Wii is not the only seventh generation console with a strange name. It's hard not to wonder: why the Xbox 360?

The manufacturer’s explanations are the usual marketing mantras about a “circle (circle) of 360 degrees, in the center of which is the user, because the new Xbox is built around the user, the user is put at the forefront and in general the circle is a magical magical symbol of integrity, continuity, original perfection, bliss.” blah blah." We heard something similar about the MTS “egg”. But few people believe in all this, reasonably believing that the real reasons for such a strange name are deeper.

The company itself, naturally, does not admit this, but one can suspect the following. The working name of the Xbox 360 was, quite naturally, Xbox 2, this is officially recognized. But there was a problem. Microsoft saw Sony as its main, even only, rival. And the new console of the Japanese company should, of course, bear the name PlayStation 3. 3 > 2. The Americans were not happy with this, which led to a brainstorming session on how to make the name of the new console more numerologically advantageous. They came up with a far-fetched explanation for the resulting “360.” But the most important thing was achieved - by at least, the numbers in its name the prefix was not inferior to its rival. It remains to take care of a similar ratio in sales figures.

Online

It is worth giving Microsoft its due; in its confrontation with PlayStation, it never tried to blindly copy its competitor’s steps, but offered its own solutions. Although these decisions were not taken out of thin air - the source of inspiration was the personal computer so familiar to the company.

Particular emphasis was placed on the strongest side of the PC – online gaming.

Apart from the failed Sega Dreamcast and Xbox, Microsoft's first console was the first console on the market to offer online capabilities to the user. The initiative was successful and these initiatives were developed in the Xbox 360.

Online services Xbox are united under the name Xbox Live.

A characteristic feature is that they are paid; in order to get “gold” access, you need to subscribe. There is a free “silver” version, but it can hardly be considered full-fledged. The fee is relatively symbolic ($50 per year in the USA), however, against the backdrop of free online in Wii and PlayStation 3, this is regarded as a disadvantage. Although many consider this to be a "price for quality", in the end, Xbox Live is the oldest, most mature and popular service. The number of its subscribers back in May 2008 exceeded 12 million people, or almost a third of all who have ever bought an Xbox or Xbox 360.

Xbox Live is a social service. It revolves mainly around the player's personal online profile. Most of the service's functions are directly related to this profile:

Gamertag is a unique username in the system.

A number of funny stories have already been associated with it, for example, a ban on users with the name “Hitler” and derivatives. Below we will see that this is no coincidence.

Achievements, or Achievements. An interesting innovation from Microsoft was a system in which the player was rewarded for certain actions in the game with an award, like a medal of honor.

Each Achievement corresponds to a certain number of points awarded, or Achievement points. Such rewards can be given for a variety of achievements, depending on the game, they are determined by the developer in consultation with Microsoft. The Achievement system is very popular, provides additional incentives for completing and replaying the game and is recognized as one of Microsoft’s successful finds.

Gamerscore – a counter that reflects the total number of the above-mentioned Achievement points collected by the user.

A kind of “coolness meter” allows Xbox Live participants to “measure” its value, which is why it is popular.

Reputation – participant’s reputation.

Unlike Gamerscore, it consists of the participant’s assessment by other participants. It can also be “measured against”, in addition, it provides the opportunity for “rediplomacy”, “burying”, persecution of unwanted participants and other exciting network entertainment.

Gamercard – information about the player, including Gamerscore and reputation, is displayed on his personal online card.

In addition, here you can find out what games a person played in Lately, the zone to which the player identifies himself. That is, this is an analogue of the profile in in social networks, but here the participant can show off his gaming achievements, the authenticity of which is guaranteed by Microsoft itself. Therefore, various widgets have become widespread, making it possible to display your Gamercard on social networks, forums, etc.

TrueSkill is another “measurement”, this time to assess the player’s skill level in online battles.

Advanced mathematics is used to calculate TrueSkill

More useful than Gamerscore, as it allows beginners to choose an opponent of their strength or a partner who will not only get in the way.

Contact lists - each user can add other participants to their Friends list.

This allows you to quickly agree on new online matches or just chat.

Communication - Xbox Live users can communicate by voice (Voice Chat, also available for free silver subscribers), or by video (Video Chat, only for gold subscribers, plus you need to purchase a special Web camera).

Also, here you can use Windows Live Messenger (formerly MSN Messenger), an instant messaging service.

Xbox Live Marketplace is an online store for purchasing various game content: new levels and characters for existing games, trailers and demos of new games.

The games themselves are also sold here, but not heavy AAA titles, of course, but small arcade and casual programs. The lack of a built-in hard drive (more on this below) prevents Microsoft from establishing full distribution of “big” games via the network, similar to how Valve’s Steam service is implemented on PCs. The Redmond people don’t even pretend to do so, focusing on the “arcade” nature of their online store, positioning it as a source of inexpensive and simple toys - hence the name Xbox Live Arcade for the gaming section of the Marketplace.

Most of Xbox Live's features are designed to encourage people to play online. A participant can always find a partner to play with, and can first obtain fairly comprehensive information about him, both the player and the person.

Since most Xbox owners are teenagers, the level of communication on the system leaves much to be desired. All the darkest sides thrive here online communication– mutual insults, using racist and sexist motives that are so terrible for Western audiences, trolling, cyber-bullying, not to mention illiteracy and base humor.

In order to somehow protect the “decent” audience, Xbox Live is divided into several “ghettos”: Recreation for “casuals”, Family for players who want to protect themselves from everything non-Family Friendly, Pro for “e-sportsmen) and Underground for, so say, “the most crazy ones.”

Another problem with Xbox Live is cheaters, that is, players who cheat in games in one way or another to increase their Gamerscore. Microsoft is fighting them as best it can, mercilessly resetting the counters of identified scoundrels and marking their Gamercard with the indelible mark of a “cheater.”

In the future, Microsoft wants to transfer PC gamers to its Live service, creating a unified online environment for Xbox and PC gaming platforms.

Here, however, there is a risk that PCs will begin to eat away the Xbox share, especially in Europe, because Xbox Live with all its capabilities is still a significant advantage of the console over the computer.

Overall, Xbox Live is a fairly fun and interesting place for a player, but, above all, a hardcore player from the traditional gaming audience. For such people, this service is an important reason to buy an Xbox. Undoubtedly, the role of Xbox Live in the success of the platform is very, very significant.

User Generated Content

Microsoft is following the trend of “giving a hand to small developers.” For those, there is the Xbox Live Arcade program.

It allows small companies to sell their games through the Xbox Live Marketplace. These are simple arcade games sold for little money. Most of them are mediocre, but some titles have gained considerable popularity.

In many ways, Xbox Live Arcade is seen by Microsoft as a source of casual games, an attempt to reach the Nintendo Wii audience.

Media center

Like its competitor, the PS3, the Xbox 360 was designed as an HD console, with an emphasis on supporting high-definition video. This presented Microsoft with the problem of choosing an HD media standard. For obvious reasons, the company could not use Blu-ray; the Toshiba standard, HD-DVD, remained.

Now we know that Microsoft failed here: HD-DVD lost the format war and left the market. Interestingly, part of the blame for this can be placed on the Xbox 360.

Microsoft had a choice - to build an HD-DVD drive into the console or sell it as an add-on. The first made the Xbox 360 an HD player on par with the PlayStation 3 and provided game developers with a capacious medium. The second made it possible to reduce the price of the console and release it earlier. Microsoft chose the second path.

Had she made a different decision, perhaps the outcome of the format war would have been different. After all, it was the inexpensive PlayStation 3 for an HD player that won the victory for Sony. But the Blu-ray standard belongs to this company, it is its brainchild, the future of the corporation largely depends on the prospects of this standard. Therefore, Sony was ready to make any sacrifice to promote it. There was no reason for Microsoft to risk the sales of its console for the sake of Toshiba. One year head start plus one and a half times more low price- too valuable an advantage in the upcoming difficult war with PlayStation, and the Americans made their choice. And everything turned out the way it turned out.

The victory of Blu-ray, however, complicated the position of the Xbox 360 in the “war of Set-top boxes” – multimedia set-top boxes for TVs. But it is not without reason that it is believed that Microsoft entered the console market out of fear of the PlayStation turning into a universal home entertainment monster and, as a result, the death of the home PC.

Some compensation may come from an agreement with Netflix, according to which the provider will provide access to its library of films through streaming services for Xbox users.

Now there is a lot of discussion about the future of video, including assumptions that the media will die out and all video will go online. Having failed with HD-DVD, Microsoft has apparently decided to make an asymmetrical response to Blu-ray with Netflix. This, by the way, is another evidence of the company’s orientation towards the American market, because Netflix services are only available to US citizens.

However, Sony has a ready answer to this in the form of PlayStation Video Store - an online video store for PS3. Well, who said that it would be easy to fight on this front with a multimedia giant, whose assets include one of the largest film studios?

Casual market

The success of the Wii could not leave Americans indifferent. The company began work on preparing a response.

The base version of the Xbox 360, Core, was hastily repositioned. It was called Xbox 360 Arcade, and several casual games were added to the package.

In addition, the company promotes its online game store Xbox Live Marketplace as a source of casual content.

Prices are also being aggressively reduced: today the Xbox 360 Arcade is already cheaper than the Wii.

So far this has not brought much effect - Xbox remains a “box for jokes”, interesting mainly to teenagers.

Microsoft's desire to turn the Xbox 360 Arcade into a Wii is so obvious that it gives rise to constant rumors about the imminent release of a new controller - an analogue of the Wiimote.

However, the company is also trying to find its own, original ways to the heart of the casual gamer. For example, through his love for karaoke. The Lips game was recently announced, with a specialized microphone controller included. If successful, this will help Microsoft a little in the “Set-top box war”, because The karaoke function has long been an unspoken standard for home theaters.

New forms of governance

This is where the Xbox 360 is the weakest of all the seventh generation offerings. All it offers now is a regular Xbox gamepad; the only step forward is the abandonment of wires. However, part of the traditional audience only welcomes the fact that the company has remained true to the ideals of the “old school”.

Perhaps the appearance of the aforementioned microphone controller will soften things up a bit.

Borrowing from PC

Xbox 360 has the ability to connect a hard drive. The regular Xbox 360 (formerly called Premium) has a 60 GB hard drive included (previously 20 GB), the Elite version offers 120 GB, and for Arcade HDD need to buy more. Hard drives are used to store downloaded content - videos and games, as well as to store game information: recording files, part of the game resources.

Microsoft Policy on hard drives is subject to harsh criticism. Firstly, the discs, unlike the PlayStation 3, are connected to the console via a proprietary connector, which eliminates the possibility of simple user Connect a 2.5" hard drive purchased at the store to the set-top box.

The prices for “native” hard drives are steep: $180 for 120 GB.

All this causes some bewilderment, because the previous generation of Xboxes had built-in hard drives as standard. Why take a step back? The answer is simple - reducing the cost of the console. During the first generation, Microsoft lost a lot of money, in fact, such a sharp withdrawal of the Xbox from the production line was primarily due to the fact that the company continued to lose money on each console sold; its cost was not able to keep up with the price, which had to be lowered in unison with PlayStation 2, a console that is much cheaper to manufacture. And in the new generation, the Americans decided to play against Sony - the Japanese console received a hard drive as standard for all modifications, while only the older models received this honor with the 360.

Looking at the sales numbers and the fact that Microsoft is finally turning a profit from its gaming division, one might think that the decision was made correctly. But it was not without side effects, because today even a modest Wii cannot do without a decent amount of ROM. This fall, for the main sales season, Microsoft decided to offer Xbox users a new interface for the console, with new features, the so-called. New Xbox Experience. A good start, but, alas, in order to implement it you need at least 256 MB of storage space. So the company has to get out of it, offering users a choice of either a 512 MB expansion card or a 20 GB hard drive for $20.

All this correlates well with what experts say about Microsoft: the company uses the same paradigm in the hardware market as in software - release the product as quickly as possible, and then fix all the problems with patches and service packs. But for consoles this turns out to be more expensive - first an extended warranty, repairs and exchange of many “red-eyed” Xboxes, now the distribution of memory cards. However, so far the company is not experiencing problems with money and, obviously, can afford to make mistakes and correct them.

What else can you add about Microsoft in the console market? This is the youngest participant in the console wars. It is also the first non-Japanese company to achieve success in the video game console market in 20 years. These are the first Americans on the market since Atari retired. The interest in nationality is not idle - her Xbox achieved the greatest success in her native states.

Even with a one-year head start, Xbox's lead in the US is impressive. Unless, of course, you look at sales of the Wii outside of competition

The fact that they receive special attention and can buy new consoles and new games first in the world should appeal to American gamers, who have become unaccustomed to this attitude during the years of Japanese dominance.

Sony has the strongest brand and reputation, hardware power (at least in terms of specifications), Blu-ray, hard drives in all models. Nintendo has to its credit the originality of the concept, which allows its console not to compete directly with any of its competitors, and colossal experience. What can Microsoft boast about?

This, firstly, is a head start in terms of time - its console came out a year earlier than its competitors. Secondly, it has strong online functionality. In the areas of supporting online functions, creating an online environment and an online mini-economy, both Sony and Nintendo are in a catching-up position. Thirdly, this is her gaming portfolio. Since its first console, Microsoft has chosen an interesting strategy - porting PC gaming to consoles. Its strongest titles belonged to genres traditionally poorly represented on consoles: 3D first- and third-person shooters, “Western” RPGs.

This strategy turned out to be successful - the company was able to create new, successful series, such as Halo, Gears of War, Bioshock. As a result, in the seventh generation, it is the Xbox 360 that still has the most successful collection of exclusive titles (again, compared to the PS3, not counting the Wii).

Sales of exclusives

All these achievements are impressive, especially compared to the first Xbox. But in the current generation, Microsoft also made serious mistakes. First of all, this concerns the quality control of its consoles. The number of Xbox 360 failures is unprecedented and at first reached 50%. Even now, after several revisions, it is at least 15%. If the PS3 earned a reputation as a “console without games” in its first year of sales, the Xbox 360 gave Microsoft new a shameful abbreviation along with BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) - RROD (Red Ring of Death) - a red ring of death, meaning General Hardware Error - general hardware failure.

Not the most pleasant addition to the company’s already not the most impeccable reputation in this regard. However, one cannot fail to note the measures taken by Microsoft, such as extending the warranty by 3 years for its consoles. According to Bloomberg, these steps cost the company more than a billion dollars.

Also, the 360 ​​has a smaller safety margin compared to the PlayStation 3. On the side of the Japanese console there is a new generation media, Blu-ray, a hard drive installed in all versions of the console, a Cell processor, the potential capabilities of which are still poorly used (not least due to the industry’s focus on multi-platform). The hardware capabilities of the Xbox, according to experts, have largely been exhausted. So Micosoft will have to update its console first of the Big Three.

As a result, this generation of Xbox is still a step forward for the company and quite a big one. Microsoft consoles are especially strong in the US. In Europe, the PS3 is confidently ahead of the Xbox; this market has already become Sony's largest. In Japan, sales of the Microsoft console are insignificant, although the company is fighting for this market, buying exclusives for popular local genres - jRPGs, etc.

It makes you wonder if this is yet another regional fault line in the consumer electronics market. Motorola on the market mobile phones, Blackberry and iPhone among smartphones, Kodak in digital photography, iPod in MP3 players. Will Xbox be the same? local brand, strong in the US, but with a much more modest position in the rest of the world?

So, you have decided to buy an Xbox 360. The choice is good: the console has such exclusives as Halo 3, the Gears of War series, the football simulator Madden, and the unique shooter Alan Wake. The console is also known for the convenience of online gaming - Microsoft servers provide a stable connection, and communicating with friends is comfortable and easy. However, we hasten to say that there are several versions of the Xbox 360 console. Some of the iterations of the device differ significantly from each other, and if you don't know the details, you can make an expensive mistake. In this article we will look at the differences between different versions Xbox 360.

What Every Xbox 360 Can Do

The first thing you should know is what consoles can do, regardless of configuration and version.

All Xbox 360 can play any Xbox 360 game.

Each version of the set-top box can play DVDs and CDs.

By connecting the set-top box to the network, you can add the device to local network Microsoft Windows and transfer data between PC and Xbox 360.

What are the types of Xbox 360 and how do they differ?

The following types of attachments exist:

Pro or Premium;

Elite (abbreviated simply E);

Xbox 360 Premium Features

This is essentially the original model of the Xbox 360. This version includes a 20GB or 60GB hard drive. You can install games, demo versions, and also store videos and music on the hard drive.

Note that among the first Xbox 360 models there were many defects. If the console was released in 2006, then this means this is the first batch. Be careful - you may encounter the infamous "red ring of death". In this case, the set-top box fails due to overheating and malfunction of internal components.

If you took a console released in 2007, then it has a new Falcon motherboard installed, and you don’t have to worry about its performance. In other respects, there are no differences between the versions with a 20 and 60 GB hard drive.

Features of Xbox 360 Elite and Xbox 360 Slim

Xbox 360 Elite contains a 120 GB hard drive as standard. The original Xbox 360 did not include a large hard drive, and this version's feature will appeal to those who like to load a lot of content on their console. Typically, this version costs a little more than the original, but the increase in price is more than offset by its advantages.

Left - Xbox 360 Elite, right - Xbox 360 Slim

Xbox 360 Slim gradually replaced the Elite line. Although both revisions have much in common, there are differences between the two versions:

Xbox 360 Slim includes built-in Wi-Fi antenna(no cables for connecting to the Internet). Elite and Arcade versions do not support Wi-Fi;

The "slim" Xbox 360 includes a 250 GB hard drive. Elite, as we said, offers a 120 GB hard drive, while Arcade does not include a hard drive at all.

The Xbox 360 Slim is several centimeters smaller and thinner than both the Elite and Arcade versions of the Xbox 360.

The Slim architecture has air exhaust zones on the sides. “The Red Ring of Death” with this revision will not be scary for you.

Xbox 360 Slim has two fans instead of one. Thanks to this, during the game the console is not as noisy as the Elite and Arcade versions.

Features of Xbox 360 Arcade

Main difference Xbox 360 Arcade compared to other versions - an attractive price. The console can be purchased for about 6,000 - 7,000 rubles, and a used version is even cheaper. But at the same time, be prepared to make some compromises.

The data volume of the set-top box is limited to only 256 MB of internal memory. If you took Arcade, you are unlikely to be able to download many demo versions and games, let alone movies and music.

You are also unlikely to be able to download updates and patches for games - after all, they will clog the already small memory of the console. This is especially true in multiplayer games, where each player must have the latest version of the game.

Thus, Arcade is suitable only for those players who do not intend to download games or participate in online battles. This is the basic version of the console, aimed at non-professional gamers. However, you can purchase an external hard drive. Decide for yourself whether you want to spend money on Arcade and a hard drive or immediately buy a version of the console with a capacious hard drive.

Other Xbox 360 models

The versions of the console listed below are almost impossible to find on the market now, but they may be in stores that sell discounted or used goods.

Xbox 360 Core. This version was released at the same time as the Premium model. This iteration does not have a hard drive at all, but is otherwise similar to the original Xbox 360.

Halo 3 Special Edition. You can no longer find this stylish edition of the console in stores. It had a green coloring in the style of the game Halo 3, the filling was similar to the Premium edition.

Now you know what the basic differences are between the versions of the Xbox 360. You will be able to determine how the Xbox 360 Slim differs from the Xbox 360 Arcade and make the right choice.

Have you decided on the version you want? You can buy it in the PiterPlay store.

The Xbox 360 gaming console is Microsoft's best development for gamers. Despite the release of several modifications of the device since its introduction in 2005, the difference between the first and latest models is very minor, but visually noticeable.

Almost everything main differences between Xbox 360 expressed more in design concepts than in productivity improvements. And yet, users have a lot of questions about the differences between the Xbox 360 models. You will find answers to the main ones in this article.

Which Xbox 360 is better?

It is impossible to answer this very popular question unambiguously. Pros and cons of Xbox 360 are assessed individually by each user. If you compare the design features of all models of this gaming console, it becomes clear that over the past 12 years there have been no significant changes in their architecture. The technical potential of all Xbox 360 consoles is based on 7 main parameters:

• High system performance of 1 TFLOPS (with a declared CPU performance of 115 Gflops) is specified by a three-core PowerPC processor (IBM Xenon), each core of which passes 2 hardware threads, with clock frequency 3.2 GHz and 1 MB memory.
• Graphics visualization is provided by the Xenos chip (ATI) with 10 MB of memory and the ability to process up to 500 million polygons every second.
• The smooth operation of the system is supported by 512 MB of RAM memory.
• Removable volume hard drive optionally varies from 20 to 500GB.
• The range of resolutions supported by the console is from 480i to 1080px in 4:3 and 16:9 formats.
• The presence of a DVD drive provides launching games from DVD.
• Only the latest models have Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as the ability wireless connection additional accessories.

Produced in our workshops Xbox 360 firmware. You can confidently trust the many years of experience of our specialists. Call and make an appointment!

What's the latest version of Xbox?

The latest, third generation model game consoles Xbox became the Xbox One X. This console is the pride of Microsoft. She has increased power and supports 4K resolution. Of the latest models of the Xbox 360 series, the most current is the Xbox 360 E console 1538, released in 2013 with a 250 GB hard drive or 4 GB internal memory.

How to find out which Xbox 360 you have?

This question arises most often when it is necessary to purchase an additional hard drive for the console. To find out the version of the Xbox 360, just look at the back of the device. Letters S or E in the name determine whether the console belongs to the second or third generation models, respectively. Their absence indicates that this is one of the consoles of the classic Fat version.

Xbox 360 Slim or Xbox 360 – what to choose?

When choosing between these two models, the first thing users pay attention to is the radically different design.

The Xbox 360 Slim consoles look much sleeker than their predecessors and have a more streamlined shape.

The functional differences between the Xbox 360 Slim and the Xbox 360 include:

• Availability touch buttons on the control panel for Xbox 360 models. Power on and eject buttons for the disc tray for Slim versions respond to light touch.
• The type of accessory connection for new models is predominantly wireless.
• The connection of the external module on Xbox 360 Fat consoles is carried out on the outer top side of the panel, where, if it is missing, a plug is located. For Xbox 360 Slim models, the hard drive is located inside the console case and is secured with a snap.
• All new models of Xbox 360 Slim game consoles are equipped with an HDMI port.
• The first models released before 2010 do not have an optical audio output.

In addition, all new models have smaller dimensions and are equipped with a WiFi module. When deciding what to choose, Xbox 360 Slim or Xbox 360 Fat, many users are often guided by financial considerations, since expanding the capabilities of older models can easily be achieved by installing Freeboot firmware.

Are there any differences between the Xbox 360 E and the Slim?

Xbox 360 E - latest version model range Xbox 360. In 2013, the release of the Xbox 360 Slim consoles was completed, and a more advanced, updated model entered the market. Sometimes the Xbox 360 E is unknowingly confused with the Xbox 360 Elite model. But between them there is three cardinal differences:

• Body shape and color. U latest version The console housing is exclusively black with a half glossy, half matte surface. The dimensions of the case have been reduced, but a clearer geometric shape has returned.
• The buttons are mechanical again.
• Number and type of connectors. Xbox 360 E equipped with 4 USB ports(instead of 5), a standard 3.5mm audio-video connector (instead of the proprietary one) and a connector for the AC Power power supply.

In general, we can say that the Xbox 360 E is a more democratic version of the Xbox 360 Slim.

Some of the main features of the Xbox 360 are represented by the Xbox Live service, which allows you to play over the Internet, as well as download a variety of content - video games, demos, trailers, music, TV shows, etc.

The Xbox 360 was officially announced on MTV on May 12, 2005, and more detailed information about the console was presented that same month at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). All consoles available at the time of release were successfully sold in every country except Japan. As of June 2010, there are 41.7 million Xbox 360 consoles worldwide.

At a presentation held at E3 on June 14, 2010, Microsoft announced new model Xbox 360, which went on sale the same day. The redesigned Xbox 360 was thinner than the previous model and featured built-in Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, TOSLINK S/PDIF optical audio output, five USB 2.0 ports (compared to three on the old version of the console), and a dedicated AUX port. Sales of older Xbox 360 models have been stopped from now on. The first console in this series has a 250 GB hard drive, while the later and more economical version comes with a 4 GB memory card.

At the time of the announcement of the aforementioned Xbox 360 S, Microsoft stated that their console was only halfway through its lifecycle and that it would continue until 2015. In 2009, computer website IGN named the Xbox 360 the sixth greatest video game console of all time, making a list of 25 positions. There is no new version of Xbox expected until at least 2013.

History of creation

Background

Specifications

The console comes in four versions - Arcade, Pro, Elite and Slim. The Arcade and Pro options are a replacement for the earlier Core and Premium versions. Updated versions are equipped with new motherboards: Falcon or Jasper. On both motherboards There is an improved cooling system and HDMI output.

Falcon motherboards, unlike Zephyr, are equipped with a central processor manufactured using 65 nm technology (which reduced power consumption and, accordingly, heat dissipation of the system) and are equipped with a power supply with an output power of 175 watts (as opposed to 203 watts on previous revisions of the console) .

The replacement for Arcade, Pro and Elite was Slim, equipped motherboard Valhalla, which has a 45nm graphics card integrated into the processor. Also a new version has a Wi-Fi wireless interface (IEEE 802.11 a/b/g, IEEE 802.11n).

The basic (Arcade) package includes a wireless game controller, a 256 MB memory card for saving games, a cable for connecting to a TV via a composite input or SCART interface, and several “arcade” games on DVD. This option is more of a “family” option, but is also suitable for hardcore players. In the future, you can purchase the necessary devices (hard drive, HDTV video cable, HDMI video cable, remote control, etc.) as needed.

After the start of deliveries, some shortcomings in the hardware of the set-top box became known. So, when trying to change the position of the console from vertical to horizontal (or vice versa), inserted into optical drive console (Hitachi - GDR-3120L), the disk is highly likely to be damaged.

Various configurations of the game console

The information below is based on the latest system specifications. Earlier versions may differ from the information shown here.

	250/320GB Slim/S	4GB Slim/S	Elite (discontinued)	Pro (discontinued)	Arcade (discontinued)
Frame		Matte black	Black	White	White
Trey	Matte black (since August 2011)	Matte black	Chromium-plated	Chromium-plated	Matte
Replaceable hard drive	250/320 GB	No (Built-in 4GB memory card)	120/250 GB	60 GB (from August 15)	No
Wireless gamepad included	1/2	1	1	1	1
Ethernet wire	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Built-in Wi-Fi	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
TOSLINK S/PDIF	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Headset	Yes	No	Yes	Yes, except Mexico and Oceania	No
HDMI output	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes (from August)	Yes
Component video cable	Yes	Yes	No (for Russia)	Yes	Yes
Xbox Live Gold subscription	Yes, 1 month	Yes, 1 month	Yes, 1 month	Yes, 1 month	Yes, 1 month
Free games	1 arcade and 2 demos	1 arcade and 2 demos	2 games and several demos	1 game and several demos	5 arcade games
HDMI cable	No	No	Yes (except Jasper)	No	No
Drive unit	Lite-On/Hitachi	Lite-On/Hitachi	Lite-On/Benq/Hitachi/Samsung	Lite-On/Benq/Hitachi/Samsung	Lite-On/Benq/Hitachi/Samsung

Xbox 360 Arcade

Xbox 360 Arcade

Initially, the junior edition of the console was the Xbox 360 Core. On October 23, 2007, Microsoft replaced it with an “arcade” edition. What makes it stand out is that it includes 5 Live Arcade games for free. In the first versions, the Xbox 360 Arcade was equipped with a wired gamepad, a 256 MB memory card and an Xbox Live Arcade disc. Latest options the package does not include a memory card and 5 arcade games, but the console has 256 MB of internal memory and a wireless gamepad. Just like older versions, the Xbox 360 Arcade has an HDMI output.

Xbox 360 Pro

Old version, discontinued.

The Pro package replaced the Premuim version of the console. New versions of the console have a new motherboard and an improved cooling system, thanks to which the console heats up slightly. The equipment has become best choice for those who do not want to buy the Elite version, but want to have a hard drive and a component cable.

Xbox 360 Elite

On the eve of the Christmas holidays in 2006, around the same time as the launch of the PlayStation 3 and Wii in the United States, it became possible to buy a special “elite” version of the device through the official website of the Microsoft console. Differences from the regular version: a black console, a black gamepad and a black headset for network communication. In addition, the Elite set-top box comes with a 120 GB hard drive, but it can also be purchased for a separate fee for an already purchased Arcade or Pro version. Also included is a standard set of interfaces for connecting the set-top box to both a regular and HD TV or monitor.

Xbox 360 S (Slim)

Main article: Xbox 360 Slim

Unofficially - Xbox 360 Slim, is being promoted by Microsoft under the same name as before - Xbox 360 - in contrast to Sony, which gave a new name to the thin version of the PlayStation 3 - PS3 slim.

Special Editions

In a number of cases, Microsoft released special editions of the console, usually coinciding with the release of main products. These editions, as a rule, are made in the style of a particular game and are produced in limited quantities.

At the 2007 E3 conference, Microsoft unveiled the Xbox 360, designed in the style of Halo 3. Released September 25, 2007. The kit included:

• Several themes installed in the console.
• Wired headset.
• Wireless controller.
• Play and Charge Kit.
• The modification included an HDMI port.

The main subscription option “Gold” provides the user with all the features of “Silver”, as well as full-fledged online play, outside of the third-party services mentioned above. Additionally, paid account holders may be able to access some free files slightly earlier than those with a free account.

Accessories

There are many accessories available for the console, such as wired and wireless controllers (joysticks), replaceable front panels, headsets (wireless and wired) and a camera for Live conversations, a Messenger Kit keyboard for chat, memory cards with a capacity of 128, 256, 512 megabytes, hard disks(250, 120, 60 and 20 gigabytes) and many more things stylized as Xbox 360.

• Wireless Headset - wireless headset, works in frequency range 2.4 GHz up to 9 meters from the console. The built-in battery lasts for 8 hours. Charging is carried out using the device that comes with the kit.
• Wireless + PC AN08 is a wireless headset for PC, operating in the 2.4 GHz frequency range at a distance of up to 9 meters from the controller, powered by USB from the PC. The set includes two AA batteries. Compatible with Xbox 360.
• Messenger Kit - a keyboard built into a joystick for speed dial messages. The backlit keyboard allows you to type in the dark.
• Hard Drive - removable hard drive. There are options for 20, 60, 120, 250 and 320 GB.
• HD-DVD Player - external optical drive for reading HD- DVD disc ov. On this moment production has been discontinued.
• Headset - wired headset for voice communication.
• Play & Charge Kit - gives you extra time to play when the controller's batteries are almost empty. You can play for about 30 hours without recharging. The charge level is shown by a special indicator.
• Quick Charge Kit - charger for charging two batteries.
• Universal Media Remote is a multimedia remote control for controlling the console. Has a backlight for working in the dark.
• Wireless Networking Adapter - WiFi adapter.
• Wireless Racing Wheel - wireless steering wheel.
• Live Vision is a camera for video chatting and games that uses motion recognition.
• Special Edition Faceplates are removable faceplates.
• Kinect controller.

Kinect (Project Natal)

Kinect camera

It is assumed that Natal can be used both in games and in the new generation of applications for the Xbox 360, including NXE.

New Xbox Experience (NXE)

Example implementation on Xbox Live.

During the Microsoft press conference at E³ 2008, a new shell was announced. dashboard) - "The New Xbox Experience". The menu itself will become three-dimensional, and players will be able to create their own avatars, similar in appearance to Mii - avatars of Nintendo Wii owners. In addition to the new design, several new features will be added. It will be possible to install games completely on the hard drive to reduce loading times during games and console noise levels, but the drive will be needed to check for legality and run the game. The ability to create “parties” will be added (Parties)- unique chats or conferences among friends, during which you can exchange messages, photos and videos, in particular, the ability to jointly view purchased items will be implemented Xbox Live films and TV series. In addition, a Primetime section will be added, in which users Xbox Live will be able to participate in interactive three-dimensional versions of TV programs. The first such program was announced 1 vs. 100 ( English). NXE was officially released on November 19, 2008.

On December 6, 2011, Microsoft released an update to the Xbox 360, including a completely new Windows 8-style interface, as well as features such as cloud storage saves and profiles, Live TV, voice search Bing, YouTube media site access, Skype integration, and improved Kinect support.

Xbox 360 Games

Projects that went on sale simultaneously with the release of the console:

Like many consoles, the Xbox 360 is equipped with a copy protection system that allows you to run games and content only from licensed discs. Microsoft itself is very active in fighting piracy. As a result, you can only copy movies, music and games from licensed media to the console’s hard drive. This causes dissatisfaction among human rights activists, if only because it will not be possible to save, for example, a video from a wedding or birthday on the console’s hard drive, which limits the device’s use without violating anyone’s copyrights. But it is worth noting that viewing content from external media, and using LAN and Wi-Fi networks, content stored on a home PC is quite possible. Ultimately, the security system was hacked by flashing the DVD-ROM drive of the console and installing modified (freeboot) console shells (Dashboard). To hack, you need to remove the warranty seal (to remove it carefully, without damage, use a household hair dryer for 20-30 seconds, however, in the Slim revision, the seal has become more protected thanks to heat-sensitive paint, which instantly reveals the Microsoft inscription when warmed up), disassemble the console , and by connecting to a computer, often using additional tools, flash.

Also, each DVD-ROM drive of the set-top box has its own internal key. If this key does not match the key recorded in the motherboard, games cannot be launched.

Microsoft is looking for and blacklisting (disconnecting from Xbox Live) consoles with flashed drives. However, not only “hacked” consoles can be blacklisted. Recently the company began to practice new system protection AP25. The operating principle is based on the time delays that occur when moving from one disk file to another. Delays on disks produced by the manufacturer were taken as a standard. If the delays diverge from the reference ones, the disk does not start, and the console is marked with the Failed AP25 Challenge error. But such errors can occur not only because the location of the files has been changed. A scratched disk, a “tired” laser, or vibrations can also cause incorrect time delays in reading files. As a result, in the fall of 2011, several completely official consoles were blacklisted. True, a little later, Microsoft announced that the bans were caused by a software error on the Xbox Live servers, and all those illegally affected were obliged to “unban” the consoles, and as moral compensation they were given 3 months of a Gold account and 1600 Microsoft points.

The next step against piracy is the release of games on unique XGD3 discs, which have a separate layer of protection, as well as a non-standard increased memory capacity, thanks to which game images copied from such media will not fit on a double-layer blank DVD. But this is not true, I just had to make it up new firmware for the drive.

In October 2011, hackers released an x360key drive emulator. x360key is capable of emulating an Xbox 360 drive and A.P. protection. 2.5, which allows you to play all games for Xbox 360. x360key consists of 2 parts: the motherboard and the remote control remote control. The remote control is connected to system board via high speed USB connection. It also has USB for connecting external hard drives and other USB devices.

In November 2011, Microsoft updated the file responsible for checking A.P. 2.5 dae.bin, which made it impossible to run pirated copies with A.P. verification. 2.5 and the new disk format XGD3. But the pirates again found a loophole; “updates” for games with A.P. verification appeared on the website www.xbuc.net. 2.5, which made it possible to run pirated copies of disks. A group of creators of the “xk3y” emulator and hacker c4eva found an option.

Technical problems

Since its launch in 2005, the Xbox 360 has received a "bad reputation" from the press and consumers due to low reliability and a high percentage of defects.

The main problem is overheating of the system, leading to device failure. According to the German technical magazine "c"t", the main reason for this failure is the use of the wrong type of lead-free solder and insufficient cooling. This problem was ultimately recognized by the company, for example, former vice president of Interactive Entertainment Business, Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft Peter Moore admitted that all 11.6 million consoles released in the first 19 months of sales had a serious flaw, could lead to complete system failure. However, Microsoft did not recall all consoles, but instead increased the warranty period to three years.

Subsequently, the production of defective consoles was stopped and the production of updated consoles began. The problem of overheating in them is solved by switching to a new 65-nm process technology and increasing the cooling efficiency of the system by installing an additional radiator on the GPU of the console. Later, there was information about broken consoles made using the 65-nm process technology, but these cases were isolated and it was later established that the consoles were damaged as a result of improper operation (installation near heat sources, in a confined space where air circulation is impaired, moving the console during work, etc.).

The second technical problem is often cited as the fact that the set-top box spontaneously scratches the discs. However, even numerous tests appearing in the press and proving that set-top boxes equipped with a Toshiba drive are most often susceptible to this (Lite-On drives are now installed ( English)), could not influence the position of Microsoft, which claims that the problem is caused solely by improper operation of the console in the form of changes in the position of the console during operation.

Another one Microsoft problem Xbox 360 - error E74. The error is also caused by poor contact between the GPU and the motherboard. After massive incidents of console failures, Microsoft extended a three-year warranty for this error.

Xbox 360 version revisions

The first version of the “iron filling” (revision) of the console was called Xenon. Its distinctive features were that the central processor and graphics processor were manufactured using 90 nm technology. Also, Xenon consoles lacked an HDMI output.

The Xbox 360 was and is equipped with several revisions of motherboards: Xenon, Zephyr, Falcon and Jasper. Before Zephyr, there was only one revision, Xenon, it was basic and appeared when the Xbox 360 entered the market. All motherboards (except Xenon) have an improved cooling system and HDMI output. Consoles based on the Falcon motherboard are equipped with a power supply with an output power of 175 watts, as opposed to 203 watts on Zephyr motherboards and older revisions. Later, a revision of Jasper was released with a 150-watt power supply.

The oldest (base) revision of the Xbox 360 was unreliable, the main problem with this revision was GPU overheating. Old version easy to distinguish from newer, improved ones - it does not have an HDMI port. At the moment, a revision without an HDMI port is not on sale; starting in December 2007, a revision appeared on sale Zephyr with HDMI and additional heatsink for GPU cooling.

Next revision Falcon. Unlike Zephyr, in the Falcon revision the central processor was manufactured using new 65-nm technology, and GPU- using the old, 90-nm technology, the problem with overheating was solved, but a new one appeared - error E74. You can distinguish the Falcon revision by its 175-watt power supply.

Starting on October 23, 2008 (the first console with this date was discovered), a new revision of the Xbox 360 console called Jasper, its difference from Falcon and Zephyr is that both the GPU and CPU are made using 65 nm technology, which reduces heat generation and minimizes damage to the console from overheating. The first version to go on sale with a Jasper revision motherboard was the Xbox 360 Arcade.

You can distinguish Jasper by its power supply. output power The power supply of the Jasper revision is 150 watts, the current strength has also changed: 12.1 A versus 14.2 A for the Falcon and 16.5 A for the Zephyr (data on the current strength can be viewed on the console itself).

The new version of the console, Xbox 360 Slim, is equipped with motherboards of the Trinity and Corona revisions. It uses a 45nm XCGPU processor that combines both the CPU and GPU. The processor is cooled by a single fan located on its radiator and is protected against overheating. The new Corona revision differs from Trinity in current strength: 9.6 A versus 10.83 A (for Trinity).

Application Development

Application development (mainly gaming applications) is now very simple. With XNA Game Studio, you can quickly create a high-quality game for Windows and immediately transfer it to Xbox 360 and Zune HD.

Thanks to the .NET Framework, Xbox 360 allows you to use many different applications of different types. Creating them is generally not difficult; you only need Visual Studio and XNA Game Studio.

Notes

1. Xbox 360 is coming to Russia in November. 3DNews (???). Retrieved August 9, 2009.
2. Earnings Release FY13 Q1 . Microsoft. Archived from the original on November 19, 2012.
3. Microsoft confirms Xbox 360 802.11n adapter. Joystiq (September 21, 2009). Archived
4. 55 million Xbox 360 have been sold worldwide. SoftClub (June 2, 2009). Archived from the original on August 26, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
5. VGChartz - Xbox 360
6. Xbox.com | Xbox 360 - Original Xbox Games on Xbox 360
7. FAQ. Xbox 360
8. Tom Magrino. PS3 sales hit 1M in Japan. GameSpot (July 18, 2007). Archived from the original on August 26, 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2009.
9. James Orry 41.7 million Xbox 360s shipped life to date. VideoGamer.com (July 23, 2010). Archived from the original on August 26, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
10. New Xbox 360 Shipping Today, Costs $299 (Kotaku)
11. Dean Takahashi, VentureBeat. Microsoft to Launch Smaller XBOX 360 Game Console June 14, 2010
12. Thorsen, Thor New $200 Xbox 360 planned, Elite & Arcade getting $50 price cut . GameSpot. CBS Interactive (14 June 2010). - “Moore said that Microsoft is currently working on a second new Xbox 360, which will be offered at the arcade’s price point of $200. He declined to say what functionalities the cheaper model would or would not have. […] One likely scenario is the cheaper model will essentially be a slim arcade with no Wi-Fi capabilities or a hard drive. […] Moore also said that going forward, all future models of the Xbox 360 would not have names and would only be designated by their memory capacity." Archived from the original on August 26, 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
13. E3 2009: 360 to Stick Around Until 2015 - Xbox360 News at IGN
14. Xbox 720 set to launch at the E3 expo in June 2015 | T3 magazine
15. New Xbox 360 (Xbox 360 ‘Slim’) Delays Xbox 720 Till 2015
16. Xbox 360 is number 6. IGN. Archived from the original on August 26, 2011. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
17. Lenta.ru: Games: Journalists set a new release date for the next Xbox
18. Microsoft: Microsoft is working on Dreamcast (21-5-1998). Archived
19. Microsoft showed Xbox (9-4-2008). Archived from the original on August 26, 2011.
20. Xbox is loved all over the world. IGN (October 17, 2006). Archived from the original on August 26, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2006.

Xbox 360 is a seventh generation gaming console from Microsoft. Developed jointly with IBM, ATI and SiS. It has its own network service - Xbox Live, which allows you to play multiplayer games (multiplayer), download a variety of content (demo versions, trailers, music, TV shows, etc.). There are three editions of the console available: Arcade, Pro and Elite (previously there were Core and Premium versions, which are no longer produced, they were replaced by Arcade and Pro, respectively).

On November 22, 2005, the Xbox 360 officially launched in the United States. Microsoft took a long time to choose the name Xbox 360. The options discussed were Xenon, Xbox 2, Xbox Next and NextBox. The Xbox 2 option was removed due to the name of its main competitor - PlayStation 3.

Version revisions (Zephyr, Falcon, Jasper, etc.)

The Xbox 360 came with several revisions of motherboards: Zephyr and Jasper. Before Zephyr, there was only one revision, it was basic and appeared when the Xbox 360 entered the market. All motherboards (except the base one) have an improved cooling system and an HDMI output. Consoles based on the Falcon motherboard are equipped with a power supply with output power , as opposed to 203 watts on Zephyr and older motherboards, later the Jasper revision came out with a 150 watt power supply. (see table)

The oldest (basic) revision of the Xbox 360 was not reliable; the main problem with this revision was GPU overheating. The old version is easy to distinguish from newer, improved ones; it lacks an HDMI port. At the moment, revisions without an HDMI port are not available for sale. Starting in December 2007, a revision of Zephyr with HDMI and an additional radiator for cooling the GPU went on sale.

Pictures are clickable

Starting from 10/23/2008 (the console with this date was discovered first) a new revision of the Xbox 360 console has appeared, called , its difference from Falcon and Zephyr is that both the GPU and CPU are made using 65Nm technology, which reduces heat generation and minimizes damage to the console from overheating. The first with the motherboard roaring. Jasper a version of the Xbox 360 Arcade with a BenQ-Philips-LiteOn DG-16D2S drive has gone on sale.

Now let's take a closer look at the differences between the GPU chip in the Jasper and Falcon versions (Zephyr, etc.)
As we said above, Jasper is the first version in which the GPU chip is made using 65Nm technology, which should greatly reduce power consumption and heat dissipation.
We look at the photographs and see that the central GPU chip in the Jasper version has become smaller in size than in previous versions (revisions).

Pictures are clickable

There are several ways to distinguish Jasper from other versions:
1. Output power of the Jasper revision power supply is 150 watts (see photo of the power supply)
2. Current strength roar. Jasper: 12.1A, Falcon 14.2A (Pictured on the photo of the rear panels)
Thanks to changes in current strength, you can distinguish the Jasper version from others without opening the Xbox 360 packaging box, you just need to look through the technological window on the box, through it you can see a sticker with the date, serial number and current layer. (see photo)

Pictures are clickable

All revisions of the Xbox 360 had one more common difference - the power cord plug (the one that was included in the console itself), you can see the types and differences in the photograph.

The picture is clickable

Equipment(Arcade, Pro/Premium, Elite)

Possibilities	Elite	Pro (Premium)	Arcade (Core)
Color	Black	White	White
Chrome tray	Yes	Yes	No
Replaceable hard drive	120GB HDD	60GB HDD	256MB memory card
Joystick included	Wireless, 2.4 GHz	Wireless, 2.4 GHz	Wireless, 2.4 GHz
Ethernet wire	Yes	Yes	No
Xbox 360 Headset	Yes	Yes	No
HDMI output (ver. 1.2)	Yes	Yes (since August 2007)	Yes
Component video wire	Yes	Yes	No
Composite video wire	Yes	Yes	Yes
Xbox Live Silver Subscription	Yes	Yes	Yes
Xbox Live Gold subscription	Yes, 1 month	Yes, 1 month	No
Free Arcade Games		1 game, and several demos	5 (1 DVD disc)

All versions of Xbox 360 (Arcade, Pro and Elite) are technically completely identical, the differences are ONLY in the configuration.

Features and Features

The central processor of the Xbox 360 is called Xenon. The processor was developed by IBM and uses PowerPC technology. Xenon has 3 cores and runs at 3.2 GHz. The volume of the second level cache is 1 MB. The maximum theoretical processor power is 115.2 GFLOPS (billions of floating point operations per second).

The video subsystem for the Xbox 360 was developed by ATI Technologies Corporation (now a division of AMD Corporation) and operates at a frequency of 500 MHz. The Xenos chip has a very complex architecture that allows the implementation of the most advanced graphics technologies. Supported high resolutions HD 480i, 480p, 720p and 1080p.

The Xbox 360 has 512 MB of GDDR3 memory on board with a 128-bit bus and a frequency of 700 MHz. Memory is dynamically distributed between the processor and video subsystem.

All games created for the Xbox 360 feature multi-channel surround sound in Dolby Digital 5.1. The system is capable of playing up to 256 audio channels simultaneously and processing up to 320 audio channels in 16-bit, 48 kHz format. All audio files for Xbox 360 games are provided in Microsoft's native XMA format. The built-in MPEG-2 codec is responsible for decoding and playing back audio in DVD movies. VC-1, WMV and WMV HD formats are used to play streaming and other video. Windows technologies are used to process streaming video Media Player 11.

The Xbox 360 uses a 12x-speed DVD-ROM drive for optical media. Games are distributed on dual-layer DVD-ROM discs. Most disks have regional protection. The drive can only playback but not record optical discs and supports DVD±R and DVD±RW formats, as well as CD, CD-R/RW, CD-DA, CD-ROM XA, CD-Extra, WMA-CD, MP3-CD and JPEG Photo CD.

An external HD DVD optical drive could be purchased as a separate accessory. An external HD DVD drive connects to the Xbox 360 via a USB port and has two additional USB inputs on the front side. The HD DVD drive can only play, but not write, optical discs. Limited number of HD DVD drives for Xbox 360 are sold complete universal remote control remote control and a copy of director Peter Jackson's film "King Kong" in HD DVD format. (At the moment, after the official statement by Toshiba that the HD DVD format has lost the “format war”, HD DVD drives are no longer produced).

Xbox 360 Hard Drive (hard drive) 20 GB (since 2008 60 GB for the Pro version and 120 GB for the Elite version) is not required to run most games, but is required to download information from the Internet and use other services. Xbox 360 has 3 USB ports. As a result, a maximum of 3 wired controllers can be connected to the Xbox 360. This limitation can be removed if you purchase a regular USB hub. In addition to wired ones, the Xbox 360 also supports wireless controllers. Their number is limited to four.

Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel. As an additional accessory, you can purchase a special controller for racing simulators - a wireless steering wheel with feedback(recoil).

Xbox Live Vision webcam comes with: an Xbox Live Gold card for a period of 1 month, as well as three games that have built-in support for this accessory. The camera can be used for video chats, sending photo messages via Xbox Live, in some games (C&C Tiberium wars, Burnout Paradise, You're in the Movies, etc.)

Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote is an integrated control center for all Xbox 360 functions. The central illuminated Xbox Guide button provides fast access to a digital library of movies, music and games, and thanks to the backlit buttons, the remote control is easy to find even at dusk home theater. - Turn your Xbox 360 system on and off without leaving your couch.
- The Xbox Guide button provides easy navigation through the Xbox Gamer Guide service.
- The Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote features buttons for playing music, viewing photos, and more.
- With the remote control you can control the opening and closing of the tray.
- The remote control supports universal functions of the TV and set-top box, including volume and mute buttons, as well as changing channels.
- Also available Windows button XP Media Center Edition and Media Center Edition features are supported.
- The A, B, X and Y buttons provide basic control of the Xbox 360 system, even without a controller.
- Illuminated and numbered buttons provide control even in the dark.

Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter. Compatible with home network A/B/G standards in the 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz bands. Power is supplied through the Xbox 360 USB port, eliminating cable clutter. Allows you to stream photos and music from your computer with Microsoft Windows XP and recorded TV programs, movies, and videos from a computer running Microsoft Windows XP Media Center ( Windows Vista Home Premium). Instructions on Microsoft.com (in English)

Xbox 360 VGA Cable. DV-15S VGA connector
Allows you to set the appropriate resolution technical specifications The TV device to which the console is connected with this cable.
- Resolutions supported by the cable:
640x480
848x480
1024x768
1280x720
1280x768
1280x1024
1360x768
1440x900 (16:10)
1680x1050(16:10)
1920x1080
- Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound output
- Shielded cable 2.5 m long

HDMI & Optical/RCA Audio adapter Microsoft. Shielded cable for transmitting high definition video images up to 1080p and audio using Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound output. The cable is included with your Xbox 360 Elite console.
- Length HDMI cable- 2 meters

Xbox 360 Composite AV Cable. Cable for composite (SDTV) connection. Supports 640*480 resolution. This cable is included with the Xbox 360 Core/Arcade version.

Xbox 360 S-Video AV Cable. With this cable you can get slightly better picture quality on a regular non-HD TV than with a composite cable. The cable has connectors for transmitting Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound audio signals. The cable length is 2.5 m. The cable is protected from interference.

Xbox 360 Component HD AV Cable. Using this cable, you can connect your Xbox 360 to LCD and plasma panels, as well as high-definition HD TVs (480p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p). The cable combines Component (Y, Pr, Pb) connectors (red, blue, green - combined together on the wire), Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, as well as a Composite connector (yellow) for connecting to regular TVs without support for the high definition standard HD. The cable length is 2.5 m. The cable is protected from interference.

Xbox 360 Advanced SCART AV Cable. Cable for connection via RGB-SCART connectors. With divided chromaticity R-B-G(Red-Blue-Green).
This cable only transmits SDTV (480i). You will get the highest picture quality on your TV without HD support.

Messenger Kit- a keyboard built into the joystick for quickly typing messages when communicating on Xbox Live or MSN. The backlit keyboard allows you to type in the dark. It was never officially released in Russia. Sold only with applied Latin letters.

Wireless Headset- wireless headset, operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency range at a distance of up to 9 meters from the console. The built-in battery lasts up to 8 hours. Charging is carried out using the device that comes with the kit.
It turned out to be not very popular, because... its price is very high, and the quality of speech transmission in the first revisions caused a lot of controversy among users.

Headset. Wired headset for voice communication. Included with Xbox 360 Pro/Premium and Elite consoles. Complete with Elite - black, complete with Pro/Premium - white.

Xbox 360 Rechargeable Battery Pack. Special Ni-MH batteries (nickel-metal hydride) for a wireless gamepad (joystick).

Xbox 360 Play & Charge Kit. Charger for Rechargeable Battery Pack, which allows you to recharge batteries from a USB port (the gamepad is still operational). The Play & Charge Kit includes one battery (Rechargeable Battery Pack)

Xbox 360 Quick Charge Kit. Docking station for fast charging Rechargeable Battery Pack for wireless gamepads.

Xbox 360 Memory Unit. Memory card for Xbox 360, needed to save games and user profiles; they are available in 64, 256 and 512MB. Memory cards are included with the Xbox 360 Core/Arcade. The Xbox 360 Arcade comes with a 512MB card; 64MB cards are currently not sold and are not used with consoles.

Special Edition Faceplates- removable front panels. Allows you to change the external part of the Xbox 360.

Xbox Live

There are two options for connecting to Xbox Live services - Silver and Gold.

Silver Access is completely free for all Xbox 360 owners. In this mode, the user can create his own profile, participate in online forums, access the Xbox Live Arcade and Marketplace sections and communicate with other Xbox 360 owners through text, voice and video chats . Silver access does not allow you to join online games/competitions on Xbox Live, but some games have their own independent means of communication over the Internet and can be played without restrictions by Silver access users.

Gold access includes all the functionality of Silver plus support for online competitions via the Xbox Live network. An Xbox Live Gold subscription costs €59.99 per year. Each Xbox Live Gold account is linked to a specific Xbox 360. To transfer your account to a new Xbox 360, you must register with Windows system Live ID and provide information about the system and its owner.

The Xbox Live Marketplace is an online marketplace where Xbox 360 users can download a variety of content, from videos and game demos to full versions Xbox Live Arcade games and additional stages, weapons, costumes and other elements for already released products. Using the Xbox 360 Dashboard, users can customize the appearance of weapons, clothing, and other elements of their heroes, cars, and more. A hard drive is required to save information downloaded from the Xbox Live Marketplace. To download paid content, you need in-game currency, the so-called Microsoft Points, which can be purchased using a credit card and prepaid cards.

Xbox Live Arcade is an online game distribution service. In addition to classic projects such as Pac-Man, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting and UNO, the service also offers completely new games - for example, Assault Heroes, and classic hits from other entertainment systems - for example, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Zuma. The price of one game ranges from 5 to 15 euros.

In November 2006, Microsoft launched Xbox Live Video, an online store where Xbox 360 owners can “rent” series and films from MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, Turner Broadcasting and CBS and Warner Bros. and Paramount. The video is presented in VC-1 format with a resolution of 720p and multi-channel surround sound in Dolby Digital 5.1. Full-length movies from Xbox Live Video must be viewed within two weeks of purchase and completed within 24 hours of first playback. After this period, you will have to pay for viewing again. Individual episodes of television series can be purchased without restrictions on the number of views. You can also copy TV series to other Xbox 360s at your discretion. Bye this service operates exclusively in the USA, but there are plans to expand its activities to the European region.

New Xbox Experience

On November 19, 2008, the Dashboard was updated. The design of the Xbox 360 shell has completely changed. “Avatars” have appeared (something similar to Mii), now you can create your own character who will participate in all your movements through the Xbox 360 menu.

Here are some changes that have happened to Dashboard:

1. When you first launch NXE you will be shown a gorgeous CGI promo film with lots of cool effects, etc.
2. Smooth animation. Game and video content is accompanied by normal boxart, video by posters, and music by album covers. Also, all this is accompanied by a short video. For example, when selecting a demo of PES 09 in the “square” there will be a short video from the game instead of a static picture.
3. The sound has changed. The dashboard sounds have become a little more aggressive, and the new Guide startup sound is amazing.
4. The text input menu is better and very, very blue. However, the color can be changed.
5. The pulsating Xbox 360 icon in the corner on the right shows your connection to Live, and the gamertags of your friends who are currently online are shown in the top corner.
6. The effect of moving between tabs and menus has a relaxing effect.
7. With the usual dashboard theme in Friends Tab, spaceships, guitars and gamepads from the console can be seen in the background. The “night” theme includes streets and other city attributes.
8. Using downloadable themes, developers will be able to change almost the entire NXE, the new toolkit allows this
9. The Spotlight tab changes depending on your preferences. For example, if you download a lot of movies, more new movies will be covered there. Well, if you play a lot of shooters, you will be advised to download the demo version of Ghost Recon, for example.
10. Avatars have over 400 different settings appearance. For example, jewelry and costumes. All the clothes for them were designed by London fashion designers, and they themselves were made by RARE. The movements of Avatars are very smooth, there are a lot of animations. They are always happy. Soon after the launch of NXE, the assortment will be replenished with clothing from games and clothing from popular brands like Nike.
11. It will also be possible to receive “wearable” items for Avatars, which will be tied to achievements. For example, guitars from Guitar Hero for achievements in the World Tour.

12. Possible full installation games to the console's hard drive, the DVD disc will only be needed to launch the game; the drive will not be used during gameplay.

Avatar example

Parental control
- Decide what online and offline games your children will play.
- Set protection levels for games and DVDs.
- Use a password to protect your family settings.

On the Xbox console they were called "Parental Controls", on the Xbox 360 console this concept expanded to new feature"Family Settings" Family Settings performs two functions on the Xbox 360.

For offline games, family settings can be set to grant or restrict access to games based on the European Computer and Video Game Rating System (PEGI) rating. For online gaming, family settings can be used to limit access to content and contacts as chosen by parents.

Set-top box control
Console controls operate every time you turn on the Xbox 360 and help parents monitor not only games, but also movies and network access.

Access the Family Settings feature from the System tab.
Go to "Family Settings" from the "System" tab and select "Console Controls" from the next menu. The Console Controls menu contains the following options:
“Console Controls” menu.
"Game ratings" The Xbox 360 reads the PEGI (European Computer and Video Game Rating System) rating assigned to the game from the disc. Choose games for your child, rated from 3+ to 18+.
"Original Xbox games" (Original games for Xbox). Original Xbox games do not contain the same encoded data as Xbox 360 games, so the Xbox 360 does not recognize the PEGI ratings of original Xbox games. Therefore, you can either ban all original Xbox games or allow them all. The choice is yours.
"Set pass code" Sign in to your Passport Network account to set a separate password to protect your family settings and ensure that you are the only person who can access or change settings.

Toshiba-Samsung TS-H943 There were 3 versions of the Samsung drive - ms12 (the very first consoles), ms25 and ms28. Until June 2006, Sasmung version ms25 was installed, starting from June 2006 ms28 was installed. Recently, Samsung drives are installed only on the Premium version; new Xbox 360 consoles with HDMI do not include Sasmung drives. All versions of the drive are flashed using software.

• Hitachi-LG GDR-3120L There have been a huge number of revisions of this drive. Until August 2006 it was released with revisions 32/36/40/46/47/58/59, after August 2006 it was supplied with revision 78, and starting from January 2007 with revision 79. Only Hitachi 79 is installed in Xbox 360 consoles with HDMI output All versions of the drive are firmware.
• Philips-BenQ VAD6038 There are 2 versions of this drive - 62430C and 64930C, installed only in Xbox 360 consoles with HDMI output. All versions of the drive are firmware.

BenQ-Philips-LiteOn DG-16D2S Installed in Xbox 360 released after 2008-04-20 (see on the back of the console case). The quietest of all drives. The firmware from "Team Jungle Presents IXtreme 1.5 firmware" for this drive was released on 12/23/2008. The version of this drive was banned along with the rest in the fourth wave of bans.

Philips & Lite-On DG-16D2S-09C This drive was first seen in August-September 2009 on Elite consoles (120Gb) with the game Forza 3 Motorsport. At the moment, this drive cannot be flashed.

"Ban" (denying access) on Xbox Live

All "drive firmware" versions are monitored by Microsoft and your console can (and will) be banned from Xbox live during . Periodically 1-2 times a year, Microsoft “cleanses” the Xbox live network service from users who play on “fixed” consoles and violate the user agreement. Users who are caught by the system using a patched console when trying to log into Xbox live receive a window with a message that their console has been blocked.

X: 0000-F001
Y: 00A8-6820
Z: 8015-190D

Banned\? | Wireless:
w: 0000-0021
X: 0000-F001
Y: 00A8-6840
Z: 8015-190D

Fourth wave of bans (November 2009)

During the bath the following happens:
- Inability to access Xbox Live

Inability to install games on HDD (hard drive) (At the moment, private masters can unlock this function)
- Impossibility using Windows Media Center extender (That is, you will not be able to watch movies that are on your computer, only DVD movies from discs.)
- Inability to obtain data from a damaged profile (It is not possible to copy your game saves to another external storage device (memory card), and also to copy GamerTag, the only way is to restore your account on a new console, but in this case you will lose all updates and game saves, i.e. everything you had on HDD)

Everyone who used "flashed" drives was blocked, regardless of the firmware version, the drive version, the use of patched games, as well as those who played Xbox Live on licensed games and the rest of the time on pirated copies. This ban occurred on 100% of all consoles that were patched.

Some information is taken from open sources.