The good: All games for the Xbox 360 are in high-definition, as is the excellent, user-friendly Dashboard interface. There’s built-in support for wireless controllers and excellent online gaming, content downloads, and communications via Xbox Live. The console is not only backward compatible with many (but not all) original Xbox titles, but it also doubles as a superior digital media hub and Windows Media extender. The system’s online Marketplace allows easy purchases of mini-games, movies, and TV shows.
The bad: The list of truly impressive next-gen games remains small. The console has some design flaws: a noisy exhaust fan, a gigantic oversized power supply, no built-in wireless networking, only three USB ports, and no DVI or HDMI output. The DVD player is rather substandard, and support for next-gen HD-DVD movies requires a bulky external accessory. Additionally, the system’s customary 20GB hard drive can’t store a lot of high-definition downloadable content. Online gaming requires a paid subscription to Xbox Live.
The bottom line: The Xbox 360 delivers the power and performance of a high-end gaming PC, including impressive digital media and networking features
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