List of Xbox 360 retail configurations
The Xbox 360 video game console has appeared in various retail configurations during its life-cycle. At its launch, the Xbox 360 was available in two retail configurations: the morning "Xbox 360" package, priced at US$399.99 or £279.99, and the "Xbox 360 Core," priced at US$299.99 and £209.99. The original shipment of Xbox 360s included a cut-down version of the Media Remote as a promotion. The Elite package was launched later at a retail price of US$479.99. The "Xbox 360 Core" was replaced by the "Xbox 360 Arcade" in October 2007 and a 60 GB version of the Xbox 360 Pro was released on August 1, 2008. The Pro package was discontinued and marked down to US$249.99 on August 28, 2009 to be sold until stock ran out, while the Elite was also marked down in price to US$299.99.
In June 2010, Microsoft announced a new, redesigned model and the discontinuation of the Elite and Arcade models.
All Models
Technically designated the Xbox 360 S, commonly known as the Xbox 360 Slim, and marketed simply as the Xbox 360; these Xbox 360 consoles are based on a redesign of the Xbox 360 hardware which was officially announced on June 14, 2010 during a press briefing prior to that year's E3. It was speculated that a complete redesign of the Xbox 360 hardware was being produced after pictures of a possible new motherboard design surfaced on March 17, 2010. Ads later surfaced on June 13, 2010 showing a slimmer Xbox 360 design, which was expected to include a 250 GB hard drive and integrated Wi-Fi functionality.The console's casing is revised in comparison to the previous models, with a glossy black finish and capacitive power and eject buttons. The internal hardware was redesigned using a new motherboard codenamed "Valhalla", which integrates the CPU, GPU, and eDRAM into a single package using a 45 nm fabrication process. As the CPU and GPU are integrated into the same die, they may also share the same heatsink and fan, which reduces the console's noise output, and its power consumption by roughly half in comparison to the original Xenon motherboard. The S has two additional rear USB ports, as well as a proprietary port used to connect the Kinect sensor.
The motherboard has an integrated 2.4 GHz 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi adapter, and a TOSLINK S/PDIF optical audio connector. The S no longer includes Memory Unit slots; USB drives can alternatively be used to expand storage. The external hard disk drive connector has also been swapped for an internal bay for use with a proprietary hard drive. The hard drive bay is designed such that a specially formatted 2.5" hard drive may be loaded in. Data can be transferred from a previous console using a USB transfer cable sold separately. If removed from its casing, a hard drive from a previous generation 360 can be implanted into the drive bay instead of purchasing a hard drive branded for use with the new model.
Unlike previous generations of the console which had names to distinguish different SKUs, the new models' retail units were branded by their internal storage capacity in a similar fashion to the various models of its main competitor the PlayStation 3. When the first new models began to ship, remaining stock of the Elite package dropped in price to US$249.99 or A$349 and the Arcade dropped to US$149.99.
Xbox 360 S 250 GB model
The first Xbox 360 S SKU revealed included a 250 GB hard drive and its casing featured a glossy black finish. It was shipped to US retailers the same day it was announced and went on sale later that week. It was released in Australia on, in New Zealand on and in Europe on. It retails at US$299.99, £199.99, A$449.00, NZ$499.00 or €249.00, replacing the Xbox 360 Elite at that price point.In August 2011, Microsoft announced they would be streamlining their models by discontinuing the glossy finish and that future 250 GB consoles would use the matte finish found on 4 GB models.
Xbox 360 S 4 GB model
A second SKU which included 4 GB of internal flash storage and had a matte black casing was released on in the US and in Europe. It replaced the Xbox 360 Arcade and is priced at US$199.99, £149.99 or €199.99. Although this model has on-board storage, Xbox Product Director Aaron Greenberg confirmed that it does have a drive bay which Microsoft has "the opportunity to use in the future". On, Microsoft announced a 250 GB stand-alone hard drive for use with Xbox 360 S models priced at US$129.99.Xbox 360 S 320 GB limited editions
In June 2011, Microsoft announced a "Jon Jones Edition" Xbox 360 S console to coincide with the launch of Gears of War 3, featuring a custom finish, a 320 GB hard drive and sounds from the Gears of War 3 game which are played when the console is switched on or the disc tray is opened.Other 320 GB Xbox 360 S limited editions soon followed. Like the 250 GB "Super Elite" consoles, 320 GB Xbox 360 S consoles were only available as part of limited/special edition console bundles, with stand-alone 320 GB hard drives also being available for purchase.
Xbox 360 E
At Microsoft's E3 press conference on June 10, 2013, another hardware revision of the Xbox 360 known as E was unveiled for immediate availability. It is a revision of the S model with a new Xbox One-inspired casing, carrying a more rectangular appearance and a two-tone color scheme. It has one fewer USB port and no S/PDIF, YPbPr component or S-video connections. Its internal hardware is otherwise similar to the S model. SKUs and pricing for the new model are identical to those of the previous model.Xbox 360 Core
The Xbox 360 Core was an entry level Xbox 360 which was later replaced with the "Arcade". Although available at launch in other regions, it was not available in Japan until November 2, 2006. The Core system came bundled with a composite video cable, capable of only SDTV resolutions. The console was however capable of the same HDTV resolutions as the other models when connected to a separately sold component/d-terminal cable. In October 2006, 1080p support was added for all models in a system update, including the "Core" using either the component/d-terminal cable, or the new VGA cable. It may also utilize a separately sold Xbox 360 hard drive. Unlike all other SKUs, it shipped with a wired version of the Xbox 360 controller, instead of the wireless version found in other SKUs.Xbox 360 Pro/Premium
The Xbox 360 included all the features of the Xbox 360 Core and included a hybrid composite/component cable with optional optical out instead of the composite AV cable included with the Core. This model also included a detachable hard disk drive to store downloaded content, provide compatibility with original Xbox games, and store game data. The included hard drive came with game demos, video clips and a free Live Arcade game, Hexic HD. In July 2007, this version of the Xbox 360 began appearing with the Zephyr motherboard which features HDMI 1.2 output and an improved GPU heatsink. Although this model did include an HDMI output, it did not come with an HDMI cable. Starting at the end of September 2007, the newest systems were shipped with the new "Falcon" motherboard. This motherboard includes the new 65 nm CPUs, making them quieter and cooler than the older systems. On August 1, 2008, the 20 GB version was discontinued and was replaced by a 60 GB HDD model at the same price. Holiday 2008 consoles were bundled with and Kung Fu Panda. Price cuts that took effect on September 4, 2008 reduced the price from $349 to $299. The Xbox 360 configuration, following its discontinuation, retailed for $250 until stocks were exhausted.Xbox 360 Elite
The Xbox 360 Elite included a 120 GB hard drive and a matte black finish. The Elite retail package also included a controller and headset that match the system's black finish. The initial release price was US$479.99, C$549.99, £299.99, and A$729.95. The Elite was released in North America on April 29, 2007, Europe on August 24, 2007, and Australia on August 30, 2007. These Elites can be identified from earlier versions by a re-designed power connector and a power supply rated to 175 W. In 2009, Elite models using the Jasper chipset became available. These can also be identified by their power supply, which is rated at 150W and has a 12.1A 12v rail. Christmas 2008 consoles were bundled with and Kung Fu Panda. The Elite's price tag was cut from $449 to $399 on September 4, 2008. With the announcement of the new Xbox 360 250 GB model, the Elite dropped in price to US$249.99 for remaining units until stocks were exhausted.Xbox 360 Arcade
The Xbox 360 Arcade replaced the Xbox 360 Core as the entry-level Xbox 360 on, while retaining the Core's price of US$279.99. It was publicly revealed by Microsoft's president of Entertainment Devices division Robbie Bach to the Financial Times on October 18, 2007, and officially announced on October 22, 2007, although it was available in stores far earlier. It included a wireless controller, a composite AV cable, HDMI 1.2 output, a 256 MB memory unit and five Xbox Live Arcade titles: Boom Boom Rocket, Feeding Frenzy, Luxor 2, Pac-Man Championship Edition, and Uno on a single disk, which also included a "Welcome Video" and several game trailers and demos. Like its predecessor the "Core", it did not include a hard disk drive, which is required for Xbox software backwards compatibility. In Autumn 2008, with the introduction of the Jasper motherboard revision, the memory unit was removed from the package and replaced with a 256 MB internal memory chip. This was later upgraded to a 512 MB chip in Summer 2009. Holiday 2008 consoles were bundled with Sega Superstars Tennis. With the price cuts on, the Arcade fell from US$279 to US$199 in the US. In the UK, with the 2009 Elite price drop and discontinuation of the "Premium" Pro SKU, the Arcade price rose from £129.99 to £159.99. With the unveiling of the Xbox 360 S redesign, the Arcade dropped in price to US$149.99 for remaining units until stocks are exhausted. The Arcade was replaced at the US$200 price tier by the 4 GB Xbox 360 S.Xbox 360 [|Super Elite]
The Xbox 360 Elite has also been configured with a 250 GB hard disk drive and two wireless controllers on special limited editions of the console. Also referred to as the Xbox 360 Super Elite, the console retailed at US$399.99, £249.99 and A$599.00 as of November 10, 2009. A ' bundle included a special limited-edition black console featuring Modern Warfare 2 branding. Other bundles included a standard Elite finish and either the game Forza Motorsport 3 or both Halo 3 and '. On March 9, 2010, alongside the release of Final Fantasy XIII, Microsoft released another 250 GB bundle with the same extras as the Modern Warfare bundle except bundled with the Final Fantasy XIII game. Unlike other Super Elites, this console and its accessories featured the same white color scheme as "Pro" models. This bundle also included exclusive downloadable items for use with Xbox 360 avatars and a specially branded 250 GB hard drive. In April 2010, a Super Elite bundle featuring the same extras as the other bundles was released alongside the Splinter Cell: Conviction game.Comparison of features
Information is based on current specifications for standard packages. Older or holiday packages may differ from current configurations.All Xbox 360s come with Xbox Live Free membership and a one-month trial of Xbox Live Gold membership.
All Xbox 360s are backwards compatible with supported Xbox titles as long as they have an Xbox 360 HDD attached. This can be purchased separately for the Core/Arcade pack.
All hard drives come with the Xbox Live Arcade game Hexic HD.
Included accessories match the color scheme of the console they are bundled with.
All European consoles also include a composite SCART adapter.
a 250 GB Elite consoles and 320 GB Xbox 360 S consoles are/were only available as part of limited/special edition bundles.
b The standard Composite AV Cable features three RCA connectors, for standard left and right channel audio and composite video, which supports an SD image. It also lacks the TOSLINK connector found on all other AV cables.
c The Component HD AV Cable features six RCA connectors, for standard left and right channel audio, composite video and HD component supporting up to 1080p image. It also features a TOSLINK optical audio connector, which supports either 2 channel LPCM or dolby digital 5.1.
d The audio dongle features two RCA connectors for left and right audio and a TOSLINK optical audio connector.
e Compilation disk includes Boom Boom Rocket, Feeding Frenzy, Luxor 2, Pac-Man Championship Edition, and Uno.
f Excluding Mexican and older Australian and New Zealand versions, where a Media Remote is bundled instead.
g Component HD AV Cable, HDMI cable and HDMI Audio Adapter were included with the 120 GB model prior to September 2009.
h Component HD AV Cable is replaced with a D-Terminal HD AV Cable in Japan.
i "Transforming D-Pad" controllers feature a d-pad that can be rotated to switch between either a "plus" or a "disk" d-pad. These controllers also feature different concave analog stick tops than standard controllers.
Special editions
On a few occasions, Microsoft has produced special editions of the console, usually to coincide with the release of a major product. These special editions are typically custom-colored Xbox 360 models, and are produced in limited numbers.- At the E3 2007 press conference, Microsoft announced the Halo 3 Special Edition console, released September 25, 2007. It sports a Halo 3 theme on the console, a wired headset, a wireless controller, and a Play and Charge Kit. Other than the unique "Spartan green-and-gold" color scheme, exclusive dashboard theme and downloads, and an HDMI port, its features were unusual in that it had the HDMI port present only on the elite, but the 20 GB hard drive of the premium. It is priced at US$399.99 and £279.99.
- To promote The Simpsons Movie, Microsoft created a specially designed, yellow Xbox 360 console. The configuration was based on the Xbox 360 package of the time, the only difference being the color scheme of the Xbox 360 console and wireless controller. The consoles were to be given out to winners of drawings taking place between July 18, 2007 and July 27, 2007, in which a name was randomly drawn each day in the "10 Days and 10 Chances to Win" sweepstakes. 100 consoles were produced in total.
- A Resident Evil 5 bundle containing a red Xbox 360 Elite console was released on March 13, 2009. The bundle also contains a red, wireless controller and a black, wired headset.
Super Elite special editions
- On September 15, 2009 Microsoft announced a special 250 GB hard disk limited edition version of the Xbox 360 Elite for '. The unit is highlighted by special game product branding and includes two wireless controllers and a headset. This was the first Xbox 360 announced to come with a 250 GB hard drive.
- A Final Fantasy XIII 250 GB limited edition bundle of the Xbox 360 console was announced on February 11, 2010 and was released to coincide with the release of Final Fantasy XIII. The bundle includes an imprinted white 250 GB Xbox 360 Elite, two wireless controllers, a copy of Final Fantasy XIII and exclusive downloadable avatar items. Other than the HDD imprint, this console is cosmetically identical to the discontinued Pro models.
- In March 2010, Microsoft announced a special limited edition black Xbox 360 Elite console for '. The unit includes a 250 GB hard drive, two black wireless controllers, a black wired headset, an Ethernet cable, a standard definition Composite A/V cable, and the standard edition version of the game.
Xbox 360 S special editions
250 GB models
- A special edition bundle was made available concurrently with the game on. It consists of a custom branded silver 250 GB Xbox 360 S console, two silver and black branded controllers, a black wired headset and a copy of the game. The press release in which it was announced also revealed that it "not only captures the look and feel of the game, but also features custom sound effects from the Halo universe". The bundle retailed for US$399. The branded controllers and headset were also sold as standalone products.
320 GB models
- In June 2011, Microsoft announced a "Limited Collector's Edition" Xbox 360 S console to coincide with the launch of Gears of War 3. The console features a high-gloss red finish with black Gears of War 3 Branding. Unlike other Xbox 360 S consoles, the Gears of War 3 LCE features a 320 GB hard drive and sounds from the Gears of War 3 game are played when the console is switched on and off or the disc tray is opened. It is bundled with two custom branded gloss red Gears of War 3 wireless controllers, a wired headset, a copy of the game and a download code for additional in-game content. It was released on September 20, 2011.
- On July 21, 2011, Microsoft announced the "Limited Edition Kinect Star Wars Bundle". The bundle includes a 320 GB Xbox 360 S console, which features R2-D2-based artwork and custom R2-D2-themed power on/tray eject sounds, a white Kinect sensor, a gold and black C-3PO themed wireless controller, a copy of Star Wars Kinect and Kinect Adventures, and exclusive downloadable content. It was subsequently delayed until April 3, 2012.
- On September 2, 2011, Microsoft announced the "Limited Edition Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Bundle". The bundle includes a 320 GB Xbox 360 S console, which features Modern Warfare 3 based artwork and custom Modern Warfare 3 themed power on/tray eject sounds, two Modern Warfare 3 themed wireless controllers, a black wired headset, and a copy of the game. The console was released on November 8, 2011 in North America, Australasia and the EMEA region.
- On July 14, 2012, Microsoft announced the "Limited Edition Halo 4 Bundle". The bundle was released on November 6, 2012, alongside the game. The bundle includes a 320 GB Xbox 360 S, featuring a translucent case with Halo 4 themed artwork and power on/tray eject sounds, two exclusive Halo 4 themed wireless controllers, a wired headset, a copy of the game, and exclusive DLC. The ring of light and power indicator on this console and its accompanying controllers are blue rather than the green found on other Xbox 360 models.
Xbox 360 Launch Team Edition
Holiday bundles
As with the original Xbox, Microsoft has continued bundling two video game titles in console retail packaging during the holiday season. During the holidays of 2007, the Xbox 360 Pro and Elite packages were bundled with Forza Motorsport 2 and '. In the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands, Forza Motorsport 2 was bundled with Viva Piñata.Holiday 2008 Xbox 360 and Xbox 360 Elite packages were bundled with ' and Kung Fu Panda, while Arcade consoles were bundled with Sega Superstars Tennis. Holiday 2009 packages included an Elite console, LEGO Batman and Pure. Holiday 2010 bundles included a 250 GB Xbox 360 S console, Forza Motorsport 3 and a voucher to download Alan Wake from the Xbox Live Marketplace.
Two bundles were available in the 2011 holiday season. The first, which retailed for US$399.99, contained a 250 GB Xbox 360 S, Kinect sensor, a copy of Kinect Adventures, a download voucher for Carnival Games: Monkey See Monkey Do and 3 months of Xbox Live Gold. The second, which retailed for US$299.99 contained a 250 GB Xbox 360 S, Fable III, a download voucher for, and 3 months of Xbox LIVE Gold.
During the 2012 holiday season, Microsoft released several Xbox 360 S bundles at temporarily discounted prices, including a 4 GB Xbox 360 console with a Kinect sensor, Kinect Adventures, and Kinect Disneyland Adventures for US$249.99; and a 250 GB Xbox 360 console with a physical copy of Forza Motorsport 4 and a digital download voucher for ' for US$249.99.
For the 2013 holiday season, there were three Xbox 360 S bundles available, with each including one month of Xbox Live Gold. The 250GB Kinect Holiday Value Bundle included ', Kinect Adventures!, and a download voucher for Forza Horizon. The 4GB Kinect Holiday Value Bundle included Kinect Sports: Season Two and Kinect Adventures!. The 250GB Holiday Value Bundle included Halo 4 and a download voucher for Tomb Raider.
In 2014, three Xbox 360 E bundles were sold, all with one month of Xbox Live Gold included. The 500GB Holiday Value Bundle included ' and a download voucher for '. A similar bundle, with a blue console and controller, was sold at Walmart. A 4GB Kinect Bundle was sold at Target, including Kinect Adventures!, Kinect Sports, and Forza Horizon.