free of charge with pre-paid postage on it. You will then place your 360 inside of it and ship it off. They will then send you a refurbished Xbox fre of charge.
Santajohn - Well, the PS3 has a Bluray player and the 360 doesn't, and they both have different online networks (Live vs PSN) with different content. And they do have different exclusive games. It is a pretty big topic.
hello. i found your hub very informational and helpful!
But i do have one question. are there certain cables and stuff i am going to need in order to hook up a regular premium xbox to an HDtv that i would otherwise get with an elite? i dont have a clue about that kind of stuff. please help! :)
Is XBox on Ebay good? Is there other interesting places to buy XBOX online?
If the price on xbox drops again I think I'll break down and buy one. Your article was helpful.
Good hub, Len. Very glad I came across it. I am planning to get an Xbox 360 in the very near future, mainly for the purpose of playing Mass Effect. That's probably the only thing I'll be doing on it. Which one do you recommend?
Ashaff- The Arcade comes with a comosite cable (aka the cable with the red, white, and yellow plugs) and the others now come with that and a componet cable which is used for HD tv. You can buy these in any electronic stores as well.
AnnieMills- Ebay is usualy safe,a lthough it is difficult to see when they were made, which does make a difference
Constant Walker - I would probably go with the premium. Mass Effect has a fair amount of DLC, and I wouldn't want to risk missing out.
Cool! Check out my hubs too
Thank you for all the info; we are looking to upgrade from regular Xbox to a 360? for christmas. How and which version would you recommend for a new family room? We have a 37" flat screen, and a few speakers and we are hoping for fewer devices and cables for our music and movies. Can one of these versions do that?
Thanks, Len. Will do.
Recessmonitor -
All of them should look good on a flatscreen, and all of the controllers are wireless now. Older models did have wired controllers, but I believe that all available off-the-shelf systems have wireless controllers.
Outside of that, I would probably just get the Premium models as it comes with the HD cord you need, which is a little less space consuming then SD. But you would want to go HD anyways with your nice big screen.
As for speakers, whatever is hooked up to your TV normally should work with the XBOX, you shouldn't need anything extra.
All Xboxes can play DVD movies as well as stream Netflix films, so you do not need to hook up a DVD player if you buy an XBOX.
Thanks Len, great site, very helpful:)
what a fantastic Hub
if I am buying the Xbox 360 and looking to play online, do I need the wireless router, if my house is already configured with a linksys wireless router. Will the xbox pick this up, or do I need the router to pick up that network.
thanks
Chris, you will need to configure your xbox to your router if you have it secured, but it will pick up the network from the router, thats how I have my sons hooked up, my puter and router are downstairs, his xbox is upstairs.
Len, My boys are 7 and 10 and been playing on a regular Xbox for the last year. I would like to upgrade to a 360 so we can get them some new games to play. So my question is 2 part. First If we go to a 360 can they still play their old Xbox games and I do not want them to play live so would an Xbox Arcade be good enough for them? They love their Xbox but we just cannot get the games anymore.
Haha, well, I guess steph took care of that one :)
Here is a list of all the backward compatible Xbox games. If the game is on the list, it will run 100% fine on the 360. If it isn't, it might run poorly or not at all.
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/backwardcompatibil
If you never plan to use live, I suppose an arcade would be okay. If you do not want them to play online with other players(which is reasonable for children under 13, I think) you could simply use the Live Silver service which would allow them to still buy games online but not play multiplayer.
The Silver membership is free, doesn't havea ny multiplayer games (so no online halo or anything like that). You can purchase budget games or old games. So if you DO want to take advantage of that, I would not suggest the arcade.
But if you are set on never using Live, then the Arcade sounds like a good purchase for your family.
So my regular x box got the red rings so i took the hard drive out and bought a arcade is it now the same if i put my old hard drive in?
HI THNX ALL OF YOU,,
I UNDERSTAND NOW,,BUT MORE QUESTION:
1- WHICH XBOX IS EQUAL TO PS3 FOR ALL GAMES (METAL GEAR SOLID, RESIDENT EVIL5, FALLOUT...ETC).
2- IS THE 60GB Premium ENOUGH TO PLAY ALL KINDOF GAMES INSTEAD OFBUYING EXPENSIVE PS3?
3 - CONFUSEDWHICH ONE XBOX 60GB Premium OR PS3 80GB. CAN SOMEONE TELL ME IMPORTANT DIFFERNETS (I KNOW ABOUT BLURAY)??
THNXXXX
where can i find a standard x box for cheap?
I plan on buying an xbox 360. All i will ever play is Madden and guitar hero. I won't play any live though and I don't plan on downloading all these demoes and stuff. I think I will buy the Arcade because I wont need the extra space, and headset, etc. Am i making the right choice? Is the gameplay quality the same?
If i bought an arcade and a hard drive would it be just the same as a pro or premium?
Wow, a lot of traffic while I was away for the holiday :)
I'll work backwards.
Someperson, if you bought a hard drive for your arcade, it would generally be the same as a premium. The arcade would still come with a few less toys but nothing major. If that is your plan, though, I would probably just pick up the premium as it will cost less over all.
Pylos: An xbox is a video game console. I hope this helped you buy a thing you have never heard of.
Seth: If you only want casual gameplay, an Arcade will probably be all right. I have mentioned before to be careful the games you want don't have any major DLC you want, though.
Bana: The XBox does not play PS3 games. There is a lot of overlap (Madden, Steet Fighter, Rock Band, etc.) but games like Metal Gear Solid 4 will only be on the PS3. Anyways, any of the xboxes with a hard drive will be equal to PS3s. Otherwise just choose based on which has the games you want.
I only want to play gears of war and halo 3. Will the xbox 360 arcadew be sufficient for this . Dont want to go online . I aint good enough
im planning on gettin an xbox for x as and i am planning on using xbox live what is the best console for this ive read all the other comments ands still cant decide:???
I would prpobably pick up an premium if that's what you're into.
Ok so I read your article and it was very informative. Now We already purchased a 360 arcade and we dont plan to play online or anything like that. Its for my husband and I would like to know if you can watch movies in it and if it upgrades your movies to hd and if you need to buy the hd cables to connect it to your hd tv. Or what ??that is all I care about. so please answer my question as soon as possible.
Zuri, all the Xboxes can play in HD, but if you do not have the proper cables it won't be able to show as HD on your TV. That is because of the data transfer rate on the cables. It won't "upgrade" your films to HD (they would have to be a version that plays in HD to begin with).
Zuri, all the Xboxes can play in HD, but if you do not have the proper cables it won't be able to show as HD on your TV. That is because of the data transfer rate on the cables. It won't "upgrade" your films to HD (they would have to be a version that plays in HD to begin with).
In XBOX 360 can I turn off the controller without turning off the console its self, Thanks?
When you hit th epower button, on the control, the dashboard should ask you if you want to turn off the controller or the console.
I'm returning my 360 pro (20Gb), because the disk drive doesn't read my games.
I've had it for about 19 months. Xbox would fix it for $99. Luckily my BestBuy Warranty hasn't expired. Best Buy will even exchange my 20Gb 360 for the new 60Gb 360. I feel that I have hit the jackpot! I get a better machine than the previous 360 and a lot more hard drive space.
Here's the problem. Best Buy will only let me take the 60Gb if I give up my 20Gb on the spot. This prevents me from transferring my 20Gb (game saves, Downloaded Content, map packs, etc.) to the 60Gb. Of course, Geek Squad will transfer it for $50, not sure if they use official Microsoft transfer cable, which is free as long as you give your old serial number from the old Xbox 360 and the new serial number from the new Xbox 360.
All I really care about is the Flashback Map Pack which is exclusive to new copies of Gears of War 2 obtained threw a one time only code which is included with new copy of the game. I REALLY do not want to buy a second new copy of Gears of War 2.
Finally the question, can I use my friend's memory card and copy my game saves, and this map pack? Then bring the new 60Gb Xbox home load up my gametag and dump the memory card content on this new hard drive?
Please respond soon, because it'll happen in a couple of hours. If you can't then I'll update this comment so everyone can see what happened.
Thanks
Well it was almost a disaster!
Best Buy was awesome! I highly recommend getting the additional warranty threw Best Buy! I originally bought the old 360 pro (20Gb) for $400, paid additional $60 for the best buy warranty. The new 360 pro (60Gb) is $300 which comes with kung fu panda and indiana jones with a bunch of Xbox Live Arcade games already on it. They also gave me the difference in store credit $100! The new warranty is $40 because the new 360 pro (60Gb) is under $300 ($299). This warranty is good for 2 years.
Now the backup problem. I backed up my gamertag profile on a memory card which I borrowed from a friend. I also backed up all of my game saves, and the Flashback map pack for Gears of War 2.
I just got the new 360 plugged in and wanted to recover my gametag threw xbox live. I FORGOT MY EMAIL AND PASSWORD! It has been almost 20 months since I created a junk email just to use the live and made up some kind of password. This is really important stuff to remember. I called Xbox support and they can't give out your email and password so I had to guess and she'd say yes or no. After 12 tries she said she can't help me and let me go.
I crossed my fingers and plugged in my memory card and transferred my profile to the new hard drive and BAM! It's all good! Transferred my Map Pack, still works fine. Everything is all good. Now I just have to redownload all the stuff I purchased from Xbox Live Arcade. I noticed in system settings that I can enable background downloads. This basically will keep downloading everything in my active download list even if I quit playing and shut off the power. Once everything is downloaded it will disconnect from the network and fully shut off the power.
Thanks to my extended warranty I really hit the jackpot!
Oh and the new Xbox (lot # 0828) is really quiet. Now I can copy my whole Gears of War 2 game to the hard drive so the disk drive doesn't have to run, except for the beginning to verify you have the game.
Good Luck and keep this story in mind when thinking of getting extended warranty.
If i get the arcade can i plug a hard drive into it??????
The Arcade with Rockband two is around $200 at Dell, and you can find a 5% coupon and get 4% cash back from ebates. So, 9% off, might save you a bit or a lot depending on if you get taxed.
Circuit City has a refurb 20 gig drive and WIRELESS controller for $39.99.
So, you get a hard drive, two wireless controllers, and Rockband two (in my case) for $228ish.
That system to me has the meat for the 360 experience at a nice cost savings. Heck, Target wants $50 for the controller alone, so you save $10 and get a free hard drive.
theroblog.com
(I posted here first, but I'll cross to my blog..)
Thanks for the Hub Len! I dont have idea of how getting Xbox live points.. Can you help me?
Thanks shanel!
There are two ways to get XBL points: you can go on the internet and get your credit card assosciated with your Xbox account or you can go into a place like best buy (or even grocery stores) and pick up a points card and enter the code using the directions on the box to get credit for points.
Hi - this has all been really useful reading. I have an issue trying to identify which 360 Pro version I have - it is boxed and unused (won in a prize draw, lucky me!) - and the packaging and manuals are hopeless at giving spec details. The unit is to be sold on Ebay or given as a gift, so cannot be fired up for test. By deduction, and with the help of wikipedia I have ascertained that it is a 360 Pro (white chassis, chrome disk drive), and I also know that it is Lot 0750. Can I therefore assume that it is a 20GB HD variant rather than 60GB? If so, is it possible to swap out the 20GB disk drive for a bigger one? If not, is the only disadvantage to the new user that the 20GB capacity will not allow for multiple downloads? Finally - any clue on a fair market value for it (GB £ if poss) - thanks!
If your XBOX is still in the box it should tell you what the features are in it. I don't know what batch Lot 0750 is, but I can guarantee you it is one of the ones running on the newer hardware with less breakdowns.
For the best price, I would sugesst just going on ebay and seeing what the top 360s are selling for. It's almost Christmas so it should be a little higher than usual.
My question is, theres a game I want thats only on xbox, do i get an xbox, or an xbox 360? and if I only want to play games of disks, is the arcade better for me? and how does chiping affect these?
From Emma May
sarahsbored@gmail.com
Len Canon, Does the new jasper models could increase the 360's performance usually frame rates etc. ect.?
It shouldn't. I have seen some reports of increased internal memory and less malfunctions. Still very new though and I have not played with one.
Do the xbox 360 premium (60gb) all have a more successful chance of not getting the red ring of death compared to the arcade pack.
Normally, I would say "No", but as I understand it the latest hardware upgrade hasn't been included in the arcades yet. It probably will in the coming months, however.
I just bought xbox 360 60 gb manufactured august. It says Go pro.. whats the difference with the premnium. They say this model is less prone to RROD, because of the minor changes to the mounted memory. Sorry for the question im just a 14 year old boy paranoid of RROD.
John (loved your solo work, by the way), first of all don't be too scared of the Red Ring. It can be sent away and fixed super-fast. The pro and the premium are the exact same it is just a different name.
If i only have a XBOX 360 controller and i want to turn it off without using the console or anything,can i do that?
thanks Len for your great work
Having already got a 20gb hard-drive, if i bought an arcade, would i be able to fit it and have the xbox being exactly the same as my broken old premium?
Salwan, I'm not sure I understnad the question but if you press the Xbox button in the middle of it for about five seconds it will turn off.
Mark - short answer is: maybe. I have done some minor work inside my xbox, but I have never physically removed a HD and replaced it in another machine. I am about 75% sure you can do this as I have put a third party HD into an XBOX back in the day.
I can guarantee you, though, that this will break your 360s warenty. If your 360 is broken you are probably better of either getting MS to fix it or finding somone else to.
Also I know Best Buy offers services that willl transfer the contents of your HD to a new machine.
Salwan, I'm not sure I understnad the question but if you press the Xbox button in the middle of it for about five seconds it will turn off.
Mark - short answer is: maybe. I have done some minor work inside my xbox, but I have never physically removed a HD and replaced it in another machine. I am about 75% sure you can do this as I have put a third party HD into an XBOX back in the day.
I can guarantee you, though, that this will break your 360s warenty. If your 360 is broken you are probably better of either getting MS to fix it or finding somone else to.
Also I know Best Buy offers services that willl transfer the contents of your HD to a new machine.
how come on games like halo 3 it says live on top would that still play on a xbox 360 pro 20gb or will that on ly play if u buy da live card
The ONE and ONLY thing I hate about the 360 is, I am about to send in my THIRD one. Are they working on the heat issue or are we going to continue to have to send them back and pay, pay, pay.
Is PS3 better or worse? Does it get hot as well and burn out?
RED RING OF DEATH
To play any games online, you need the XBox Live service.
PERSONALLY I perfer the 360 becuase I like the games and Live servive on it better than the games and PSN on the PS3. But the PS3 does not have any of the hardware failure problems of the 360. it does, however, have abominable backwards compatibility so it is kind of a wash.
does all of the games work for the xbox 360 pro 20 gb
what is a patch online???
Ok I have an xbox 360 arcade that I purchased back in May of 08. Unfortunatly that was all I could afford at the moment and I wanted one badly. Anyway I have a 60gb hardrive put into my xbox just recently along with a headset that the hardrive came with. So i'm pretty sure it's not an arcade anymore. OK what I want to know is... Is the arcade able to take an HDMI cable or an AV HD cable like the PRO and Elite already come with?? Please respond, thanks.
It is (minus possibly hardware differences effecting reliability) just as functional as any other XBOX.
my friends recently purchaced an arcade xbox. He wants to play games like call of duty world at war. halo 3 and gears of war, but from what i can understand there wont be enuff memory on his HDD to do this and be able to save games and dl maps, patches etc. my question is would he be able to use a normal computer external HHD via the usb? would it work exactly the same as a certified xbox HDD
great hub, but my xbox 360 recently suffered from THE RED RING OF DEATH! :[
Hi Len,
You're doing a great job and know so much about this!
My sons would love to have a console. So My husband and I decided to check it out only to find out that you need to have a Phd in different consoles in order to make your child happy.
Our quest started three months ago and I think my sons might wonder if they'll ever see it happen.
After surfing the net for weeks I stumbled onto your hubpage lots of information indeed. Could you also tell me the following?
-What is the difference between an x-box360 Console and x-box360 Arcade (except the obvious which is a price difference of around 150 Euros.)
-How many different ways of playing are there?( I thought you just had to buy the games in the shop and that's that)
-If we would limit the playing of games to the ones we buy in the shop which console do we need?
-If we would like to make it a fun family game day or something would you also recommend xbox or would you say wii?
-What is the difference there?
Ooh well I guess enough questions, so I'll let you go. Hope to see the answers and advice soon!
thanx and Greetings
Jade
What would you say is better? an xbox 360 or a ps3?
k i want to get a x box 360 but i dont no which 1 to get cuz most of the games that im usaley gonna play is left 4 dead live and grand theft auto 4
Jade:
The "Console" should be the same or similar to the Xbox 360 Pro/Premium described above. Just regional naming differences.
XBox also features a service called Xbox Live Arcade where players can download small original games or oldschool titles over the internet (no CDs required). This required a credit card to use.
Most family's perfer the wii but I would just ask your kids what games they like best and get the console that works there.
Raptor
I normally just sugesst the Premium, but it is up to you. GTA4 does have some hardcore DLC coming out so a good hard drive is nice. I would generally sugesst Left 4 Dead for the PC over the 360 version though :)
I was just wondering exactly what the differences are between the 360 premium and elite? Other than the difference in hard drive size I noticed you said something about the elite package being for those who want to use xbox live? What exactly do you mean, can't the premium 360 use xbox live also? Thanks.
I know you've probably heard the same questions over and over again but my friend says that the elite has a better processer and upgraded fan and disc drive. Are these things true or is he making that stuff up?
David: The elite is only for those who are interested in Xbox live because of the hard drive capcity. The extra features (especially downloading demos, new games, and movies) require the extra space. Check out Netflix Streaming, though, it doesn't take up much of anything.
Kevin: I can't tell you 100%, but that may be true in that they get the upgraded hardware earlier than the other systems. However, the Xbox elite and premium will eventually contain the same upgraded motherboard componets. I would have to check the individual batch numbers to see what gets which parts when.
Len, first of all -thanks for your site, My son and I were trying to research which xbox 360 to buy-he is buying it with his money and your site has been very helpful with our education.
Here are some questions that we still have? What is the difference between the gold and silver memberships for the xbox live? What does it mean to download the games? Is the play and charge kit and cooling system worth the extra money? Some of the stores bundle it together but I am trying to figure out if you need them and how much they are worth? If you buy a console without them, should you buy them separately?
After reading all your comments, I think we are pretty sure to be buying the xbox 360 premium with the 60g drive? He is 13, loves to play all the games and definitely will be using all the online features.
THANKS AGAIN!
The gold and silver memberships deterime whether you can play online. Only the (for pay) gold memberships can play games online using the dedicatd servers MS provides. For instance, Gold would be the only way to play Call of Duty online. Gold also recieves many game demos a week or so earlier than silver members.
Downloading games is buying games off of the XBOX LIVE Arcade to play on your Xbox.
The cooling units are (suppoesdly) supposed to help with preventing the Red Ring of Death, but to be honest, it seems like it is just playing on people's fears for some extra cash. If the recharge unit is what I think it is, than it is used to recharge reusable batteries for the wireless controler. This is actually nice, but not required.
Hey I was wondering is the elite a safer buy over the premium in terms of the ring of death?
whatever version of the 360 you buy, definently get the biggest warrenty you can get
I have a ps2 now and i was wandering if buying a xbox 360 elite is really worth the money.
Well, it is if you plan to use that type of space. Otherwise, the premium is just fine.
If I get the arcade version, couldnt I just use my computers HDD to store the demos and patches instead? I mean, they are on a network together I dont see what that wouldnt work, but I could be entirely wrong! Any tips?
Short answer: no, because Microsoft wants you to spend money on their products and THEIR hard drives. You can send info one way but not the other on your xbox network.
Long answer: you can, but it is complicated and would potentially break the warranty.
If you have an xbox 360 already, have the 120GB drive and the console broke down without the RROD, you should get the arcade version to replace it (unless you want to pay MS to replace yours with a refurb). There is no clear difference between any newly manufactured xbox 360 model aside from the accessories that come with it.
Recommending that people don't get the Arcade version if they want to go online is rediculous - my nephew has an arcade version and goes online with it all the time. Sure, he doesn't have space for all the Halo maps but he can still go online and play and at his income level (basically nothing) its a wonderful solution.
Its also a wonderful replacement console for when your own console breaks down - just move all your accessories over to the new box and you are back in business with no loss of functionality. Just make sure you get one newly manufactured (check the SKU number) so you are getting the latest chip-set and board.
Agree with Scott above ^
Can you change the memory on xbox's ?
I made the mistake of buying the Arcade version of the Xbox 360. I thought it was called "Arcade" because it came with an arcade game pack. Nope. No wireless adapter, no ethernet cable, and not hard drive! The thing even skips the crove disc tray cover!
I took it back and bought the Premium version which has worked well for me.
if i get the arcade can i add a 20gb or a 60gb hardrive to it or is that not possible.
Good summary, thanks
I don't know the technical differences but I think the 360 is much better than the original.
"
I made the mistake of buying the Arcade version of the Xbox 360. I thought it was called "Arcade" because it came with an arcade game pack. Nope. No wireless adapter, no ethernet cable, and not hard drive! The thing even skips the crove disc tray cover!
I took it back and bought the Premium version which has worked well for me."
Actually, no xbox contains a wireless adapter, every home will have an ethernet lead and the ones supplied are usually too short anyways, and you pay extra for the hard drive in every sense.
Arcade is the best choice unless you absolutely need the 120gb HDD and the smooth black look. You can easily by a 60gb HDD with 3 months xbl and an ethernet cable for £40, which adds up to the same as a premium, minus the 3 month xbox live code. Also most Arcade deals include a free chart game, so your argument is invalid :)
Whenever I adjust the clock in my x box 360 it's changed when I turn the console off, is there a way to fix this problem
I never a gamer myself. Good hub. Come to handy when I buy my first xbox.
Is a x box premium 60 gig used for 250 with three games a good deal?
len..what is ive sent my 360 to ms now..are they gonna repair it..? or give me a new one...a newer model?
I think they still need to get more upgrades because errors are still common.
if you had a halo 3 xbox 360 and it burn out..
should i the elite or the arcade???
i made a account
if you had a halo 3 xbox 360 and it burn out..
should i the elite or the arcade??
Definantly going to get an XBox, mainly for Halo3. Is the 20gb more than enough for the game and it's associated updates or should I grab the 60gb? The Elite seems like a little much. Just wanted to know an opinion of someone who has had experience with all three.
Thanks so much. your article make me know what model I will buy.
The only thing with the 360 is that it will eventually break down, even newer models have been burning out with two different well known erros now doing the rounds. It's cheaper and more reliable to get a PS3, just one model now, has everything required in the box, no paying extra for hard drives and other things like WiFi.
This is a very informative, concise article and has been extremely useful to me in my purchase as I know next to nothing about consoles and gaming. Many thanks for taking the time to depart your wisdom to laymen such as myself.
I have a Halo 3 X-box special edition that has the RROD how do I get ahold of microsoft to get a box sent to me, Will I get the same X- box back fixed for free?
Definantly going to get an XBox, mainly for Halo3. Is the 20gb more than enough for the game and it's associated updates or should I grab the 60gb? The Elite seems like a little much. Just wanted to know an opinion of someone who has had experience with all three.
Hey when i went to the store i saw a little keypad for messenger for the Xbox 360. i wanted to know how u connect messenger to the Xbox 360. And thx a lot for the help on this. i couldnt find it anywhere else. And is the new limited edition resident evil 5 Xbox 360 worth the money
ok i got $92 and i do not know what to get the 360 or elite or arcade it to confusingand i need more money help..........please
if u buy an xbox 360 from the usa can it be used in ghana which is in west africa. can i use it without encountering any power problems lets say like an adapter blowing up due to high voltage and if there is how do i solve the problem since i want to buy one badly
Well I bought an older model of the 360 from a co-worker of mine and after a year it got the "One blinking red light." I remembered the error code of the RROD from a year ago prior because a friend of mine got the RROD with the E74 message and I had the same error code. I called Microsoft and got zero help because since the error was the GPU and not the CPU, there was no three year warranty. I stored my 360 for a year, and then went online to see if there was a logical fix to the problem. I found that replacing the X-clamps with nuts and screws and using the Artic Silver thermal compound worked flawlessly. I've worked on computers all my life and still to this day can't understand why Microsoft went so cheap to use X-Clamps rather then nuts to keep the heatsinks on. It cost me about $10 to fix my 360.
(SORRY FOR CAPS) I HAD THE RROD PROBLEM THAT WOULD HAPPEN EVERY SO OFTEN BUT GRADUALLY GOT WORSE AND AFTER THAT MY XBOX ALSO STOPPED READING DISCS I AM CURIOUS THAT IF I SEND IT IN ON THE MICROSOFT WARRANTY WILL THEY FIX THE DISC READ PROBLEM TOO AND WILL GET MY SAME SYSTEM BACK OR WILL IT BE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SYSTEM
iv been wondering what differences are there between the arcade and other 360's besides the missing hard drive and color is there anything? because my old regular 360 crashed on me so i bought an arcade and just used the old hard drive from that i just want to know if im missing anything now i have an arcade.
Hey everyone,
Just wanted to let everyone know that if you have a 120gb HD or 60 gb, or perhaps even a 20 gb HD, feel free to buy the arcade version of the Xbox 360.
They are technically exactly the same system, not a single difference. You can change hard drives all you want and it will still be the exact same system, with the exact same games and the exact same capabilities.
If you bought a 360 other than the Arcade version, it red lighted and died, just keep your hard drive and buy the Arcade.
I know for a fact that Microsoft only replaces one console that died from 3 red lights, after that the refurb comes out of your own pocket...it is not cheap. I am going onto my fourth Xbox tomorrow, and still have my 120gb hard drive from my second.
Saying that the Arcade version is inferior is quite silly, and everyone on this hub should get atleast one other opinion.
Without my hard drive I can not store DLC. However, I can download patches freely - meaning I can STILL PLAY ON XBOX LIVE!!! I have tried and tested the above statement true several times for several different games. I enter money tournaments on 360 and so am forced to play on several different consoles...and when participating in a sponsored tourny, every system is just a basic Arcade system that you log online, download your Gamertag and then any updates needed...and away we go.
Just wanted to stick up for the Arcade system.
I dont know what to buy!!!! I for sure am not going to buy the elite for 399$.I am deciding on the xbox 360 or, xbox 360 premium.Give me some ideas.Let me know.
thanx alot for the useful info
keep hubbing :)
HI
I WANT PURCHASE XBOX 360 BUT I HATE "RED RINGS PROBLEM" PLEASE GUIDE ME WHICH MODEL I PURCHASE WHO THEY HAVE NOT ANY PROBLEM AND THEY MAKE ME "HAPPY"
pls email me at
CAPITLFOTOS@YAHOO.COM
Hi my name is miguel and i jus got an xbox arcade from my girlfriend, my question si, If i buy an external hdd my xbox will be basically the same as an standard? or do i still gonna be missing stuff? thanks befohand and i apologize for my bad english
My mom and I are looking for a really good Xbox and were confused about wich to buy the cheaper red ring one or the higher priced nonred ring one please help
I had the premium console which had the 3 red lights, unfortunately out of warranty as i took it abroad with me for a few years. I now want to buy another but wondering if the arcade will do, since i have the HD from my previous one?
I had kind of had the same problem with Miguel and Sid. I had the premium console and got the red rings. Stupid me thought it would be easier to trade in the console and keep the hard drive thing that came with the premium console. Then i bought an arcade and used my old hard drive. So i want to know if its basically the same as the premium console and if not what are the differences. Thanks
Im sorry AS Miguel and Sid. Not with
how much more data is alowed to be saved on an xbox 360 pro than a xbox 360 arcade
how much is 265MB
how much is 265MB
what are the red lights on an xbox 360 and how do you think the xbox 720 is going to turn out if you belive it is going to be made. I know i do
I had an xbox 360 pro but it got the red ring thing. i have a 120g HDD and all the cords from my old 360. im planning on buying an xbox 360 arcade. is it possible to put my 120g HDD and other HD cords into that console? if so will it affect my online play or be any different from my old PRO? in other words, would an xbox 360 arcade replaced with an HDD and HD/SD cords be the same as an XBOX 360 PRO?
thanks dude very usefull. i heard supoused to be the same consoles but NOT. i bought this new tv and whit it i recived a free xbox arcade and decided to use it instead my old xbox premium console just because i thougt it was old. anyways when played halo 3 I noticed a small lag in the aiming making it kind dificult to play normaly like i used to be on my old console. and i thought it was my tv because of the 120hz refresh rate and all the new stuff i wasn´t used to. that is when i started to search for posts. so now i know there is a diference in the procesor the two consoles use or it must be somehting to make that lag apear. better sell the arcade and keep my old console
People!
This is an addiction. I am already on my 5th X360 and dont plan to feed MICROSHAFT anymore after this. So much money spent getting the crap fixed and shipped and... that's it for me. Wake up and smell the coffee!
However, I have noticed that the new model that comes with the HDMI port has lasted me already more then 6 months... but then again, let me STFU before anything happens again! LOL!!!
I think I will go with a PS3 if anything shall go wrong again as MICROSHAFT can suck my grapenuts!!!
len,
can the xbox360 head set allow us to chat with my friends?and what other uses does it have(if there are)?
kaivan see
what do i get if i dont have to much money. I download some maps. And does arcade come with cords.
Email me back at: gbacon454@gmail.com Thanks
Hey!
im definitli going to buy an X Box 360, but i still got a question...
if i want to play online, should i buy a membership card
or is there another way to play online??
If there is no other way wich should i buy (Gold or Silver)??
-Thanks
You did not actually answer the question. What is the diff between the systems, not what comes with the different systems? Without the HHD, controllers and cables, what is the difference??? Strip it down to just the console and only the console, what is the difference?? Does one have better graphics, no HDMI, Wireless capable, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE??? I can buy all the other crap separately!!!!
If all I want to do is play lots of games on an Xbox360, is the arcade version the best for me?
Ok... I am going to get a pro, but I want to know how to take care of it so that nothing bad happens, such as the ring of death, and the disk scratches.
HI!
I have found your website very usefull, i want to buy an xbox 360, i will just play games on it and go online. Which is the best one for me?
Thanks!
First of all thank you Len for your helpful hub but i still have few questions...
-How can i get my Xbox online or connect it to the internet and how can i transfer any videos of music etc from my computer to the Xbox.
And how can i download games straight to my Xbox and from where ?? thanks in advance Len ...
I'm thinking of buying an xbox 360, but idk wat model to buy. i dont wana spend a TON of money, and i mostly just want to play the latest call of duty game with my cousin online. what would you recomend? i wont be downloading movies, music or any demos. would the arcade be good for me? thats the kind he has. he claimed he went on ebay and bought a 20GB hard drive for it and now its just like a regular xbox 360. im confused...
what you should do is buy a xbox 360 arcade for cheap. Maybe Ebay? then while your buying that try to find a cheap hard drive over 20 gigs you can probably find all of that for under 300 which is the cost of the pro model and you would get everything a pro has
sweet, thanks. i've been seein some really good deals on ebay. one was a 360 pro with everything (basically new in the box) for $189 and it came with Call Of Duty: world at war. plus a 20gb hd
you eat shorts
am looking to purchase an xbox 360 - but couldn't decide on which to go with. you made my life so much easier! thanks!
Can xbox360 pro also use xbox live?
Hi thanks for your interesting article
I live in Iran.here we haven't high speed Internet and can't download demos or others things easily.moreover a xbox 360 arcade is about 300$ in iran and haven't any warranty because we are Boycotted by security concil (buy we are buying games very cheap for example RE5 is only 2 $ here)
I want know have X360 Arcade any difference except It hard drive? for example other versions can run some new games which arcade can't.and other issue the main cause I want buy X360 is for playing Resident evil 5.can I play it on regular TV?
i want to know cus im buying the elite and i dont no which one to get which one is better???
How much will xbox 360 elite cost now after price with all features in India?
if i update my xbox 360 arcade to a 60gb would it be like a pro
great article, i was going to buy one for my son and think i will skip the arcade model now. I never was aware of the differences.
i just bought halo 3 odst and wrecked it without even having it for 24 hours... ya... bottom line dont ever move your xbox console while the game is spinning.. just throwing that out there if you dont own a 360 yet
Hi Len,
Very helpful info here. Couple of qustions. We are trying to decide which XBox to buy my 15 yr old brother. Its either between the xbox 360 with 60GB or the Elite. He wants to be able to play with other friends online.
1. Does the xbox premium (60gb) have online capabilities? Would we have to buy extra components to connect to internet?
2. Can you be online (live) with either console playing a game and a computer in the house use online at the same time?
3. Do both consoles have wireless internet built in? If not what do I have to buy to do so? Or can I just connect it to the modem we have no?
4. What are the yearly cost for the silver and gold membership?
Thanks very much appreciated!
All Xboxes have online capabilties provided you have an ethernet connection and pay for Xbox Live. The Arcade, due to its lack of a hard drive, will be severely limited online. Silver memberships are free. Gold is on a sliding scale depending on how long you sign up with Microsoft, but on average it is about $15 per month
for poeple who play xbox live alot would you recommend the intercooler?
in all seriousness, this is one of the most useful articles i have come across! i had no idea what all the differences were and it almost put me off buyin an xbox at all, so thanks for taking the time to explain, keep it up!
can you play cod 5 for xbox 360 premimumm onlne or will there be not enough room on the consal
you're fine playing any game online with the premium.
so i've read all the negative about the 360 arcade but the only reason i want the xbox is to play the scene it game. i don't want it to do anything else but play that game cause it's awesome..am i safe purchasing the 360 arcade for that purpose only? or does that game need uploads or something?
I'm not really familiar with the Scene It games, so I looked it up. As far as I can tell they don't have any downloadable content but that might change in the future. If that's all you want to play with though, you're probably safe with an arcade.
aik what to buy an arcade or pro. i like most popular games cod, rock band and most popular games. when i get an xbox im defitely getting live for all these games. willl a 20gb be enough? i need help
Thanks, connor
thanks man, good info!
I own a Xbox360 Elite; don't play it much...and never used the online part (yet).
I'm wary of using mine in fear of the infamous "RED RING OF DEATH" ...that can occur in every xbox360 system (ripoffs)... I wish they'd fix that problem instead of releasing "special editions" of it. Silly Microsoft. :P, I'll still buy my multi-plat games for the PS3 instead of xbox360; they're so much more...shineh, imo. :)
i am planning to buy a game console for the first time, i would like to know
if i have an arcade and i buy the 120 GB will it be the same as the elite
erick: close enough, it really depends on the model. Elite comes with a few different peripherals but all of the basics are in order.
what is the difference in the xbox 360 modern warfare 2 limited edition console and the elite
THANK YOU!! You just saved me from ordering the Arcade model...
Whats the difference between xbox 360 elite and xbox 360 arcade
thanks ross
I love my Elite! It's so cheap now that you've got no excuse not to go "elite"!
The MW 2 console Has black finish complete with Modern Warfare 2 branding and three powerful core processors a 250 gig hard drive and 2 controllers
Can Xbox 360 arcade play normal gamess like call of duty 6 and stuff??
Hi Len,
Great article, I learned a ton. I will be buying my first x box within a month and have a question on which console I should purchase. I will be playing the new modern warfare online mostly. I will not be downloading music or movies. I may download a few free games if available. Do I need to get the version that is higher than the arcade?
I want an xbox that can use Xbox Live and has the memory to play lots of games, Witch one should I get?
GP: If you're downloading demos, anything other than an Arcade is fine. The arcade comes with some free games, but if you want new stuff it's not the choice.
I've been looking at buying an XBox 360 but still don't know which I should buy I'm thinking about the elite but I don't play Xbox live but my brother could when he comes over. Also I don't play that many games mostly Madden so which would you recommend? Also, it's probably dumb to ask but Xbox Live is free to use right?
THANKS SO MUCH YOUVE HELPED SO MUCH BEFORE I HAD NO IDEA NOW IM AN EXPERT.IM GOING TI ASK MY LOCAL RETAILER FOR ADVICE TOO.IM PROBALLY GOING TO GO FOR A 60GB PRO. PS IS LIVE FREE?
hi my freind has a ps3 and it broke down after 3 years, this has happened to plenty of people i know, they say it has some setting that automatically causes it to self destruct. do you know if anything similar happens to an xbox?
Does that really happen to PS3's? cause I don't want that to happen to mine. I don't play it much but still
idk why you need this much help deciding on what to buy? they are only like $250 dollars??
yeah, it happens coz i know a gaming electronics guy hes my dads freinds son..=p, and he said theres somthing called a mother chip in it? but i guess like the article said you can just get another one free from microsoft.
p.s. mark if you think about it $250 is quite a lot.
I'm just going to go with the best one the elite xbox 360 might as well i already got the PS3 for $400
sherlynavia says:
13 months ago
Very interesting hub!