Microsoft Xbox 360 Microsoft Xbox 360 games console

The latest iteration of Microsoft’s popular Xbox 360 has given the console something of a facelift, with a new design quite different from previous models. However, it’s the features beneath the surface that make it the best Xbox 360 to date.

New design

The design of the new Xbox 360 is one of the first things you notice, as it’s now slimmer and smaller than the old version. It’s also a glossy black, which looks appealing, but does have the unfortunate side effect of attracting dust and finger prints.

The power and eject buttons are now touch sensitive, and the memory card slots have gone completely, to be replaced by two additional USB ports. The USB ports allow you to save content to any memory stick up to 16GB, so the missing memory card slots aren’t really an issue.

Even the power supply has had an overhaul, and is now just over half the size of the original.

See our video review of the new Xbox 360: 

Features out of the box

The new model comes with an integrated 250GB hard drive, which is good value considering a hard drive of the same size for the old Xbox 360 would set you back around £50. It’s worth noting that the hard drive for the new version cannot be used on the older version – and vice versa. It’s also a propriety hard drive, meaning that unlike with the Playstation 3, you can’t simply upgrade to a bigger version from a different manufacturer.

The 360 also comes with built in wi-fi, a first for the console. While rivals Sony and Nintendo have included wi-fi as standard in their consoles, previous versions of the Xbox 360 required the additional purchase of a wi-fi adaptor. As these cost around £40, having this feature built in is likely to appeal to first-time buyers.

Check out our Nintendo Wii and Sony Playstation 3 reviews.

Kinect Ready

On the back of the console there is a new port, specifically designed to be used with the Microsoft Kinect motion-sensing controller. One of the benefits of the latest Xbox 360 is that, unlike older consoles, it can power the Kinect without needing an additional power supply.

Kinect retails for around £130. Read more about the controller in our Kinect for Xbox 360 review.

Xbox LIVE Marketplace

You can download a range of films (in both standard and high definition), games and other video content from Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

Movie downloads

We were underwhelmed by the choice of movies available; it's no substitute for a dedicated movie download site. Our download of Slumdog Millionaire went smoothly enough, although it took a little time. It cost around £2.74 to rent the SD version or about £4.11 for the HD version, and the download expires after 14 days or within 24 hours of pressing play.

Game downloads

The range of games on Xbox LIVE Marketplace is large – more than 1,000 titles  – with many retro classics available, as well as a whole range of original Xbox games. It's also possible to download new Xbox 360 titles (although Microsoft warns that this could take up to three hours, depending on your connection). 

Games range in price from as little as 50 Microsoft points to 12,000 Microsoft points, depending on the title. Microsoft points are the currency for purchasing content online, and can be bought using a credit card directly in the Xbox Live store, or by buying points cards from retailers. 

You can download a range of films and games from Xbox LIVE Marketplace

Features and demos

With Xbox LIVE Marketplace you can also access and download a whole range of other features, some of which cost a few points, while others are free of charge. For many of the major Xbox 360 games, you can download additional levels, maps and game expansion packs. 

You can usually download demos of new games, which are free of charge. These are particularly useful, as they let you try out a game to see if you like it before you hand over your cash. There are also Xbox 360 themes and picture packs that allow you to personalise your system to your favorite game.

You can't trade in cash on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace – you're forced to buy Microsoft Points, and end up doing conversions to a fictional currency. Microsoft points cost about £16 for 2,100 points, with films costing about 360 points for a standard-definition rental and 540 points for a HD version, though some of the newer SD titles go up to 480 points.

With all these online features, it's a shame that it's not also possible to surf the web via your Xbox 360.

Worth buying?

It’s not hard to see why the latest version of the console might appeal to first-time buyers, with its built-in wi-fi and large hard drive. Existing owners may be tempted by the console’s slim design, quieter operation and Kinect port, but chances are they will already have a hard drive and wi-fi adapter, rendering the benefits less appealing.

The 250GB version of the new console is priced at around £200. There is also a 4GB version available, which does not include the hard drive, priced at £150.

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