Upgraded Black Xbox 360 coming very soon?

360 Rumour | Allegedly including HDMI out and 120GB HDD.

Website Gamesreports has done what their name implies, and reported on a potential new model of Xbox 360 due out in Australia in April as a spoiler for the PS3 launch. Gamesreports claims they have an inside source at Microsoft Australia who overheard a conversation with Myer representatives, who were told to be ready for the new model in April. This new model will apparently be black (both console and controller), will feature an HDMI output, and come equipped with a 120GB hard drive.

It would be easy to dismiss this rumour because of its spurious source (they know a guy who heard a guy say something?) But Gamesreports now claim that they have official confirmation from Microsoft, and they even have a price: "It's now 100% official that the Black 360, (with black controller), 120GB hard drive and HDMI is due out in Australia for AU$749 in April. They will try to push this forward to late-March to deter buyers from the March 23 PS3 launch."

To add fuel to the fire, American games blog Kotaku has done some research, and according to them calls to Myer have confirmed the rumour as true. The site also contacted Microsoft Australia, who issued the standard "at this time it's only a rumour" line.

But why would this news be broken in Australia? If this rumour is indeed true, it's quite a cover up by Microsoft to mask the release of such a major product until just a couple of months before launch. With that said, given how soon the proposed launch is, we'll know for sure within days. We'll keep you updated as more comes to hand.

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74 Comments

Ellegarden

5 years ago

Wait arent black xboxes dev kits? Anyway It would be total kick in the ass for the guys who brought a 360 already. Then 360 would vaporware, I suppose.

Nick

5 years ago

I hope it is true, this would be very interesting.

Itachi

5 years ago

Ellegarden wrote

Wait arent black xboxes dev kits? Anyway It would be total kick in the ass for the guys who brought a 360 already. Then 360 would vaporware, I suppose.

that's excatly how i feel i bought a 360 now to find out there is a better version coming pfft

Karai Pantsu

5 years ago

I remain skeptical - its all a little too smoke and mirrors, he-said she said at the moment. Besides the colour change (which would be welcome, although I do like the white) and the HDD, is there any major difference?
This could just be techo-ingnorance speaking, but doesn't HDMI offer the same image quality as VGA but with 8-channel sound being routed through the plug instead of being wired seperatley?

If so I reckon I'll hold off on 'upgrading' my 360, tempting as the black one would be.

Gtpod

5 years ago

This would be awesome, I've still got to wait ~5 more months till I get my hands on a 360, so any decent upgrades in the mean time would be lush.

Not that I'd actually use the HDMI, but a black console would look too cool.

Itachi

5 years ago

Karai Pantsu wrote

No hdmi is better picture quality and sound it's actually quite funny it took them this long to introduce it. Hdmi is the best connection type out now.

slasherD

5 years ago

An interesting tactic if it turns out to be true. Noone foresaw the PS3 being combatted with a price increase from Microsoft.

Ellegarden

5 years ago

narutofanx10 wrote

No hdmi is better picture quality and sound it's actually quite funny it took them this long to introduce it. Hdmi is the best connection type out now.

Actually its not, its not a lot different dvi-d, both carry digital signals and have similar bandwith. Hdmi is just a cash-on of the HD transition.

Itachi

5 years ago

Ellegarden wrote

narutofanx10 wrote

No hdmi is better picture quality and sound it's actually quite funny it took them this long to introduce it. Hdmi is the best connection type out now.

Actually its not, its not a lot different dvi-d, both carry digital signals and have similar bandwith. Hdmi is just a cash-on of the HD transition.

sorry i always thought it was because i have a hd tv

Ellegarden

5 years ago

Well you can buy HD sets without HDMI (I did have one of each before I returned them) , DVI-D slots are good enough.

Nev

5 years ago

So.... If you get one of these new black 360s, plus the HD-DVD drive add-on, and you're looking at $749 + $249 = $998...

A whole dollar LESS than the PS3!

Sweet! I'm cracking my piggy bank open right now!

Ellegarden wrote

Well you can buy HD sets without HDMI (I did have one of each before I returned them) , DVI-D slots are good enough.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the HDTV Noah bought so the animals could watch Madagascar on the ark didn't have HDMI.

ObsoletE

5 years ago

Karai Pantsu wrote

This could just be techo-ingnorance speaking, but doesn't HDMI offer the same image quality as VGA but with 8-channel sound being routed through the plug instead of being wired seperatley?

afaik, HDMI and DVI are fairly close, but over VGA.

there are a couple of differences, firstly VGA is analogue, whereas DVI and HDMI are digital.
secondly, DVI and HDMI also carry brightness information for each LCD pixel, whereas VGA is colour only.

Jim Dash

5 years ago

This instantly makes our current 360's worthless and I want an upgrade right now.

Microsoft should offer some form of upgrade deal. Not just for the black console (I prefer white) or the bigger HD, or HDMI, but for the better CPU, and the Benq DVD drive.

And at an inflated price? Screw that!

ObsoletE

5 years ago

Jim Dash wrote

Microsoft should offer some form of upgrade deal. Not just for the black console (I prefer white) or the bigger HD, or HDMI, but for the better CPU, and the Benq DVD drive.

i don't like the chances of that happening, perhaps some XBL points, but i doubt anything substantial.

i feel sorry for those who did purchase early, and i imagine i'd be pretty pissed too, but it's not like Sony offered compensation when they upgraded their disc drives in the PSX's and PS2s. or Nintendo, when they released GBA SPs or DS-Lites.

technology advances, such is the price for early adoption.

Nexus

5 years ago

Nev wrote

lol. A very good comparission there and proably a comparission that the press would be using a lot. If MS chucked in a pack-in game like GOW or free Live Gold for a few months then I am sure they could win over a lot of people.

If this is true then it defiantely is going to be a shock tactic from MS and would be very distruptive to the PS3. I find it interesting about the black color, it is the same color as the Playstation 3.

realitybites

5 years ago

Well as an early adoprter the only thing that peeves me is the new quiet DVD drive from Benq. Maybe I can get a replacement some day.

As for HDMI well I don't have HDMI so it can't help me I have component.

As for the larger hard drive I can buy one if its required at present it isn't a requirement.

So all up I don't see it as a big issue.

But if people want to feel miserable than I can't help you thats your problem.

Karai Pantsu

5 years ago

ObsoletE wrote

Karai Pantsu wrote

This could just be techo-ingnorance speaking, but doesn't HDMI offer the same image quality as VGA but with 8-channel sound being routed through the plug instead of being wired seperatley?

Ah, thanks for that. So HDMI does provide a better quality - that per-pixel brightness sounds like a damned good idea. Now I *am* a little more intrigued.

Also, Nev: You forgot to factor in the HDD, which is twice the size of the high-end PS3

(although with very little reason to be, currently)

Jim Dash

5 years ago

But you know the reason for the larger HDD, Karai - when we get the Media Services.

Many people will find use in the large HDD, for their music, tv shows and movies..

thebigm

5 years ago

GTPod wrote

This would be awesome, I've still got to wait ~5 more months till I get my hands on a 360, so any decent upgrades in the mean time would be lush.

Not that I'd actually use the HDMI, but a black console would look too cool.

Agreed, it's get very difficult to decide where to put my money right now.. maybe I could just put it in a few shares / the bank and gain interest whilst I make my decisions waiting for things

Juztin

5 years ago

awesome, going to be buying this one instead of the current one, always like black consoles for some reason (black Xbox 1, Black PSTwo).

Karai Pantsu

5 years ago

Jim Dash wrote

But you know the reason for the larger HDD, Karai - when we get the Media Services.

Many people will find use in the large HDD, for their music, tv shows and movies..

Ya, ya... hence the 'currently'

I'd go on about the possible media download services, but you already know what I think about that. Damned double-thread discussions

David

5 years ago

Remember that this is still a RUMOUR guys. No need to be pissed at MS until we know for certain it's true.

Nev

5 years ago

ObsoletE wrote

there are a couple of differences, firstly VGA is analogue, whereas DVI and HDMI are digital.
secondly, DVI and HDMI also carry brightness information for each LCD pixel, whereas VGA is colour only.

Well, you learn something new everyday... I always thought VGA was digital.

The only experience I've had with different connections on my LCD TV is having my PS2 and GameCube running over component, and my Dreamcast in VGA - which is a MAJOR improvement. I get more blurring and lag with component, while the Dreamcast looks crystal clear, bright and colourful (makes a HUGE difference with Rez.)

This might also be due to the fact that Dreamcast games that are compatable with the VGA cable also run in progressive scan... But other games that do (Beyond Good and Evil, Shadow of the Colossus, Twilight Princess, Monkey Ball) still aren't quite as sharp.

I'll be interested to see what HDMI looks like, and whether my PS2 games look better just due to the better connection (now that they've fixed the problems they were having when running on the PS3).

Capoeira

5 years ago

I'm not at all phased by this news. I personally think the difference btw component and HDMI is negligible. The majority of people out there probably wouldn't even be able to tell a component signal from HDMI one, should they ever have had to choose without knowing which was which.

That then leaves the larger hard drive, which any one of us could buy if we ever needed it. I also like the white of the original console; I don't have a single black component in my entertainment system, so it wouldn't have suited me anyway.

Of course, this is all a rumor for now, but I can somehow see this new upgraded 360 making it the market. Why drop the price of the console to combat the PS3 launch when you can release a newer version and charge more for it!

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