Hands On: Xbox 360 S

Last month, Microsoft announced the latest generation of its Xbox 360 console, a brand which may have started as a gaming phenomenon, but in recent years has evolved into a lifestyle platform incorporating music, video, games and social networking packed into one box. It’s the latest iteration of that box we look at today, which is said to have finally nailed the criticisms that plagued its predecessors which were bulky, noisy, unreliable and difficult to cool.

Aside from limited editions and colour variants, this is the first major overhaul of the Xbox 360’s chassis since the console was launched back in 2005, however, it’s certainly not the first revision of the Xbox 360’s internals which have been continually tweaked and cost engineered. Indeed, the new Xbox 360 (codename Valhalla) is the sixth iteration of the console hardware, which has seen the original 90nm CPU and separate GPU combined into a single 45nm chip, with the console’s power supply reducing from 203W down to a more reasonable 135W. Previous iterations of the Xbox 360 were powerful gaming machines, but required a lot of cooling – that meant any game you cared to play or music enjoyed would be accompanied by the sound of a nearby hovercraft, with cooling fans maxed out just to keep the console running.  The latest advances in CPU and GPU fabrication have enabled the production of a smaller, lighter, silent Xbox 360, which can now take pride of place in the living room without the need for ear defenders.

So, what else is new?

The new chassis is a complete reinterpretation of the previous design. The iconic “ring of light” is retained, but all new 360’s will be clad in a piano black finish edged in silver, which replaces the off-white and matt black designs which are now obsolete. The Xbox 360’s internal hard drive has been upgraded to 250GB (a cheaper 4GB model has also been announced for those who do not require on-board storage), and wi-fi (802.11n) is now integrated into the console. Compatibility with Microsoft’s forthcoming Kinect motion controller is also assured, courtesy of a new connector to the rear of the console. But perhaps the main reason for many upgraders to purchase the new model will be something that Microsoft  have taken away from the Xbox 360 – that fan noise. The new model is whisper quiet, and will deliver a far more pleasurable gaming and media experience as a result. Let’s jump in and take a look at the console in more detail.

What’s in the Box?

Open up the branded box (with none-too subtle prompts to buy Kinect), and you’ll find the console is packed with an accompanying Component AV cable, headset, wireless controller and external power supply, which too has been reduced in size compared with the previous model, but is still reasonably bulky. Note that Microsoft change the PSU connector with each hardware revision to ensure you don’t blow your console up, so you will not be able to use your old power supply with the new model.

The inclusion of the headset is a nice touch for those who enjoy berating competitors on Xbox Live during online play, however, a HDMI cable would have seemed a far better choice for those buying the console as a media player. Why in 2010 would choose to include a composite cable for standard definition TVs is a mystery known only to them and their retail partners. Whilst we’re on the subject of add-on purchases, those upgrading from an older Xbox 360 will also need the Xbox 360 Hard Drive Transfer Kit to move game saves and other downloaded content to the new model.