Microsoft Xbox 360 Pro (60 GB) Console
- Processor: 3.2 GHz Tri-Core Xenon
- Platform: Xbox 360
- Console Type: Home Console
- Gaming Type: Online Gaming LAN Gaming Multiplayer Gaming
Available From
Why are these offers here?
Lowest Price!
- Overview
-
Reviews
- Compare Prices
User ReviewRead All Reviews »
After Four Years, this is Still the Only Console for Me
Pros
Games, Xbox Live, wide array of features.
Cons
None that I can think of.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
The Xbox 360 is a revolutionary console. It has a wide array of fun games, a brilliant online service, and tons of features. Get one.
Introduction:Ah, the Xbox 360: what a wonderful, wonderful console. My history with this gem dates back to about four years ago, and the console itself was officially released around 5 years ago. To this day, it is one of the best-selling, highest rated consoles around, and for a very good reason. I absolutely love my Xbox 360, and use it whenever I have time and wanna do some gaming (at least once a week). The graphics are great (especially with my HD hookup) it has plenty of exclusives, and the online service simply cannot be beaten by anything else out there, despite it's pricetag.
Description:When I purchased this console, it was priced at $350, which I found to be rather expensive. I soon found that it was totally and completely worth it. It is a fairly bulky console, but it is not too heavy. It is 7.7 pounds, but unless you are traveling a place where you will want to bring it, you will probably not have to move it too much. It is 3.2 inches thick, and 12.5 inches long in the back. It can be stood up so it is vertical, or can be laid down horizontally. I have mine standing up vertically, so that is how I will be describing it.
In the front, there is the power button, two USB ports, and the disc tray. To insert a disk, you press the button directly above the disk tray, insert the disk, and close it. I know this sounds basic, but for those of you who have never had a console, I just wanted to clear it up. You will most likely be using both of the friend two USB ports, for whatever it is that you need to connect.
In the back, there is a fan to keep the Xbox cool to prevent overheating. It is slightly loud, which is one of the biggest complaints about the console, but I barely notice it. There is also an ethernet connection if you want to be connected to Xbox Live via wired network. However, I, like many, am connected to Xbox Live via wireless network. Located on the back there is also the proper ports for the power cord, the cords that connect your Xbox to the television, and one extra USB port.
Located on the top of the Xbox is a detachable 60 GB hard drive, that will store all of the information from your Xbox. Examples of this information are game save files, your profile information, gamer pictures, themes, and more. The great thing about the hard drive being detachable is that you can bring your hard drive to your friend's house if they have an Xbox instead of just bringing your entire Xbox. That way all of your information is available, if you want to use your account or continue a game.
Xbox Live:The Xbox 360 truly would not be what it is today without it's most stellar feature: Xbox Live. Xbox Live has grown and evolved for as long as the Xbox 360 was out, and it is a wonderful combination of a social, gaming, and media experience. There is such a wide variety of things to do, and though it has a price (as opposed to the free Playstation Network), it is totally worth it. It is $50 dollars a year, but considering all of it's features, it is completely worth it.
If the idea of online gaming is new to you, it truly is an intriguing concept. In almost any game that the Xbox 360 has to offer, there is a multiplayer mode where you can face off against your friends. There are also genereally playlists in which you can earn XP and get ranked, within that game only. Some other games feature "co-op" (short for cooperative) modes where you can work together with your friends to work through a mission.
If you look in the center of your Xbox 360 Controller, you will see a large circular button with a lit X through the center. This is your Xbox 360 mini dashboard button, and it is basically your portal to all things Xbox Live that can be accessed during any game, movie, or any activity on your Xbox 360. It has 5 tabs: marketplace, games, your account, media, and settings. Under each one is more information.
One of the single most unique and enjoyable features of Xbox Live is achievements/gamerscore. In each and every game there are a set number of achievements that total 1000 gamerscore. You can unlock achievements by doing certain things within a game, such as beating the campaign, getting a certain number of kills, or really anything else that the delevoper sets. Each and every achievement has a certain number of gamerscore, so when you unlock it that gamerscore is added to your account. On your account, your total gamerscore (from all the achievements you've accumulated from all of your games) is shown. It is a great way to truly get competitive with your friends, and it is pretty indicative of your skill throughout Xbox Live.
You can add any user as your friend, and they have the option to confirm or deny. As long as they don't have privacy settings, you can view their bio, motto, gamerscore, and more. You can even view what games they have, when they played them, and how much gamerscore they've unlocked from it. You can even go in and compare the achievements you all have both unlocked in individual games! It is very fun to do, especially with people you know in real life.
You can send messages, including either voice or text, to any player across Xbox Live. In any given multiplayer game, there is a feature called gamechat. This allows you to communicate with your teammates via your Xbox Live headset, which plugs into the bottom of your controller. It is actually pretty extraordinary the first time you do it, and it is a great way to talk trash. A fairly new feature to Xbox Live which is extremely convenient is "Party Chat". In this feature, you can talk to a large group of your friends on Xbox Live, even if they are playing a seperate game or watching a movie. It is a great way to stay in touch, even if you don't feel like playing a game.
There is an Xbox Live Marketplace where you can buy movies, music, and more. There are some features that can be linked with Xbox such as Facebook, Twitter, and Netflix. There is such a wide array of features that you will never ever be bored.
Two more things worth mentioning is the Xbox Live Arcade and the Games on Demand. The Xbox Live Arcade is where a large number of developers put games, that can be extremely fun. They are considered "arcade games" because they are much shorter than normal games and can be downloaded directly to the console. There are 1000s of them. Games on Demand is another wonderful feature where you can download full Xbox 360 games straight to the console! They never put new releases on here, but they put big hits, which is a great way to access some of the best games without even leaving your couch!
The currency that you use to purchase anything through the Xbox Live marketplace is called Microsoft Points which can be added in preset amounts too your account via credit card. It is a slight annoyance that you cannot just see the price in US Dollars, but you get used to it. Also, you can make an avatar and dress it in whatever clothes you want. This will be viewable on your account.
As you can see, Xbox Live is a major part of the Xbox 360, and your experience will not be nearly as good without it.
Other Features:The other features of the Xbox 360 add to it's greatness without going over the top. The disk drive can read dvd's and music cd's, and you can even burn your music dvd's to a music library straight on your 360. You can store pictures on your Xbox 360 as well. You cannot rip DVD's to the Xbox, but you can download them from the marketplace. Of course, it would be nice to be able to play Blu-Ray's like the PS3, but it is really not that big of a deal.
Accessories: I love the controller, and it feels very natural and comfortable when you hold it. It is not too heavy, and it is (in my opinion) much more comfortable to hold and use than the Playstation 3 controller. You connect your Xbox 360 Microphone to bottom, and there is an earpiece on the side. It can be adjusted to fit your head perfectly, and if you wanna get really fancy, you can purchase the Xbox 360 Wireless Headset.
Game Selection:The Xbox 360 has some wonderfully fun games, and the graphics are wonderful (especially if you have a 1080 p HDMI connection). Yes it has a ton of multi-platform games, but it has hundreds of exclusives (some of which are good enough to be the entire console for). The most famous of which, is the Halo franchise
The Halo franchise has been around for about 10 years, and it has been one of the highest selling videogame franchises of all time. It is a futuristic first person shooter, and it is wonderful and revolutionary. Halo 3 was such an excellent game, with a great campaign and even greater multiplayer. There was even an expansion released, Halo 3: ODST. However, what truly steals the show, is Bungie's last Halo game ever, that was just released one month ago, Halo Reach. It improves on every single aspect of Halo 3 beautifully, and revolutionizes this already revolutionary series. I plan to review it soon.
Gears of War and Gears of War 2 are also amazingly dark exclusives. It is a brutally gory third person shooter with a great story. I was totally mesmerized with the first game, and the second one improved upon the first. There is a third game on the way, and I am extremely excited for it.
In the RPG region, Mass Effect and its sequel are absolutely amazing, and they changed the way everyone views RPG's. It incorporates aspects of shooters and action games as well, and the turnout could not be better. I am very excited for the third.
For racing fans, Forza Motorsport 3 is the way to go. It is slick, fun, and addictive.
There are tons of other exclusives, but I simply listed the most popular ones in each genre.
Impressions: Honestly, there is nothing I dislike about the Xbox 360. It has become a part of my life in a way I never expected. When I want to talk with my friends, I get on my Xbox. When I wanna watch a movie, i get on my Xbox. When I want to play some awesome games, I get on my Xbox. Sensing a pattern here? It is a wonderful console, and I am completely satisfied with it. I am not planning on buying any other console until Xbox comes out with a new one, because it truly is that good.
Tech Specs (Quoted Directly from the Xbox website)
Inputs/Outputs
Memory Unit ports (2)
USB ports (2 front, 1 rear)
Ethernet port
AV port
HDMI port
DC IN power port
IR remote receiver
Wireless: 2.4 GHz Digital Spread Spectrum (up to four players)
Custom PowerPC-based CPU
3 symmetrical cores running at 3.2 GHz
2 hardware threads per core (6 hardware threads total)
1 MB L2 cache
2.7GHz Front Side Bus
Custom ATI Graphics
Processor 500 MHz clock speed
10 MB embedded DRAM (256GB/s)
48-way parallel floating-point dynamically scheduled shader pipelines
Unified shader architecture
Memory
512 MB GDDR3 RAM
Unified memory architecture
Overall:The Xbox 360 is my all-time favorite console, and I use it at least weekly. It's online simply cannot be beaten, and it has a long list of excellent exclusives. I give it an enthusiastic 5 star rating, and recommend it. Seriously, buy this console.
Description:When I purchased this console, it was priced at $350, which I found to be rather expensive. I soon found that it was totally and completely worth it. It is a fairly bulky console, but it is not too heavy. It is 7.7 pounds, but unless you are traveling a place where you will want to bring it, you will probably not have to move it too much. It is 3.2 inches thick, and 12.5 inches long in the back. It can be stood up so it is vertical, or can be laid down horizontally. I have mine standing up vertically, so that is how I will be describing it.
In the front, there is the power button, two USB ports, and the disc tray. To insert a disk, you press the button directly above the disk tray, insert the disk, and close it. I know this sounds basic, but for those of you who have never had a console, I just wanted to clear it up. You will most likely be using both of the friend two USB ports, for whatever it is that you need to connect.
In the back, there is a fan to keep the Xbox cool to prevent overheating. It is slightly loud, which is one of the biggest complaints about the console, but I barely notice it. There is also an ethernet connection if you want to be connected to Xbox Live via wired network. However, I, like many, am connected to Xbox Live via wireless network. Located on the back there is also the proper ports for the power cord, the cords that connect your Xbox to the television, and one extra USB port.
Located on the top of the Xbox is a detachable 60 GB hard drive, that will store all of the information from your Xbox. Examples of this information are game save files, your profile information, gamer pictures, themes, and more. The great thing about the hard drive being detachable is that you can bring your hard drive to your friend's house if they have an Xbox instead of just bringing your entire Xbox. That way all of your information is available, if you want to use your account or continue a game.
Xbox Live:The Xbox 360 truly would not be what it is today without it's most stellar feature: Xbox Live. Xbox Live has grown and evolved for as long as the Xbox 360 was out, and it is a wonderful combination of a social, gaming, and media experience. There is such a wide variety of things to do, and though it has a price (as opposed to the free Playstation Network), it is totally worth it. It is $50 dollars a year, but considering all of it's features, it is completely worth it.
If the idea of online gaming is new to you, it truly is an intriguing concept. In almost any game that the Xbox 360 has to offer, there is a multiplayer mode where you can face off against your friends. There are also genereally playlists in which you can earn XP and get ranked, within that game only. Some other games feature "co-op" (short for cooperative) modes where you can work together with your friends to work through a mission.
If you look in the center of your Xbox 360 Controller, you will see a large circular button with a lit X through the center. This is your Xbox 360 mini dashboard button, and it is basically your portal to all things Xbox Live that can be accessed during any game, movie, or any activity on your Xbox 360. It has 5 tabs: marketplace, games, your account, media, and settings. Under each one is more information.
One of the single most unique and enjoyable features of Xbox Live is achievements/gamerscore. In each and every game there are a set number of achievements that total 1000 gamerscore. You can unlock achievements by doing certain things within a game, such as beating the campaign, getting a certain number of kills, or really anything else that the delevoper sets. Each and every achievement has a certain number of gamerscore, so when you unlock it that gamerscore is added to your account. On your account, your total gamerscore (from all the achievements you've accumulated from all of your games) is shown. It is a great way to truly get competitive with your friends, and it is pretty indicative of your skill throughout Xbox Live.
You can add any user as your friend, and they have the option to confirm or deny. As long as they don't have privacy settings, you can view their bio, motto, gamerscore, and more. You can even view what games they have, when they played them, and how much gamerscore they've unlocked from it. You can even go in and compare the achievements you all have both unlocked in individual games! It is very fun to do, especially with people you know in real life.
You can send messages, including either voice or text, to any player across Xbox Live. In any given multiplayer game, there is a feature called gamechat. This allows you to communicate with your teammates via your Xbox Live headset, which plugs into the bottom of your controller. It is actually pretty extraordinary the first time you do it, and it is a great way to talk trash. A fairly new feature to Xbox Live which is extremely convenient is "Party Chat". In this feature, you can talk to a large group of your friends on Xbox Live, even if they are playing a seperate game or watching a movie. It is a great way to stay in touch, even if you don't feel like playing a game.
There is an Xbox Live Marketplace where you can buy movies, music, and more. There are some features that can be linked with Xbox such as Facebook, Twitter, and Netflix. There is such a wide array of features that you will never ever be bored.
Two more things worth mentioning is the Xbox Live Arcade and the Games on Demand. The Xbox Live Arcade is where a large number of developers put games, that can be extremely fun. They are considered "arcade games" because they are much shorter than normal games and can be downloaded directly to the console. There are 1000s of them. Games on Demand is another wonderful feature where you can download full Xbox 360 games straight to the console! They never put new releases on here, but they put big hits, which is a great way to access some of the best games without even leaving your couch!
The currency that you use to purchase anything through the Xbox Live marketplace is called Microsoft Points which can be added in preset amounts too your account via credit card. It is a slight annoyance that you cannot just see the price in US Dollars, but you get used to it. Also, you can make an avatar and dress it in whatever clothes you want. This will be viewable on your account.
As you can see, Xbox Live is a major part of the Xbox 360, and your experience will not be nearly as good without it.
Other Features:The other features of the Xbox 360 add to it's greatness without going over the top. The disk drive can read dvd's and music cd's, and you can even burn your music dvd's to a music library straight on your 360. You can store pictures on your Xbox 360 as well. You cannot rip DVD's to the Xbox, but you can download them from the marketplace. Of course, it would be nice to be able to play Blu-Ray's like the PS3, but it is really not that big of a deal.
Accessories: I love the controller, and it feels very natural and comfortable when you hold it. It is not too heavy, and it is (in my opinion) much more comfortable to hold and use than the Playstation 3 controller. You connect your Xbox 360 Microphone to bottom, and there is an earpiece on the side. It can be adjusted to fit your head perfectly, and if you wanna get really fancy, you can purchase the Xbox 360 Wireless Headset.
Game Selection:The Xbox 360 has some wonderfully fun games, and the graphics are wonderful (especially if you have a 1080 p HDMI connection). Yes it has a ton of multi-platform games, but it has hundreds of exclusives (some of which are good enough to be the entire console for). The most famous of which, is the Halo franchise
The Halo franchise has been around for about 10 years, and it has been one of the highest selling videogame franchises of all time. It is a futuristic first person shooter, and it is wonderful and revolutionary. Halo 3 was such an excellent game, with a great campaign and even greater multiplayer. There was even an expansion released, Halo 3: ODST. However, what truly steals the show, is Bungie's last Halo game ever, that was just released one month ago, Halo Reach. It improves on every single aspect of Halo 3 beautifully, and revolutionizes this already revolutionary series. I plan to review it soon.
Gears of War and Gears of War 2 are also amazingly dark exclusives. It is a brutally gory third person shooter with a great story. I was totally mesmerized with the first game, and the second one improved upon the first. There is a third game on the way, and I am extremely excited for it.
In the RPG region, Mass Effect and its sequel are absolutely amazing, and they changed the way everyone views RPG's. It incorporates aspects of shooters and action games as well, and the turnout could not be better. I am very excited for the third.
For racing fans, Forza Motorsport 3 is the way to go. It is slick, fun, and addictive.
There are tons of other exclusives, but I simply listed the most popular ones in each genre.
Impressions: Honestly, there is nothing I dislike about the Xbox 360. It has become a part of my life in a way I never expected. When I want to talk with my friends, I get on my Xbox. When I wanna watch a movie, i get on my Xbox. When I want to play some awesome games, I get on my Xbox. Sensing a pattern here? It is a wonderful console, and I am completely satisfied with it. I am not planning on buying any other console until Xbox comes out with a new one, because it truly is that good.
Tech Specs (Quoted Directly from the Xbox website)
Inputs/Outputs
Memory Unit ports (2)
USB ports (2 front, 1 rear)
Ethernet port
AV port
HDMI port
DC IN power port
IR remote receiver
Wireless: 2.4 GHz Digital Spread Spectrum (up to four players)
Custom PowerPC-based CPU
3 symmetrical cores running at 3.2 GHz
2 hardware threads per core (6 hardware threads total)
1 MB L2 cache
2.7GHz Front Side Bus
Custom ATI Graphics
Processor 500 MHz clock speed
10 MB embedded DRAM (256GB/s)
48-way parallel floating-point dynamically scheduled shader pipelines
Unified shader architecture
Memory
512 MB GDDR3 RAM
Unified memory architecture
Overall:The Xbox 360 is my all-time favorite console, and I use it at least weekly. It's online simply cannot be beaten, and it has a long list of excellent exclusives. I give it an enthusiastic 5 star rating, and recommend it. Seriously, buy this console.
