Hardware Review: The New Xbox 360

One of the few high points in Microsoft’s E3 Press Conference this year was the announcement of the new, smaller, more energy efficient version of the Xbox 360. Featuring a slick redesign, extra large hard drive, built in wifi, and more reliable hardware; Microsoft blew us away. Imagine our excitement when they announced that this new Xbox would be available immediately… in the USA.

Nearly a month later and the new Xbox is finally available in the UK. Now that we’ve had some time to test it out, we feel we can answer the all important question: Should you buy the New Xbox?

To provide the short answer: Yes, especially if you do not already own one. The most striking thing about the New Xbox (whatever you do, don’t call it slim!) is just how sleek it looks. While the console is slightly thinner, the main difference is the console’s height. When standing next to the original Xbox the New Xbox looks more like it’s little brother than a slim counterpart.

As well as being smaller, the console has a slick glossy finish that is incredibly prone to collecting fingerprints. Not that it matters because even when covered with smeared fingerprints, it looks really nice. The console no longer has buttons per say, instead the disk eject and power on buttons are touch sensitive pads, which makes the console feel more futuristic. Gone are the old heavy clunk sounds that the disk drive would make; the New Xbox makes a quiet beep when turning on the console and when opening and closing the disk tray.

The new Xbox looks like a cross between a Xbox 360 and the original PS3

With numerous open vents on the side, the top, and the bottom of the console you can actually peek inside and see the inner workings of the machine, much like one of those peculiar looking gaming PCs. This has been done to help combat the console’s issue with heat; the primary cause of the dreaded Red Ring of Death. It’s too early to tell if this will prevent the Red Ring, but Microsoft seem fairly confident that they’ve put that defect to bed.

The main body itself has a strange distorted look, as if it were folding slightly inwards around the middle. It is an interesting design choice, although I am not sure what the thinking was behind it. In some ways it looks as if the original PS3 and the Xbox 360 got together and had a baby. It’s the stuff of nightmares for some of the more hardcore fans trolling around on numerous forums out there, but to someone that likes to think they’re platform neutral it looks pretty neat.

Step Brothers?

In terms of performance, much has been said of the console’s “whisper quiet” performance. I’m so used to the jet engine sound of the original Xbox that I didn’t even realise that I had switched it on the first time I plugged it in. When running games the console produces more of a high pitched, but quiet, hum as opposed to the deep roar of the previous models.

As someone that had filled over 70gb on my Xbox Elite’s 120gb hard drive, having the new 250gb hard drive is a welcome move. Unfortunately for those of us that already have Xbox, the old model’s hard drives are utterly incompatible with this new model. The new physically smaller hard drives are located inside, under a hidden slide on the bottom of the console. The hard drive is very easily removable which means that, should they release a new larger capacity hard drive, it should be easy to swap them around.

The tiny new hard drive is hidden away at the bottom behind a hidden grill.

If you have an old Xbox and want to transfer over your saved data, profiles, and downloadable content, currently there are two ways to transfer data to the new hard drive. Firstly you can copy it over using memory sticks, however you can only transfer a maximum of 16bg at a time. The second option, which costs about £15, is to order a transfer cable directly from Microsoft. Simply attach one end of the transfer cable to your old hard drive, and plug the other end into the back of your new Xbox, and it will automatically move everything over for you.

However, some downloaded content will need you to transfer your digital rights (the little bit of data that acts as an anti piracy measure, confirming that you purchased your downloaded games/add-ons legitimately) through xbox.com. The only reason you would need to do this is if you wanted to access your downloaded content when you are offline, as being connected to Xbox Live confirms your identity. While it is a relatively painless process, if you are someone like me that downloads a lot of games and add-ons then transfering the digital rights will take a long time.

The new Xbox has ventilation grill where there used to be a hard drive.

Since the Xbox was updated to allow up to 16gb of external memory to be attached through the USB ports, the new Xbox features two extra USB ports, bringing the total number up to 5. The Xbox memory card slots have been sacrificed to accommodate this, but frankly when was the last time anyone used a memory card for their Xbox? I have one of the original memory cards that featured a puny 58Mb memory, and these days it is pretty much useless.

The controller that comes bundled in the box has also had a slight make over. The guide button is now reflective and the base of the pad is made out of a similarly reflective and glossy plastic. The directional pad on the controller feels as if it has been reworked slightly to make it a bit more sturdy.

Can you spot the difference between the old controller and the new controller?

As well as looking better, the new Xbox is better for the environment thanks to the drastic reduction in the size of the power brick, with a substantial reduction in power consumption. According to online research, the new Xbox takes 80 watts to run while playing a game, and the older Xboxes need between 150 and 180 watts to perform the same action.

A lot of people will be comparing this new Xbox to Sony’s Slim PS3. Physically they are of a similar size, although the Xbox is certainly chunkier. The reasons behind the redesign are also silghtly different simply because Sony’s redesign of the PS3 was more of a financial necessity. Before the Slim was launched, each PS3 sold actually cost Sony money. Following a redesign, which arguably is made out of cheaper materials and cut out features, Sony has finally been able to start turning a profit on their consoles and their sales have shown steady improvement. You could argue that Microsoft’s redesign has been done to counter claims that the Xbox 360 is dated technology, especially when compared to the PS3, and to boost lagging sales.

It is futile to compare the two... But I'm doing it anyway!

There is however one major difference between the two console’s redesigns. While Sony’s Slim console took away features, Microsoft’s new Xbox has added features; touch sensitive pads instead of buttons, built in wi-fi, a larger hard drive, and a socket that is ready for the motion sensing camera Kinect. Sure Kinect will work with older Xboxes, but it will need a separate power supply to get it running. Not so with the new Xbox. Simply plug it in at the back and it will be ready to go.

If I sound like I’m gushing it’s because I genuinely like this console. It has a stylishly sleek look and has tweaked tech that solves some of the original 360′s issues; namely lack of built in wifi and the Red Ring. At £200, it is a reasonable asking price particularly if you currently do not own an Xbox. People that already have an Xbox probably won’t need to upgrade unless they like the idea of a sleeker looking console that uses less electricity, makes less noise, and is potentially more reliable.

Review Round-Up

I’m actually going to skip over awarding this console a score simply because only time will tell if this new console is more reliable than its predecessors, and the fact that the score would vary depending on whether you owned a 360 already or not. Instead, let’s look at a summary of the good and bad points:

Pros:

The console’s new angular, glossy look is very stylish.
Massive 250gb hard drive will take a long time to fill up (unless you install all your games).
Built-in Wi-fi.
Seemingly improved controller.
Consumes less electricity and is better for the environment. Hooray!
Kinect ready (if that floats your boat).

Cons:

The glossy console is a finger print and dust magnet!
Those looking to upgrade from an old Xbox to the new one will have to buy a separate transfer cable from Microsoft. Which is a pain!
Transferring over digital rights is a bit of a chore, but this only applies to those that previously had an Xbox and want to transfer over their downloadable content.

Summary:

Should you buy the new Xbox 360? It gets my recommendation especially if you do not currently own a Xbox. Those looking to upgrade from their existing Xbox may want to consider it more carefully in light of the hassle of transferring downloaded items.

- Luke Mears

Tags: 360, Luke Mears, Mightyles, n00b, new, Newb, newbreview, Noob, Review, slim, xbox

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