Unfortunately, there's no built-in HD DVD drive to rival the Blu-ray player in the PS3. Instead, you need to buy an add on. The DVD player is fine for casual viewing, but the HDMI connector seemed to offer no discernible improvement, although a forthcoming Dashboard update might offer some software upscaling improvements.
The Xbox 360 Elite has the same basic guts as earlier 360 models: a customised IBM PowerPC CPU boasts three processing cores running at 3.2GHz each, each offering two hardware threads, while the ATI graphics processor is said to be able to pump out 500 million triangles per second. The console has half a gigabyte of memory that's shared between the system and video card, plus an extra 10MB of dedicated video RAM just for good measure.
Conclusion
Here's the question for current and prospective
gamers: is the Elite worth the extra cash? For anyone who owns the
existing Xbox 360, the answer is probably no -- the HDMI connector is
more a convenience than a necessity, and the larger snap-on hard drive
will be available to existing 360 users as an accessory.
Moreover, there's certainly a tinge of disappointment that the Elite's higher price tag doesn't deliver a few more bundled features in the box -- the Wi-Fi adaptor and the HD DVD drive still need to be purchased separately, for instance. In other words, the Xbox 360 Elite is just a warmed-over version of the previous model that doesn't deliver any groundbreaking, PS3-killing features.
That said, the Xbox 360 currently has a larger and more impressive library of games, and until the PS3 can offer some compelling alternatives, the Xbox 360 remains the better option. And if you're going with the 360 for the first time, you might as well spend that extra and get the Elite.
CNET.com's executive editor David Carnoy, senior editor David Katzmaier, and assistant editors Matthew Moskovciak and David Rudden contributed to this review.
Additional editing by Jason Jenkins
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Marcus Anthony Last 22 September 2011
Good: powerful and hdd is very large
Bad: slim is better
Comment: served me well all these years and has just been replaced with the xbox 360 slim. no problems at all
Jayman1297 10 August 2010
Good: Fantastic games, Fantastic graphics, Fantastic price, Fantastic online experience
Bad: WIFI
Comment: The xbox 360 elite in my opinion is way better than the PS3 slim from the graphics, to the games, to the price and the fact that you have to pay for xbox live does not bother me because the money is worth it. The quality of xbox live is way better than PSN (playstation network). Plus the games are much better such as Halo Reach, Gears of war 3, Mass effect 2, Alan Wake, Forza Motorsport 3, Fable 3, Left for dead 2,Splinter Cell Convition, Crackdown 2, GTA IV : Ballad of Gay Tony and I could name more. Over all if you really want to spend your mony wisley buy the New Xbox 360 slim ready for Kinect.
ImAlwaysRight 14 April 2010
Good: The fact that it has the best games and online is awesome, I also have a Ps3 and thats good for one game (God of war 3) other than that everything about the ps3 SUCKS!!
Bad: Wifi would be nice.
Comment: I see some retards have rated the xbox elite a 1.... Dont take any notice of those stupid Ps3 Fanboys... I have a Ps3 and an Xbox elite and the xbox is oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much better.... Better games, better controller, better online experience... there is nothing good about Ps3 other than God Of War 3 (the only reason I bought the Ps3) so if you want the best games console get an xbox.
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