Xbox 360, our TopTenREVIEWS Gold Award winner, quickly capitalized on a strong demand that translated into continued sales growth. Without looking back, Microsoft has continually made refinements and improvements to the Xbox 360, expanding hard drive storage capacity, improving video, multimedia and internet functions and offering several console formats at economical prices, all while sacrificing nothing of game play.
With the release of Halo 3, Xbox 360 set a new standard for 7th generation video game consoles, optimizing video and graphic output with the aid of a custom-made graphic engine and new High Dynamic Range graphic technologies. Halo 3 has since become the Xbox 360’s bestselling game, having sold an estimated 8.1 million copies. As well as being its premiere video game for the Xbox 360 console, Halo 3 also served as a litmus test for the expanded Xbox Live, proving to be a success and bringing in scores of new and seasoned users alike.
As more and more game titles have been optioned for online play, Microsoft has improved its Xbox Live service by offering two different versions: Gold and Silver. Silver comes free of charge but has limited options and no multiplayer gaming. Gold can be purchased at monthly or yearly rates and includes expanded game play, access to online-only games, video conferencing and increased user profile options. Both Gold and Silver offer parental controls and full integration with Windows Live Messenger.
Though this review refers to the Xbox 360 Premium, there are several different Xbox 360s that vary according to storage capacity and A/V capabilities.
| Version | Arcade | Pro | Elite |
| Appearance | Matte White | Matte White | Matte Black |
| Chrome Disc Drawer | No | Yes | Yes |
| Included Storage Type | 256 MB Memory Unit | 60 GB Hard Drive | 120 GB Hard Drive |
| Ethernet Cable | No | Yes | Yes |
| Xbox 360 Headset | No | Yes | Yes |
| Included A/V Cables, Adapters | SD-Composite | Hybrid Component/Composite (HD/SD) | Hybrid Component/Composite (HD/SD), Analog Audio Patch |
| HDMI Port | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Xbox Live Membership | 1 Month Gold Trial, Silver | 1 Month Gold Trial, Silver | 1 Month Gold Trial, Silver |
Though there are great differences between the Arcade, Pro and Elite versions of the Xbox 360, all Xbox 360 models have a sizable advantage over their predecessor, the original Xbox. Aside from obvious video and audio components and multimedia functionality, there are several other differences worth illuminating.
| Console | Xbox | Xbox 360 Pro |
| CPU | 733 MHz Intel Pentium III-based Mobile Celeron | 3.2 GHz PPC Tri-Core Xenon |
| GPU | 233 MHz nVidia NV2A | 500 MHz ATI Xenos |
| RAM | 64 MB | 512MB |
| Cache Memory | 128 KB | 1MB |
| Standard Storage | 8 GB | 60 GB |
The improvements in computing speed and power are apparent in the graphical and video difference that exists between the two consoles. The video output for the Xbox 360 offers a greater fill rate with increased color (bit) and shader output, making it ideal for larger and HD video formats. Though little change has been made in the Xbox 360’s audio configuration, its additional A/V configurations open it up to a variety of HD and other enhanced A/V settings, greatly improving its sound potential.
Standout Features
The Xbox 360 offers a video game experience unlike any other, combining unbelievable graphic and video generation with unbelievable speed and consistency. Though speculation led many to believe the PS3 would outdo the Xbox 360 in video and graphics, Microsoft maintains its position as the best in video and graphic output.
| PS3 | Xbox 360 | |
| Video Output | NVIDIA RSX 128-bit | ATI Xbox 360 256-bit 2D/3D graphics acceleration |
| Triangle Setup | 250 million Triangles/sec | 500 million Triangles/sec |
| Multi-Sampled Fill Rate | 8 billion samples/sec | 16 billion samples/sec |
| Vertex Shader Processing | 1 billion Vertices/sec | 1-6 billion Vertices/sec (varies according to unified pipeline use) |
| Filtered Texture Fetch | 12 billion Texels/sec | 8 billion Texels/sec |
| Vertext Texture Fetch | 4 billion Texels/sec | 8 billion Texels/sec |
| Pixel Shader Processing with 16 Filtered Texels/Cycle | 16 billion Pixels/sec | 24 billion Pixels/sec |
| Pixel Shader Processing without Textures | 24 billion Pixels/sec | 24 billion Pixels/sec |
| Frame Buffer Bandwidth | 20.8GB/sec (shared with other graphics data) | 256GB/sec (dedicated for frame buffer) |
| Texture/Vertext Memory Bandwidth | 20.8GB/sec (shared with frame buffer) | 22.4GB/sec (shared with CPU) |
| Video Memory Installed | 256MB GDDR3 SDRAM Integrated | 10MB Integrated |
| Max Resolution External | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Game Availability: 
Xbox 360 has roughly 526 game titles available, with backward compatibility of 465 games available with a hard drive and the latest software update. Though the Sony PS3 offers full backward compatibility for both PlayStation and PS2, Xbox 360 makes a strong case for itself by including additional games and downloads through Xbox Live.
Though there are dozens of titles that have broken the million-mark, the ten best-selling Xbox 360 games are:
- Halo 3 (8.1 million)
- Gears of War (4.7 million)
- Grand Theft Auto IV (3.45 million)
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (3.172 million)
- Forza Motorsport 2 (2.274 million)
- BioShock (2.2 million)
- Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (2.08 million)
- Guitar Hero II (2 million)
- Saints Row (2 million)
- Assassin's Creed (1.985 million)
Online Community: 
The Xbox Live network boasts more than 10 million Gold subscribers and an Xbox Marketplace that makes game rentals and purchases available, while also offering software and game downloads. The Xbox Live network offers video and voice chatting, user forums and chat rooms, user profile and bio pages, user rankings and, of course, hosts multiplayer play with team/opponent selection available by skill level, age, region, language and custom, for play between friends and acquaintances.
Though both Gold and Silver Xbox Live subscriptions have many benefits, there are some crucial differences.
| Xbox Live Subscription | Silver | Gold |
| Price/Month | Free | $7.99 |
| Unique User Name | Yes | Yes |
| User Ranking | No | Yes |
| Voice Chat | Yes | Yes |
| Video Chat | No | Yes |
| User Forum | Yes | Yes |
| Online Play | No | Yes |
| Parental Controls | Yes | Yes |
| Software Updates | Yes | Yes |
| Xbox Arcade Game Use | 1-2 Weeks After Release | Yes |
In terms of internet connectivity and use, Xbox 360 has adopted the popular 802.11 wireless model in favor of the 100Mbit Ethernet connection the original Xbox utilized. While a network adapter is still needed for connectivity, the Xbox 360 is built for faster, more effective internet browsing, downloading and streaming, making it comparable to most desktops in terms of cache memory and computational power. The improved browser functions make it possible to watch television and other programs downloaded or streamed from the Internet, giving it a strong multimedia foundation that takes it beyond mere video game play and establishes it as a central entertainment staple.
Multimedia:
Aside from functioning as a video game console, the Xbox 360 can also be used as a web browser, CD and DVD player. The Xbox 360 is also compatible with iTunes and Zune, as well as other audio file formats, allowing you to play the music of your choice during gameplay, or play music alone with the Xbox 360’s interactive visual synthesizer.
The Xbox 360 can also display photos and slideshows with various transition effects, with full audio playback and music player controls.
Available Accessories:
Though most accessories that were available for the original Xbox are still available for the Xbox 360, a strong emphasis has been placed on wireless technology for everything from controllers and headsets to internet connectivity, greatly eliminating the mess of cables and lines that become a nuisance in most video game consoles. An important accessory improvement for the Xbox 360 is its web cam and HDMI component upgrades, accessories that were not available in the original Xbox.
Though most accessories that were available for the original Xbox are still available for the Xbox 360, a strong emphasis has been placed on wireless technology for everything from controllers and headsets to internet connectivity, greatly eliminating the mess of cables and lines that become a nuisance in most video game consoles. An important accessory improvement for the Xbox 360 is its web cam and HDMI component upgrades, accessories that were not available in the original Xbox.
Technical Support:
Microsoft offers a range of help and support options, including telephone, email and online chat assistance. A dedicated customer service line is also available, with repair information, including cost and status conveniently located for quick reference. Microsoft offers an impressive 1-year warranty (from the date of purchase) for its various Xbox 360 consoles, with an additional 2-year warranty available for problems associated with the “3 Flashing Red Lights” errors associated with the console.
Summary:
The Xbox 360 stands head and shoulders above the other consoles when it comes to gaming, both online and otherwise. With lightning-quick hardware and software specs that provide the best in graphic and video output, as well as a continual focus on cutting-edge game development and integrated online gameplay, Xbox 360 is certain to remain atop the heap for some time to come. However, with limited multimedia options and excessive energy requirements, the Xbox 360 still does leave some room for improvement.
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