Microsoft has announced a beefed-up version of its Xbox 360 with
a 120Gb hard drive and a high-definition video connection, in an
attempt to broaden the appeal of its popular console beyond video
games.
Earlier versions of Xbox 360 came with 20Gb of storage, but that
filled up too quickly with movies, TV shows and games, Peter Moore,
a corporate vice president in Microsofts interactive entertainment
group, said.
The new Xbox 360 Elite will sell for $479.99 (£245) when it goes on
sale in North America on April 29. The 120GB hard drive will also
be available separately, priced at $179.99 (£92), for those who
already own the console.
Microsoft also added an HDMI connection, which sends
high-definition content from the console to the TV without losing
picture or sound quality, while also helping prevent piracy.
Sony has long said that its PlayStation 3, launched in Europe last
week and in the US last November, is much more than a games
console. It comes with a high-definition Blu-ray disc player, HDMI
port and 50Gb hard drive. The Xbox 360 does not come with a
high-definition DVD drive, but an add-on HD-DVD player is
available.
In the US market, the Xbox 360 outsold the PS3 in January and
February to data from NPD Group, a market researcher, but both were
beaten by the Nintendo Wii.
