Included is a slightly modified wireless controller. Though it's about half the size of the original, we're much more comfortable downgrading the "brick" to a "block." The proprietary connection is definitely smaller, but there is still a power box you must deal with. Though there seemed to be some discussion as to whether this made it difficult for commands to be given to the Xbox 360, our tests with a Harmony remote show no sign of such issues.įor those hoping to ditch the enormous "power brick" that tethered the console to a power source, you're half in luck. Next to it is the controller sync button, which also doubles as the system's infrared (IR) port. To the right of the power circle is a spring-loaded door hiding two USB ports.
Past 360 owners will associate this area with the "red ring of death" error message, but Microsoft has removed red LEDs from the console, so now any malfunction will be represented with a series of green lights. The silver power circle also represents the number of controllers connected and will rotate depending on how the console is oriented (either horizontally or vertically). The new Xbox 360 certainly addresses most of the concerns we've had with the versions before it, but we don't think it warrants a purchase if you already own an Xbox 360 in working order with an HDMI-out port and a hard drive. Officially referred to as the "S" console-or Slim, as we've come to call it-the latest iteration packs a 250GB hard drive, built-in Wi-Fi, and a new design that's about 17 percent smaller than the previous models. Other complaints vary from lack of built-in Wi-Fi to denying users the ability to replace the hard drive like the PlayStation 3 offers.Īt E3 2010, Microsoft unveiled an Xbox 360 redesigned from the ground up. Though Microsoft has remained quiet about an exact fail rate percentage, some analysts have that number as high as 40 percent, with recent reports hovering around a one in four odds of failing within the first two years of ownership. The defect can be traced to the system's inability to properly dissipate heat, which in turn renders some of the vital innards unusable. Most notably, the infamous "red ring of death" controversy has plagued the system since its launch. The console is not without its shortcomings, though.