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Editor's note: Nothing too thought-provoking here — nor is it supposed to be. Matthew just gives us a thorough breakdown of the new slim Xbox 360 console versus the older models. Useful if, like me, you're contemplating the upgrade. -Greg
We have probably all read or heard about the features of the slimmed-down Xbox 360 over and over again, so I’m going to try to refrain from covering old ground and just give a hands-on comparison of the new and old versions of the hardware.
For starters, and to no surprise, the console is definitely smaller and lighter. The shiny black finish is the same one adorned by the launch PlayStation 3 hardware. It attracts fingerprints and dust like hipsters to anything Apple, but it sure is sexy. The lack of a protruding hard drive on the top of the console makes the overall appearance much more pleasant, too.
Another feature borrowed from the PlayStation 3: the absence of mechanical buttons. Microsoft replaced the eject and power buttons with touch-sensitive areas. When you touch the eject "button," the console makes a sound similar to that of an elevator reaching your floor.
To give credit where it's due, when Microsoft said this newer version was whisper quiet, they weren’t kidding. I couldn’t hear it while powering up the console nor while browsing the dashboard. In fact, even when I inserted a disc I still couldn't hear anything unless I placed my head right up next to the console. I’m very satisfied considering my PS3 now sounds like a jet on takeoff by comparison.
Besides the built-in Wi-Fi, my favorite new feature is the inclusion of an optical audio port on the console itself instead of on the component video cable. The old optical audio port was lousy because the optical cable couldn’t snap into place. It seemed that if so much as a butterfly farted the optical cable would fall out. Now it snaps in perfectly. And yes, I realize I’m probably the only one who appreciates this.
Before I move on, allow me to digress for a quick rant: Why on earth is Microsoft still including composite cables with each console? They always tout how the Xbox 360 is a high-definition machine and how great the penetration rate of HDTVs is. Microsoft, give me a full high-definition experience out of the box if you’re going to sell it as a high-definition console. OK, thank you. Rant complete.
As for the accessories, the controller and headset are completely black now. No grey accents as seen on the Elite versions. they have a nice, uniform look. One other difference with the controller is that the guide button has a chrome-looking finish, as opposed to the brushed-steel look of the old controller. The power brick is black but remains the same size and shape. If it is any smaller, it's only minutely so.
Lastly, I compared load times. I started the timer with both consoles completely powered down and stopped when each reached Modern Warfare 2's main menu. The older Xbox 360 had a time of 31.62 seconds, while the new slim model beat it with a time of 29.88. Granted, a little under two seconds difference isn’t much to get excited about.
If you’re in the market for a new Xbox 360, this is the version you should get. At the same price as the Elite, you get much more for your money with just the built-in Wi-Fi alone. Add on top of that its great new look, expanded hard-drive capacity, and fixed optical input, and I consider this to be an extraordinary buy. And it doesn't hurt that it looks so good next to the Wii and PS3.
